Barriers to accessing healthcare for people with disabilities:a systematic review

Abstract

Objective: This review identifies global evidence on barriers to healthcare access for disabled persons and healthcare service efficiency. It highlights recurring patterns, systemic discrimination, and evidence gaps. The review supports policy development, health system redesign, and future research to advance disability-inclusive health equity. Methods: Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The investigation used PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science with rigorous double-blind screening and analysis. Results: Of 6,570 articles, 86 studies were selected (28 mental/cognitive/developmental, 33 physical, 25 multiple disabilities) including diverse adult age groups. Barriers included physical, financial, transportation, communication, attitudinal, organizational, knowledge-related, sensory, cultural, and systemic hurdles.Critical gaps include disproportionate focus on barriers rather than interventions (only 10%), implicit facilitators, underrepresentation of stakeholder perspectives, and geographic concentration in high-income countries. Conclusions: Significant barriers hinder service access. Most frequent were financial constraints, transportation challenges, communication difficulties, limited physical accessibility, provider knowledge gaps, and socio-cultural stigma. Accessibility is typically addressed through individualized accommodations rather than systematic universal design. Providers frequently lack training and hold negative attitudes; technology retrofits rather than design inclusively. Effective solutions require systemic redesign and placing disability at the center of health equity efforts.

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