Why Disabled Voices Matter In Healthcare

Disabled and chronically ill people often have to go to the doctor more often than non-disabled people because we have complex health issues that require multiple doctor’s visits. Doctor’s appointments are stressful for anyone, but they can be even more stressful for disabled people because sometimes non-disabled doctors assume we are unable to advocate for ourselves and don’t take us seriously. I don’t know how many people I have come across in healthcare who have invisible disabilities, but I do know that when I go to the doctor, I don’t see very many employees with visible disabilities. I love seeing myself represented at the doctor, but I don’t see it enough because non-disabled people often believe that disabled people can bring as much value to a workplace as a non-disabled person can. We need more disabled people in healthcare to help educate doctors on the realities of a disability that they aren’t taught in school, so they are unintentionally harming their patients. Why do we need more disabled people in healthcare? In this post, I am sharing a few reasons why we need more disabled voices in healthcare.

We can connect to disabled patients in ways non-disabled people can’t– Non-disabled doctors can sympathize with a medical condition, but most doctors only treat medical conditions, and don’t have the conditions they are treating. Non-disabled doctors often cannot relate to what someone is going through because they have never experienced it themselves, and sometimes will say things that can be perceived as a little insensitive. Disabled people cannot relate to every medical condition and are only able to relate to health conditions that we currently live with, but we can relate to other disabled people in ways that non-disabled people can’t. I may not be able to relate to what it’s like to have cancer because I have never experienced that, but I can relate to what it’s like to live with chronic pain. Doctor’s appointments are scary when you have a health condition, and sometimes doctors are very dismissive of someone’s pain and not as understanding as they could be. We need disabled people in healthcare because living with a disability can feel isolating, and sometimes you need to talk to someone who gets it.

We need people who understand that not all pain is visible- When you go to the doctor in pain, it can be difficult to get your doctor to take you seriously if you don’t look like you are in pain. Doctors often look for visible signs of pain, and if you don’t look like you are in pain, they assume you are a faker. It can be very difficult for doctors to understand chronic pain that they have never experienced, and we need more people in healthcare who understand that not all pain is visible, and most of it is not. Some people fake being in pain to get medication, but not everyone in pain is a liar and is fighting battles you cannot see. Disabled people need to be in healthcare to help doctors understand that not everyone gets addicted to their meds, and some people are seeking relief, not more medication. Non-disabled doctors do not understand that untreated chronic pain often leads to severe depression and can cause an avoidable mental illness. If more disabled people were in healthcare, doctors might have a better understanding that not all pain is visible, which would improve care for all patients.

Non-disabled people don’t understand accessibility to the extent disabled people do- When you are disabled, it can be difficult to find a doctor because most doctors’ offices are not accessible, and finding one that is accessible for wheelchair users is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Most doctors want to treat as many people as possible and are probably completely unaware of how inaccessible their office is for disabled people. Non-disabled people often think that accessibility ends at ramps and do not understand accessibility to the extent that a disabled person does. If you hire a disabled person, we can help you improve your accessibility so more disabled people can access your office, allowing you to treat more people. Disabled people sometimes have to go to the doctor more often than non-disabled people, but it can be difficult for us when we can’t navigate your building easily.

Ableism is everywhere in healthcare- When I go to the doctor, most of the time I hear at least one ableist comment because most people are ableist. It’s not just from the doctor, and I have heard ableist comments from physician assistants, receptionists, and nurses. Most of the time, I do not think it was intentional, and people do realize how ableist they are because they don’t have a disabled person in their life who truly understands ableism to call them out on it. Ableism negatively affects disabled people, and a vast majority of disabled people have negative experiences in healthcare because of ableism. Disabled people understand ableism more than non-disabled people and need to be in healthcare to help call out doctors when they are ableist, so they can better support their patients.

We can teach you how to talk to disabled people- Non-disabled people sometimes don’t know how to talk to a disabled person, and they will either talk to us like children or use language that is offensive without realizing the harm. Not all disabled people will identify in the same way, and some people may prefer to use terms like differently abled, while others won’t. Most healthcare workers do not use inclusive language, which is likely because they don’t know what inclusive language and I have heard far too many healthcare workers refer to me as wheelchair-bound. Doctors sometimes think disabled people are unable to speak for themselves and will talk to our caregiver and not us directly. We need more disabled people in healthcare to teach doctors what inclusive is, so they can better support their disabled patients.

Doctors spend a lot of time studying disabilities and chronic illnesses, but they don’t know everything, and we need more disabled people in healthcare who live with disabilities who understand what it’s like. Disabled people have a lot of negative experiences in healthcare because of ableism, and I think that could change if more doctors hired disabled people. It doesn’t matter how many years you spent studying my disability in school; it’s impossible to fully understand a disability you have never experienced, and that is okay. Doctors do their best to support their disabled patients, but they will not be able to support them to the extent that a disabled person can. I love to see myself represented at the doctor, but I don’t see it enough because most non-disabled people think that disabled people can’t bring as much value to the workplace. Disabled people bring a lot of value in healthcare because we have different skills than non-disabled people. Why do you think disabled people need to be in healthcare? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.

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