 Healthcare for people with disabilities must move beyond simple aid and into the realm of removing social and environmental barriers, as well as a societal attitude shift as a whole. It is important to acknowledge disability as a shifting continuum over the course of an individual’s life. Recognizing that many people (about 15% of the world’s population) live with a disability and that each experience within that is unique will go a long way in increasing health equity for people with disabilities. 

Changes Needed for Disability Health Equity

As it currently stands, people with a disability must navigate each interaction within the medical system because it is built with individuals with disabilities as an afterthought. Additionally, the attitude of individuals with disabilities towards the health-care system is rocky at best and is only further soured by harassment and stigmatization.

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and mental health have a large impact on people's experience in the medical field within the context of health equity. Lived experience and differences should be placed at the forefront of this discussion. These four identities affect health equity through comorbidity and the experience of stigma (directly or indirectly). 

Health Inequity of Disability, Mental Health, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity

Nakkeeran, N., & Nakkeeran, B. (2018, October 9). Disability, mental health, sexual orientation and gender identity: Understanding health inequity through experience and difference - health research policy and systems. SpringerLink. Retrieved July 15, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-018-0366-1 

Reference for Health Equity and Accessibility

Disability Health Inequity

Mental health is one of the most neglected parts of public health across the world. Mental health issues can stem from stressors in other parts of people’s lives; including, but not limited to, ethnicity, violence, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability. Mental health programs that are community based and focused on assimilation are needed so as not to further isolate a stigmatized group. 

Mental Health Inequity

Similarly to disability and mental health, gender identity and sexual orientation health inequities tend to happen as a result of stigma. This is also aided by the criminalization of homosexuality and the refusal of some societies to accept these identities as part of the norm. These identities correlate highly with low mental health status. More research must be done with SO and GI as parameters in order to better improve access to and quality of healthcare.  

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Inequity

 Simply closing health gaps will not be enough to improve people with the aforementioned identities’ lives. Society needs to create a medical and cultural structure that highlights differences. These differences create collective identities in these groups as well as highlights their needs to be able to function independently in today’s society. 

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