Imagine…Eighteen months ago, you uprooted your life, leaving behind your home province for a new job across the country. Despite your urgent need for a family doctor, you’ve spent the last year and a half on a frustrating waitlist. Last week, you finally got that long-awaited phone call, you were finally matched with a new doctor! And today, you are set to meet them in person.
However, your journey to this appointment was anything but ordinary. With a broken leg and crutches, you knew the trip would be challenging and exhausting. As you slowly make your way from the bus stop, you realized the clinic was on the fourth floor of a small building without an elevator. Faced with the daunting prospect of crawling up four flights of stairs (and dragging crutches), you are forced to make a difficult decision: cancel the appointment and risk a lengthy wait for a rescheduled visit, or return to the waitlist, potentially extending your doctorless days by another eighteen months.
Now, imagine you were in a wheelchair, and your leg was permanently injured. What would your options be?
For many Canadians, inaccessible care due to hidden physical bias and gaps in practice set up, are a heavy reality. Inaccessible clinics often perpetuate harmful biases against disabled individuals based on ablest design practices. Clinics that are not designed with accessibility in mind can unintentionally perpetuate harmful stereotypes against disabled individuals, and when clinics are inaccessible, they create an environment that reinforces the notion that disabled people are an inconvenience or burden. This can lead to feelings of isolation, frustration, and a decreased sense of self-worth, ultimately hindering the quality of care received. After long waiting lists for specialists, family doctors, and other care, being welcomed into an office that does not have accessibility in mind, can be defeating.
Common physical barriers to accessible healthcare include:
– Lack of lift, ramp, or accessible entrance
– Single standing height reception desk and windows
– Doors without automatic buttons
– Waiting rooms without sufficient space to accommodate for wheelchairs or accessibility devices to move freely
– Lack of building Braille signage
– Lack of close accessible parking spaces
– Lack of accessible toilets with assistive handlebars
But why is this important, and why should we care?
Despite the intent of the Accessible Canada Act to ensure equality and inclusion in healthcare, many Canadians with disabilities continue to face significant barriers to accessing essential medical services. When healthcare facilities are not accessible, individuals with disabilities may experience delays in care, receive inadequate treatment, or even be denied services altogether.
Accessible healthcare is essential for promoting health equity and improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities, and when clinics and hospitals are designed and operated with accessibility in mind, it allows for timely, appropriate care, leading to better health outcomes and reduced health disparities. Moreover, accessible healthcare empowers individuals with disabilities to live more independent and fulfilling lives, reducing feelings of isolation and frustration.
By addressing the systemic barriers to accessible healthcare, we can create a more inclusive and just society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive – limiting the number of people who have to go back on waitlists in hopes of an accessible clinic.
Image by Megan Rexazin Conde from Pixabay
