Women with Disabilities: Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing ...

WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES: BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO ACCESSING SERVICES DURING PREGNANCY,CHILDBIRTH AND EARLY MOTHERHOODSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin3.2. Defining ‘access to services’The Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities (1996) argued thatpeople with disabilities have a fundamental right to a health service which isaccessible, equitable, individual centred and responsive to their particular need.Furthermore, positive health outcomes and social gain for women withdisabilities are dependent on accessible and appropriate health care and theprovision of adequate health information to woman during pregnancy, childbirthand early motherhood.Access is a multidimensional concept with 5 distinctive dimensions,incorporating both the potential to obtain and the actual receipt of health care(Aday and Andersen, 1984). It encompasses more than just access to thephysical environment; it also includes access to health information and effectivecommunication between health professionals and women. Women withdisabilities report insufficient access to health care services (Fouts et al, 2000).They encounter substantial challenges, which impact significantly on their abilityto access care. These challenges are varied and can be categorised asphysical, attitudinal, communicational, informational and financial (Thierry,1998). The term access has multiple meanings and a precise definition isdifficult to find. The Oxford Dictionary describes the term as ‘the action of goingor coming to or into; coming into the presence of, or into contact with; approach,entrance and the habit or power of getting near or into contact with; entrance,admittance, admission’ (Oxford Dictionary, 2008). Words synonymous with theterm include ‘coming to or towards and approaching’. Terms such as access,availability and acceptability are often used interchangeably.Many researchers (Aday, 1975; Penchansky and Thomas, 1981; Parish andHuh, 2006) attempt to define, refine and interpret the concept which hasresulted in the development of many different interpretations. Suchinterpretations range from the potential to obtain available resources andservices to ensuring equal use of services for equal need. The use and relativityof the services forms the basis of Aday’s (1975) definition. The author contends51