Disability and Health Care Access

Disability and health care access encompass a spectrum of physical, sensory, cognitive and psychosocial impairments that interact with societal structures to influence individuals’ ability to obtain needed medical services. Globally, people with disabilities experience disproportionately lower rates of cancer screening, maternal and reproductive health care, chronic disease management and preventive services, arising from barriers that are physical (inaccessible facilities and transport), financial (higher out-of-pocket costs), informational (lack of tailored communications) and attitudinal (stigma and low health-literacy among providers). The interplay of disability with gender, age, socioeconomic status and geography further compounds these inequities. International frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Sustainable Development Goal 3 emphasise the imperative of universal health coverage and inclusive health systems. Progress requires harmonised data collection, participation of disabled persons in policy design, workforce training in respectful and patient-centred care and infrastructure adaptations that embody principles of universal design.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Disability and Health Care Access publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in disability and health care access across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Structural ableism: Systemic discrimination in policies, practices and social norms that perpetuate disadvantage for people with disabilities.

Disability-inclusive health system: A health system designed to anticipate, accept and accommodate the needs of people with disabilities, ensuring equitable access to services.

Universal health coverage: A health policy goal in which all individuals receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.

Health equity: The principle and outcome of reducing and ultimately eliminating disparities in health and its determinants among different population groups.

References

1. Building disability-inclusive health systems. The Lancet Public Health (2024).
2. Structural ableism in public health and healthcare: a definition and conceptual framework. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas (2023).
3. Measuring disability and monitoring the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: the work of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics. BMC Public Health (2011).
4. A Systematic Review of Access to General Healthcare Services for People with Disabilities in Low and Middle Income Countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2018).