People with disabilities experience both health disparities and specific problems in gaining access to health care:
- 75% of people with disabilities report difficulty navigating exam tables.
- Less that 1 in 4 doctors offices and hospitals offer patient information in large print.
- Only 1% of pharmacies offer prescription information in braille.
- Many people who are deaf are refused sign language interpreters, or a hearing family member is asked to convey sensitive and confidential health information.
For more information about barriers to health care and what can be done about them, see the 2011 report by the Equal Rights Center:
Ill Prepared: Health Care’s Barriers for People with Disabilities
or download at www.equalrightscenter.org