Access to Healthcare Initiative
Access to Healthcare for People with Disabilities
Decades after federal law required healthcare to be accessible, people with disabilities continue to report widespread barriers and pervasive discrimination. In 2024, FISA Foundation launched an initiative to shed light on the barriers and issues that people with disabilities encounter in healthcare settings. As part of this initiative, FISA Foundation has commissioned a report and video series centering the voices and experiences of people with disabilities in receiving quality, patient-centered care. View the navigation menu below to click on links to different materials and events from this initiative.
Navigation Menu
- Upcoming Webinar – A Far Cry From Fair: Findings from a new report on barriers to healthcare
- Report Download A Far Cry From Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities
- Report Key Findings and Summary Fact Sheets
- Centering the Voices of People with Disabilities: Video Interviews with People with Disabilities on Healthcare Access
- Request for Proposals: Improving Healthcare Access for People with Disabilities in Southwestern PA
Stay Informed: Sign Up for the Latest Updates on FISA’s Access to Healthcare Initiative
WEBINAR – A Far Cry From Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities
Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Time: 12:30 pm to 2:00 PM EST
This webinar will present A Far Cry from Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities, which highlights the persistent barriers that people with disabilities experience in navigating the healthcare system, combining published research with local voices to call for systemic reforms that ensure equitable care for all. You will also hear personal stories of people with disabilities discussing barriers they have encountered in the healthcare system, as well as their vision for what accessible care could look like.
We’ll end with a discussion of next steps, including resources and a funding opportunity.
Presenter: Dr. Josie Badger DHCE, CRC
A Far Cry From Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities
FISA Foundation commissioned researchers from the University of Pittsburgh to write a report on barriers to healthcare that people with disabilities encounter. After conducting interviews with patients with disabilities and pulling form scholarly literature, the authors present the multitude of barriers to quality health care that people with disabilities say they face.
Download the Report Here: A Far Cry from Fair: Health-care access for people with disabilities
A Far Cry From Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities, Large Print
FISA Foundation’s “A Fair Cry From Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities” report is also available in braille. To request this, call 412-456-5550 or email us, info@fisafoundation.org.
Executive Summary and Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet: Access Barriers to Healthcare for People with Disabilities
Fact Sheet: Discrimination and Bias in Healthcare and Its Impact on People with Disabilities
Fact Sheet: Financial Barriers for People with Disabilities in Healthcare
BEST PRACTICES to make healthcare accessible to people with disabilities
Centering the Voices of People with Disabilities
“I want them [healthcare providers] to see me and not be overshadowed by my disability”
FISA Foundation commissioned a series of video interviews to center the experiences of people with disabilities in accessing healthcare. The videos illustrate the barriers they have encountered in receiving health care and their desire for more equitable, patient-centered care. Watch the short clips below.
Alisa
Amanda
Charlene
Cori
Fran
Holly
Josie
Lester
Request for Proposals (RFP): Improving Healthcare Access for People with Disabilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania
As part of the Access to Healthcare initiative, FISA announced a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for grants up to $20,000 to improve access to healthcare for people with disabilities. Below are the links to the RFP guidelines and the application. The RFP guidelines provide information on eligible applicants and activities, application evaluation, and proposal requirements. FISA has provided a video covering the information that is outlined in the RFP guidelines.
There will be a virtual RFP Information Session on January 29th, 2025 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM EST on Zoom. During this information session, FISA will provide an overview of the RFP and answer questions about the application. Register here.
The deadline to submit the RFP application and materials is March 3, 2025. If you have trouble downloading and accessing the documents, please email Adriana Bernal, Communications Associate, adriana@fisafoundation.org.
RFP for Improving Healthcare Access for People with Disabilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania (PDF).
Download the Application Form (Word)