In a recent podcast, Physician’s Weekly editorial board member Alex McDonald, MD, spoke with Joanna Bisgrove, MD. As a physician with a disability, Dr. Bisgrove is determined to advocate for a country where there are no barriers for people with disabilities.
In this excerpt, Dr. Bisgrove shares insights on ableism and antiableism.
PW: What is ableism?
Dr. Bisgrove: We’ve talked about racism in medicine. Ableism is a similar way of stigmatizing people with disabilities. Medical personnel typically look at disabilities as something you cannot fix. Therefore, the disability is something “wrong” with the person, and that’s the end of it.
The corollary I use is glasses. The ableist view – point of people with visual impairments is “You can’t see, and that’s your problem.” The antiableist way of looking at it is “You can’t see, so we gave you glasses, and now you can participate in society.”
The history of ableism in medicine is severe. People with disabilities were often institutionalized, even up to the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The American with Disabilities Act was passed in the nineties. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was developed around this time as well.
Why should this matter to the everyday physician?
One in four adults has a disability. In diversity, equity, and inclusion, we talk about the importance of doctors looking and being like their patient. About 26% of adults in this country have a disability, yet only about 3% of physicians have disabilities. Very few of us coming through medical school have them, and that has a lot to do with stigma as well as institutional barriers.
In medicine, it is important to recognize that how we think about disability can be harmful. Thinking about chronic illness or disability as a thing that cannot be fixed is harmful. I saw a survey that showed over 80% of physicians thought people with disabilities had a way worse QOL than people who don’t. In fact, many of us have very good QOL. How people define their QOL is up to them.
It’s about breaking down that ableist mindset and being truly patient-centered. What is best for the patient? That’s our job as doctors, and it requires working with the patient and listening to them, instead of just telling them what to do.