The Global Horizon- Article-No Disability Justice, No Peace! Systemic Barriers For Disabled People in the United Kingdom

No Disability Justice, No Peace! Systemic Barriers For Disabled People in the United Kingdom

Author: Stella Sun

October 27, 2022

Critical Essay

No Disability Justice, No Peace! Systemic Barriers For Disabled People in the United Kingdom

In 2019, a young autistic man from Birmingham was forced into medication at an institution after being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. His name was Ikram Khan, and this was his fourth year of enduring torturous treatment, where he gradually lost the ability to recognize his family due to the heavy use of antipsychotics. “It looks like I am going to die here,” he told his mother.

Mr. Khan’s tragedy represents a broader systemic issue. Across the globe, over one billion people live with disability, and the number is drastically rising. People with disabilities demand adequate physical support and mental health resources to thrive just as any other non-disabled person. However, in practice, people with disabilities are often neglected in conversations on diversity, inclusion, and equity. Even though every country has made efforts, few nations have provided quality services to disabled people. Ultimately, people with and without disabilities share the world together. To harness a sustainable future, states have an obligation to make a desirable environment people with disabilities, enabling them to enjoy the planet A. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon emphasizes, “We might have a plan B, but we do not have a planet B.”

England has earned a reputation for taking care of disabled people, for the country introduced The Equality Act of 2010 to protect the rights of people with disabilities to access healthcare. However, after 12 years of effort, the UK government has not effectively nor comprehensively implemented this convention. A tremendous gap between the policy design and implementation paralyzes the British government and public health institutions, leading to thousands of people with disabilities struggling with inequalities and inconveniences. When disabled people assess healthcare services, they tend to face significant difficulties before, during, and post the treatment.

A Tough Route to the Hospital

In England, barriers to public transport, including communication gaps and imperfect infrastructure. limit patients with disabilities’ access to health facilities. Most rail stations in London are equipped with barrier-free access, but there are some step-free stations still have gaps and steps in the platform. In such cases, people with disabilities have to contact station staff for assistance, who will deploy manual boarding ramps to help the disabled person in and out of the compartment. Even though the London Underground network offers accessible facilities and step-free access at many locations, not all subway stations are wheelchair accessible. In fact, only about a third of London underground stations have step-free access. People with disabilities are forced to walk long distances to even arrive at the step-free station. Furthermore, less than 10 percent of disabled people take taxis regularly in London as the cost of a taxi ride in the city is significantly higher than public transportation. These barriers cause frequent appointment delays or no-shows, simply because it takes tremendous effort and time for disabled people to travel to the clinic compared to an abled person. Nearly 95 percent of people with disabilities report that they lack confidence during travel, with 47 percent anxious about the hardships they may encounter every time they go out.

Systematic Discrimination During the Treatment

On top of the difficulties getting to the hospitals, people with disabilities face even more obstacles, such as communication gaps and misdiagnoses, during the treatment process. A recent survey has revealed that the disabled community is neglected by the medical system. Through an online YouGov survey post the COVID-19 outbreak, there were 4 new medical treatments being presented to voters, ranging from diagnostics to remote monitoring, yet none of these treatments were designed with disabled people in mind. Online diagnosis offers a more convenient way for people to treat themselves at home, but not for those with language or learning disabilities. In fact, those people require more face-to-face communication with doctors to get effective treatment. In 2022, more than 40 percent disabled patients report that they have a general practitioner (GP) they prefer to see or speak to. Apart from that, there is a common recognition within the hospitals that disabled patients tend to be mistreated or discriminated against in the National Health Service (NHS). Efstathia, a patient with visual impairment from Southeast London, had undergone five operations on her back, but one operation had been performed incorrectly due to an earlier misdiagnosis, resulting in the medical malpractice that metal had been left in the wrong place in her body. Consequently, a variety of comorbid conditions developed in her, such as Addison’s, fibromyalgia, and polymyalgia.

Long-Term Condition Management with Disability

Many people with disabilities face barriers including physical limitations, financial problems, and a lack of welfare support to managing long-term conditions. Take diabetes as an example. People with diabetes need to strictly control the composition of their diet and take insulin injections every day. This process is particularly difficult for those who suffer from paralysis or vision impairments. Furthermore, the application appointment is typically conducted through calls with government officials, creating another barrier for people with a verbal-based disability. Finally, the healthcare system’s design adds on another challenge for those patients. Both the British government and the welfare agencies are intended to provide social welfare to the disabled, but since they operate separately, an additional inconvenience is created for disabled people.

The Plan B

In terms of access to healthcare, with only 75 percent of stations in the UK are step-free at present, the government should ensure that every public area is equipped with intact barrier-free access. Next, each station may require a periodic inspection on those facilities. Furthermore, the UK transport department can mandate stricter regulation of sidewalks and pavements, preventing parking, or unnecessary street furniture in public spaces. Within the healthcare system, medical institutions should strengthen training resources for doctors and nurses, equipping them a better communication strategy with disabled patients. In addition, England can focus on promoting disabled doctors in each medical institution. It’s more efficient for disabled patients to describe symptoms with doctors with disabilities. In the process of re-ablement, doctors and nurses should employ a patient-centered approach and focus on the physical conditions of disabled patients. Finally, as 75 percent of disabled patients had experienced at least some difficulties accessing health services (78 percent) and social services (74 percent), regulators must take actions to make sure that medical advice services are online 24 hours a day. The government can work with the NHS to launch an app for appointments, treatment, and rehabilitation counseling for people with disabilities.

Disabled people are the world's largest minority. They have unique values but lack an equal opportunity to unlock their vast potentials. If we can remove the barriers and create a better environment for them where they don't have to deal with these obstacles, they will be able to live a worthwhile life like Hawking did so that they will contribute more to the planet. For England, the next step is to focus on execution rather than policy design for disabled people. If England can bridge the gap between the goal and the current situation, it would act as an inspiration for the rest of the world. There is no Planet B, a fact that we should be motivated rather than frightened by. We have only one planet but different plans and chances to cherish our home on Planet A.