The narrator Judy Heumann talks about a difficult childhood growing up without a role model she could look up to in the world of disabled individuals.  From elementary school to college only one teacher addresses career choices available for her. President Roosevelt was an important figure in her personal life while growing up, he rose to the heights of being a president despite being disabled from polio. She has grown up identifying with individuals with disabilities to include Mary Lou Breslin and Ed Roberts.  She holds that having a common movement, and a common agenda is critically important for people living with disabilities. Her narrative has also shed light on the high number of individuals with disabilities in the US. Also, she sheds light on the problems people living with disabilities face to include the lack of an existing national health-care policy and also the many barriers that exist limiting the opportunities people with disabilities have. Lastly, she talks about the remarkable strides the government is making to help people living with disabilities. As an individual living with disabilities the narrator has made major strides in her personal and professional life while working for national and international organizations. She also stood out as a leader in the disability civil rights movement.

For the longest time ever the concerns of people living with disabilities have not been addressed but these has not stopped them form challenging themselves and the available systems, they have fought for what they believe in both at the local and international level.  Movements of individuals living with disabilities emerged in the civil rights movement era.  These movements have given people living with disabilities a chance to identify with disability culture and to relate with people who face problems similar to theirs.  Identifying with these groups has becomes an important part of people living with disabilities and has helped them improve their personal and the collective lives as people living with disabilities. I believe that it is high time that the United States federal government develop and implement policies aimed at improving the lives of people living and identifying with disabilities.  Policies that discriminate against people with disabilities should also be eliminated, policies to include those hindering the integration of students living with disabilities in schools.

As a healthcare provider I realize that people living with disabilities encounter various problems while seeking healthcare. They have poorer overall health when compared to other individuals and have limited access to adequate healthcare.  According to Shakespeare and Kleine, (2013) as a healthcare provider I can assist people living with disabilities by availing to them vital healthcare information and also by responding to their health concerns. Communicating effectively with these individuals is essential for the delivery of quality care. As a healthcare professional I must be familiar with the communication strategies used while communicating with people living with disabilities. Strategies to include taking and addressing people with disabilities the same way I would talk to other patients and also sitting and standing at the same eye level with the patient to make appropriate eye contact.  Healthcare providers need to be aware of how to communicate with people living with a range of disabilities. The failure to communicate effectively with individuals living with disabilities can be a major barrier in the delivery of healthcare.

Shakespeare et al., (2009) holds that it is important for health professionals to understand the human rights of individuals living with disabilities.  Disability can be termed as a social issue instead of a medical issue, medical complications only emerge as a result of the physical impairment and the general health needs. As a healthcare provider I am in a position to provide primary care that is accessible and comprehensive to patients living with disabilities. In a medical home setting as a healthcare provider I should liaise with the patients’ family members to ensure that all their needs are met. To enhance relationship with the patient I should recognize the patient as an important source of information. Establishing a good patient relationship while providing healthcare is important and can be done by recognizing the patient as a primary source of information while offering treatment.

When treating individuals living with a range of disabilities medical practitioners are faced with a range of legal and ethical issues to include consent issues. Ethical dilemmas may arise concerning matters on informed consent for treatment, respecting patients’ autonomy and also social-economic and physical barriers (Bryen, 2016). These ethical dilemmas stem form conflicts between fundamental ethical principles to include autonomy, justice and fidelity (Bryen, 2016).  As a healthcare provider when seeking to gain informed consent for treatment I must consider the decision-making capacity of the individual. In cases where the decision making is impaired, I am legally and ethically allowed to let another party related to the patient to make the decision on behalf of the patient.  As a healthcare provider I should not allow the economic constraints of an individual living with disability to hinder me from providing care. Also, social and physical barriers should not impede the provision of quality healthcare to people living with disabilities.

Inconclusion, Judy Heumann is among the female leaders who shaped the disability civil rights movement having lived with disability as a result of Polio.  Her narrative sheds light on the struggles and challenges people living with disabilities face. As a healthcare provider I should ensure effective communication while providing healthcare services to individuals living with disabilities. Also, there are legal and ethical concerns surrounding the provision of healthcare to people living with disabilities.

 

 

References

Bryen N, D., (2016) . Ethical Issues in Conducting Research Involving Persons with Disability:   A View from the Past and Some New Challenges. Humanities and Social Sciences.            Special Issue: Ethical Sensitivity: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Vol. 4, No. 2-1, 2016,   pp. 53-59. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.18

Shakespeare, T., & Kleine, I. (2013). Educating health professionals about disability: a review of             interventions. Health and Social Care Education, 2(2), 20-37.

Shakespeare, T., Iezzoni, L. I., & Groce, N. E. (2009). Disability and the training of health             professionals. The Lancet, 374(9704), 1815-1816.