Improving Accessibility of Family Health Teams for People With Mobility Disabilities: Examining Rooms With Adjustable Tables and Lifts

Abstract

Despite the recent focus on primary care reform, adults with physical disabilities continue to experience difficulties with access to primary care. The current initiative was launched jointly by the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance, Queen's University Centre for Health Services & Policy Research, The Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, and the Primary Care Team at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, to improve access to Family Health Teams and Nurse Practitioner-led Clinics in Ontario for people with mobility impairments. The specific change we sought was to have at least one examining room in each FHT and NP-led Clinic equipped with an adjustable examining table and/or a ceiling-track lift. Using the Learning Collaborative approach, we contributed to tangible changes in the primary care environment toward increased equity and accessibility for people with disabilties. All 50 of the newest FHTs and 25 Nurse Practitioner-led Clinics (100%) have been advised of their obigations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, provided with information about increasing accessibility in their examinig rooms, and sensitized to the needs of disabled patients in the practice. Further initiatives to build on the current success are already underway. As a result of this project, durable links between decision makers, primary care organizations, disability organizations and university researchers have been forged that promise to continue to contribute positively to the accessibility of the primary care environment in Ontario.