Health system is not inclusive enough

“A maximum of a quarter of medical practices in Germany are barrier-free,” states the disability officer – and sees people with disabilities not only at a disadvantage when it comes to choosing practices.

According to the Federal Government’s Commissioner for the Disabled, Jürgen Dusel, the German healthcare system is not inclusive enough. “A maximum of a quarter of medical practices in Germany are barrier-free,” he said in an interview with the German Press Agency. “It is my perception that we have fewer than ten gynecological practices throughout Germany that are accessible to women in wheelchairs.” That cannot be the expectation of a modern healthcare system. If people with disabilities pay into statutory health insurance, then they should have exactly the same rights to free choice of doctor and care as all other people.

In view of the aging society, Dusel warned that accessibility should generally be better considered. “People with disabilities are essentially the vanguard of an aging society, if you will,” he said. “We are demographically getting older and older. The probability that you will acquire a disability over the course of your life, even as you get older, is relatively high.”

That’s why Germany would be wise to expand accessibility now. And that means planning not only structural but also digital infrastructure in such a way that everyone can benefit from it. As examples, he cited websites where you can order groceries or make doctor’s appointments and which are not yet barrier-free. “I’m now talking about people who, for example, rely on sign language or easy language,” said Dusel.