Discrimination in Healthcare

Mr. Kramer at the Lee Specialty Clinic
Courtesy of The New York Times

Because of the accepting and tolerant community that I am so lucky to live in, I take it as a given that everyone is understanding of the special requirements of the mentally disabled. As I witness at my high school, New Trier on a daily basis, those with conditions such as autism and Down's syndrome receive assistance from a entire team of trained paraprofessionals and a growing number of students volunteers. To my surprise however, this might be something that is special about my high school. Many facilities, not just schools, but also dentist's and doctor's offices, do not accept or provide care to mentally disabled patients.

In a recent article by The New York Times, this issue is explored.  Mimi Kramer, a single mom working as a housekeeper, shares her experience with trying to find medical care for her thirty-three year old son who suffers from both autism and cerebral palsy. She tells reporters that she "has literally sat there with a phone book and called one [doctor] after another to try to get him [her son] in". She says that the response she gets most often is that "the [practice she calls] is not taking any new medicaid patients once they hear that he [her son] is challenged" (New York Times). And although I am unable to find a statistic to support this hardship as a trend- perhaps because the mentally disabled population is very small and because of the stigma surrounding the population- the article claims that the mentally disabled are "the most medically underserved population in the country". 

Reading about this issue, I could hardly believe it was current. Doctor's offices and dentist's offices that refuse special needs people service sound like they belong in the 1914 not 2014. Refusing service on the basis of ability also seems like a direct violation of civil rights laws. Though the reforms put in place after the civil rights movements of the 1960's did not protect the mentally disabled- or homosexuals for that matter- there is no reason for a change not to be made today.

Luckily, a change is beginning. It has been started not by the US government but by good-willed, individual facilities. The Lee Specialty Clinic in Kentucky is one such pioneer. According to the article the facility is one of the few of its kind designed specifically to treat those with intellectual disabilities, "The 17,000 square foot facility, offers certain amenities [tailored to the needs of the special patients]. A reception area with natural light and easy-to-clean cushions. Extra wide halls. Scales designed to weight people in wheelchairs. An overhead tram to lift patients into dental chairs." Ms. Kramer's son and others with mental disabilities are able to receive medical attention like everyone else thanks to institutions like this. However, the case is that many families drive hours to receive this type of care. Most still have no access to care like this. If only families across the country, regardless of neighborhood or income level, could receive the specialized care that New Trier High School and the Lee Specialty Clinic offer, the care that everybody deserves.