People with disability are twice as likely to die from avoidable and preventable illnesses compared to people without disability.
They are seven times more likely to experience poor health outcomes and physical illness compared to the general population and are four times more likely to report significant psychological distress compared to the general population.
It is vital that we invest in a proactive approach to addressing the needs of people living with disability in healthcare settings with a focus on strategies which tackle systemic unconscious ableism and reduce trauma and harm
We must move beyond a ‘complaints’ based individual approach to resolving issues and implement systemic improvements to healthcare systems which will improve the safety and health outcomes of people with disability.