Barriers for the Inclusion of Clinicians Living with Disabilities in Healthcare Professions: The Peers’ Perspectives

Abstract

Background Health professionals living with disabilities are valuable to healthcare due to their dual identity as a clinician and a person living with disability yet remain underrepresented in the workforce. While the barriers to inclusion of clinicians living with disabilities from their own perspective are reported, little is known about peers’ perspectives. Objective This study aims to explore the barriers and gaps in knowledge to the inclusion of clinicians living with disabilities from the perspective of colleagues. Methods Health professionals and staff (healthcare workers) in a public health authority in Canada responded to a survey consisting of closed and open questions, under 3 subthemes: attitudes, institutional barriers, and gaps in knowledge. Inferential statistics were performed to assess the overall attitudes and differences in perceptions based on types of disability. Results Attitudes and barriers varied based on type of disability - clinicians living with physical disabilities were perceived most positively compared to those living with cognitive/learning disabilities. Attitudes also varied based on experience with disability - clinicians with lived experience had more positive attitudes. Gaps in knowledge were found to exist on an individual and organizational level. Conclusion The results of this study can open the discussion for rehabilitation and human resource professionals needing to learn about workplace accommodations for health professionals living with disabilities and support addressing attitudes and barriers they face.