Ensuring Accessible Health Care for Disabled Women

When a woman lives with a disability, her experience of the healthcare system is shaped by a unique intersection of gender-based discrimination and disability-related barriers. She may need specialised medical attention, rehabilitation support, or assistive devices – but reaching these services often means navigating a maze of physical, financial, and attitudinal obstacles. Understanding these challenges is the first step toward building a healthcare system that is truly inclusive.

The double burden: where gender meets disability 🔗

Women with disabilities face what researchers widely describe as “double discrimination.” Studies have shown that while both men and women with disabilities experience discrimination, women are disproportionately disadvantaged because gender oppression compounds with physical or mental limitations. This leaves them with significantly less access to education, economic opportunities, and – critically – healthcare.

According to the 2011 Census, India has approximately 11.8 million women with disabilities. Many of them live in conditions of isolation and marginalisation, their health needs consistently deprioritised by families and communities alike. A disabled woman from a low-income household in a rural area, for instance, may never see the inside of a hospital unless her condition becomes life-threatening – and sometimes, not even then.

Key healthcare challenges faced by disabled women 🔗

Inaccessible medical infrastructure 🔗

One of the most basic yet persistent problems is physical access. Many government hospitals, primary health centres, and clinics were not designed with disability in mind. The absence of ramps, accessible washrooms, adjustable examination tables, and sign-language interpreters makes a simple visit to the doctor a daunting experience. A woman with a locomotor disability may not be able to climb the steps to a maternity ward, and a woman with a hearing impairment may struggle to communicate her symptoms to a doctor who has no training in sign language.

Reports indicate that even though the law mandates physical accessibility in government and private hospitals, most public buildings and healthcare facilities continue to fall short. The gap between legislative intent and ground reality remains wide.

Neglect of specialised medical needs 🔗

Disabled women often have health requirements that go beyond general medicine. A woman with cerebral palsy may need regular physiotherapy. Someone with a spinal cord injury requires periodic urological check-ups. Women with intellectual disabilities may need guided support during gynaecological examinations. Yet the healthcare system largely operates on a one-size-fits-all model, and specialised services – when they exist – are concentrated in urban centres, far from the reach of most disabled women living in smaller towns or villages.

This neglect has real consequences. When health issues are not addressed at the right time, existing conditions worsen and secondary disabilities can develop. Depression and other psychological conditions often follow, further diminishing quality of life and daily functioning.

Financial barriers to treatment 🔗

Healthcare costs pose a massive hurdle. Many disabled women come from economically weaker backgrounds and are themselves unable to earn an income due to limited employment opportunities. The cost of consultations, medicines, regular therapies, surgeries, and assistive devices can be overwhelming for their families. Even when government schemes exist, awareness about them is often low.

The Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP) Scheme, operational since 1981, aims to help persons with disabilities procure modern, scientifically manufactured aids and appliances. It covers devices ranging from prosthetics and orthotic aids to hearing devices and communication equipment. For aids costing up to ₹15,000, the scheme provides full financial assistance, and for those costing between ₹15,001 and ₹30,000, partial support is available. The scheme also covers corrective surgeries needed before fitting an assistive device. However, awareness and outreach remain a challenge – estimates suggest that over 42% of eligible persons with disabilities never apply for government benefits simply because they do not know these schemes exist.

Insensitivity from healthcare professionals 🔗

Perhaps the most painful barrier is attitudinal. Many disabled women report being treated dismissively or disrespectfully by doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Healthcare professionals may lack training in communicating with patients who have different types of disabilities. A deaf woman might be ignored. A woman with an intellectual disability might not have her concerns taken seriously. In some cases, medical decisions are made by consulting the family or caregiver rather than the woman herself, undermining her autonomy.

Research from the University of North Carolina found that women with disabilities frequently encounter mistreatment by healthcare providers. Some are coerced into sterilisation by family members, while others are denied access to contraceptive counselling altogether. The study recommended that these disparities could be mitigated through better infrastructure, community education, and additional training for health workers.

Reproductive and sexual health: a neglected dimension 🔗

Reproductive healthcare for disabled women is an area surrounded by deep-rooted prejudice. Societal misconceptions frequently cast disabled women as asexual or unfit for marriage and motherhood. As a result, their sexual and reproductive health needs are routinely ignored by both families and the medical establishment.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has highlighted that deeply embedded prejudices about disabled women’s reproductive anatomy lead to their being considered incapable of having or raising children. Access to sexual and reproductive health information and services is compromised because of both social stigma and physical barriers. Data from the National Family Health Survey (2019-20) revealed that fewer than two-thirds of girls and women with disabilities aged 15-24 use hygienic menstrual protection methods – a figure that underscores how basic health needs remain unmet.

Forced sterilisation is another grave concern. Research from the London School of Economics notes that over 93% of women with disabilities are denied their reproductive rights in some form, and many are subjected to sterilisation procedures without informed consent. The guardians or families often associate disability with burden, particularly when it concerns a woman’s reproductive autonomy. While the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 addresses forced medical procedures, the gap between law on paper and law in practice is substantial.

The mental health dimension 🔗

The challenges disabled women face do not end with physical health. The social isolation, discrimination, and lack of autonomy that define their everyday experience take a severe toll on mental well-being. Depression, anxiety, and chronic stress are common among disabled women, yet mental health services remain severely underfunded and understaffed.

Research published by the International Growth Centre has shown that women in general seek healthcare less often than men, and women with disabilities are even more disadvantaged in this regard. The COVID-19 pandemic further worsened the mental health of women, especially those with limited access to support systems. Disabled women, already isolated before the pandemic, found themselves further cut off from the few services that were available to them.

The Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 was a positive legislative step, establishing Mental Health Review Boards and restricting certain harmful practices. But implementation remains poor, with the country spending less than 1% of its health budget on mental health and having only about 0.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 people.

The legal and policy framework 🔗

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 🔗

The RPwD Act, 2016 replaced the older 1995 legislation and brought Indian disability law in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). It expanded the number of recognised disabilities from 7 to 21 and introduced several healthcare-related provisions. Chapter 5 of the Act mandates free healthcare in the vicinity of persons with disabilities, barrier-free access in all hospitals (government and private), priority attendance and treatment, and schemes to prevent disabilities and promote health.

The Act also specifically recognises that women with disabilities face intersectional discrimination and requires the government to take special measures – including accessible reproductive health services and protection from gender-based violence. However, as multiple studies have pointed out, implementation has been patchy. Three years after its passage, only 12 states had begun implementing it, and many states still had not appointed Disability Commissioners.

Government schemes and rehabilitation support 🔗

Beyond the RPwD Act, several central government schemes aim to address healthcare and rehabilitation needs. The ADIP Scheme provides assistive devices. The Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) funds voluntary organisations that offer a range of rehabilitation services, from early intervention to vocational training. The Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) provides a monthly pension to persons with severe disabilities living below the poverty line. Together, these schemes attempt to cover different stages and aspects of a disabled person’s life – from childhood through adulthood.

The Unique Disability ID (UDID) card was introduced to create a national registry, simplifying access to benefits and eliminating the need for multiple documents. Yet despite these efforts, the reach of these programmes remains limited, particularly for women in remote areas who may lack the documentation, literacy, or mobility required to navigate the application process.

The role of assistive technology and rehabilitation 🔗

Assistive technology – wheelchairs, hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, communication devices – can be transformative for disabled women. A well-fitted prosthetic limb can restore mobility. A hearing aid can reconnect someone to their family and community. Yet access to these devices remains deeply unequal.

A study published in the National Institutes of Health journal found that many persons with disabilities who visit healthcare facilities are not even aware of available assistive products or the government schemes that subsidise them. The study recommended integrating assistive technology services into the existing healthcare system at all levels – from community health centres to tertiary hospitals – rather than keeping them siloed in separate rehabilitation centres that many women cannot easily reach.

Rehabilitation, too, must be reimagined. Currently, rehabilitation services are concentrated in a few urban centres, making them inaccessible to the vast majority. Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) models – where trained workers bring basic rehabilitation support to people’s homes and neighbourhoods – hold significant promise but require far greater investment and coordination between health departments, social welfare departments, and local bodies.

What needs to change 🔗

Building a healthcare system that truly serves disabled women requires action on multiple fronts simultaneously.

Accessibility must become non-negotiable. Every hospital, clinic, and health centre – whether government or private – needs to be physically accessible. This means ramps, accessible examination tables, adapted toilets, and communication aids as standard infrastructure, not afterthoughts.

Training healthcare professionals in disability sensitivity should be part of every medical and nursing curriculum. Doctors and nurses need to learn how to communicate with patients who have different types of disabilities, respect their autonomy, and involve them directly in decisions about their own health.

Financial barriers must be addressed proactively. Expanding the coverage and outreach of schemes like ADIP, simplifying the application process, and conducting awareness drives in rural and semi-urban areas can go a long way. Mobile camps for distributing assistive devices and conducting health check-ups can help reach women who cannot travel to district hospitals.

Reproductive and mental health services need to be specifically tailored and made available to disabled women. This includes training gynaecologists and mental health professionals to handle the unique needs of this population, and creating safe spaces where disabled women feel comfortable seeking care.

Data collection and research are essential. There is a significant lack of disaggregated data on disabled women’s health outcomes, healthcare utilisation, and satisfaction. Better data can inform more targeted policies and help track progress over time.

What do you think? 🔗

If a disabled woman in your neighbourhood needed to visit a hospital, would the nearest facility be equipped to serve her with dignity? And beyond physical infrastructure, are we doing enough as a society to ensure that healthcare professionals treat disabled women as individuals with full autonomy over their bodies and health decisions?

References

1. https://www.socialsciencejournals.net/archives/2025.v7.i1.F.232/gender-and-disability-the-challenges-faced-by-indian-women
2. https://aif.org/voices-unheard-amplifying-the-experiences-of-women-with-disabilities-in-india/
3. https://socialwork.institute/social-development/legal-provisions-disabilities-india/
4. https://depwd.gov.in/en/adip/
5. https://sph.unc.edu/sph-news/fewer-women-with-disabilities-use-modern-contraception-in-india-study-finds/
6. https://india.unfpa.org/en/news/disability-and-barriers-feminine-hygiene
7. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/humanrights/2023/03/20/forced-sterilization-of-disabled-women-in-india-a-tale-of-lost-autonomy/
8. https://www.theigc.org/blogs/gender-equality/women-and-health-india
9. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/2155
10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10391423/