The Need For Inclusive Care

I had a pretty frustrating situation a while back, which left me feeling quite disheartened and with many questions. I was referred to a dental specialist's office for some routine check-ups, and the day started off fairly normally with me entering the building with my white cane in hand. I greeted the receptionist, and she told me that I needed to fill out some forms. I let her know that I was blind and would be needing some assistance with filling out the necessary information. She told me that they wouldn't be able to help, and suggested I have a family member come in to assist me instead. I found this a little odd because many times in the past, there haven't been any issues with the staff providing me assistance with filling out documentation. However, I let them know that my Dad was waiting in the car for me and called him in to help me.

Once that was completed, and my dad had left again, I was taken into another room to get all of the necessary procedures done. As I walked into the room, I walked headfirst into an overhead x-ray machine that I didn't notice. The dental assistant apologized for not verbalizing that the machine would be there, and I laughed it off and let her know that I was okay. At this point, I was feeling a little bit uneasy, as much of the staff seemed to be very cautious around me. I assured them that I could navigate around the office independently and that they didn't need to worry about me causing any fuss.

Once it was my time to meet with the specialist, I had a conversation that I absolutely was not expecting. The first thing the specialist mentioned to me was whether or not there was a family member present with me in order for him to talk through the treatments I needed. I was confused, as since becoming an adult, no doctor had ever asked me that. I let the specialist know that I was the only one that needed to be spoken to, and would appreciate making my own medical decisions. The rest of the conversation went back and forth with me insisting that I can make my own decisions and don't need anyone else to talk to the doctor for me. I was feeling rather frustrated at this point.

However, after finishing my consultation, I went to the receptionist to schedule a follow-up appointment. The receptionist once again asked if my Dad could come in so I could consult with him about when he would be free to drive me to the office. I let them know that I would be coming independently, as my follow-up appointment would be scheduled later in the year, and I only got a ride that morning due to heavy snow on the roads.

This entire interaction left me feeling many things, above all, it brought up this common feeling that unfortunately, many of us who are blind tend to face when dealing with the medical system - this feeling of not having the freedom of choice that every other person inherently seems to have. Often times, we are deemed incapable of making our own decisions, despite how inaccurate that assumption is.

I believe we all have the right to feel safe and welcomed in every medical establishment we go to. It raises the question of why is it any different for us? We all need to navigate through the medical system at one point or another, and often times as persons with disabilities. Our interactions with this system are dictated by the medical model for disability. I want to take this opportunity to put this question out there: how can we do better in assuring quality of care isn't dependent on whether someone has a disability or not?

by Ishita