'Experiencing ableism in the medical field can be life-altering.'

This article was originally published by Hireup. Read the original article.

Advocate and provisional psychologist Liel Bridgford shares how she – and two fellow women with disability – have experienced discrimination in Australia’s health system, highlighting the crucial need for anti-ableism practice in the medical space.

As a disabled health professional, I have experienced ableism countless times, both in my personal and professional life. Although the laws around discrimination are clear, enforcement of these in the health sector is lagging. 

While pregnant, I once attended a general practice that had stairs leading to the consulting rooms, making access difficult and risky. The first midwife I met expressed such judgement about parents who have physical disability that I was left feeling worried for the rest of that pregnancy. 

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During one of the COVID lockdowns, I experienced a pregnancy loss and had to attend the hospital procedure alone, while being separated from all of my support networks. This traumatic experience took a toll on my mental health, and I requested time away from my work as a counsellor. 

Despite a supporting letter from my GP, my then-employer turned down this request, which left me feeling betrayed and dismayed. I was discriminated against due to mental health distress by a mental health service provider. Eventually, I had no other viable choice but to leave that workplace.

My experiences are far from unique. Many disabled people face discrimination, prejudice, and barriers when trying to access healthcare.

Zoe Simmons is a journalist, author, speaker and disability advocate who identifies as disabled and autistic. Zoe told me that almost every time she interacts with a health professional, “I encounter ableism”. A fibromyalgia clinic recently failed to provide Zoe with accessibility provisions such as telehealth appointments.

Image: Zoe Simmons by Emma Veness Photography. 

Rhi Sugars is a preschool teacher and an inclusion support consultant who was born with chromosomal differences and is an autistic/ADHDer. During Rhi’s last pregnancy, a medical registrar questioned both her son’s and her own diagnoses, instead of focussing on pregnancy-related topics. In that appointment, the team also failed to inform Rhi of an important pregnancy issue, leaving her to unnecessarily process scary new information while labouring. 

These experiences left Rhi feeling “incredibly unsafe” and, understandably, she decided to never step foot in that clinic again.

Image: Rhi Sugars.

Ableism is a significant stressor for many disabled people, and experiencing ableism in the medical field can be life-altering. Zoe says that it affects both her mental and physical health, and leaves her “hesitant to receive more healthcare”.

Anti-ableism practice is a process of becoming aware of one’s own disability-related biases, and developing skills to tackle them, including challenging stereotypes that interfere with healthcare. 

When I facilitate anti-ableism training, I introduce the social model of disability to healthcare professionals, as many are unfamiliar with it. This is not a personal fault, but a systemic failure to acknowledge how the medical model, and the systems built upon it, harm disabled people. 

The health sector has been built on the medical model of disability, which stipulates that problems lie within people, who need ‘fixing’. This model has endlessly failed disabled people who, in response, developed the social model of disability. According to this model, the issues lie within our social world and that is what needs to be changed. 

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When done well, anti-ableism work gives health professionals skills to engage safely with disabled people and advocate for our needs. Healthcare workers can request adjustable examination tables, Auslan interpretation funding or add questions about accessibility to their intake form, for example.

I was once asked by a GP about which terminology to use when discussing my disability. This simple yet meaningful question left me feeling empowered and safe to discuss my healthcare needs.

Health professionals are incredibly time-poor, which is why we need continued advocacy within the health sector in order to bring about meaningful and sustainable change.

Anti-ableism work can and should become an integral part of health professionals’ training and ongoing development. Continued anti-ableism practice is the key to dismantling the ableism rooted in the medical system and creating a system that provides accessible, safe and equitable healthcare for all.

Feature Image: Supplied.