Some women in the interviews reported that numerous surgeries and lack of emotional support in hospitals as children made them feel dissociated from their bodies and contributed to a negative body image. Characteristics of medical systems sometimes constitute barriers to women with physical disabilities. Some medical facilities operate under policies that exclude women with physical disabilities from receiving services. An example is a policy that prohibits staff from lifting patients onto examination tables. Some women under managed care programs experienced problems accessing specialists for health conditions related to their disability.
Most medical facilities have numerous architectural barriers.
While most modern medical offices have accessible entrances and restrooms, it is very rare to find elevating exam tables or platform scales. Most women with severe physical disabilities are unable to monitor their weight, an especially critical problem during pregnancy. Some physicians harbor negative, stereotypic attitudes toward women with physical disabilities. In the interviews, many women reported that their physicians regarded them as asexual and did not acknowledge their need for reproductive health care. Some physicians do not talk directly to women with physical disabilities.