How To Make Mental Healthcare Accessible

People with disabilities report mental distress at a rate of nearly 5 times higher than non-disabled people, and this, in conjunction with access barriers to mental healthcare, means that people with disabilities are also more at risk for suicide.  

Making mental healthcare more inclusive and accessible for all takes systemic change. We can make mental healthcare more accessible by:  

• Integrating physical and mental health 
• Cultivating connection among people with disabilities and their community 
• Encouraging sliding scale payment options and insurance coverage of mental healthcare  
• Elevating disability-informed mental healthcare professionals 
• Ensuring ADA compliance of all mental healthcare facilities, with staff trained on disability  
• Increasing discussion around mental health and physical disabilities 

Check out the chapter on mental health in the Reeve Foundation’s Paralysis Resource Guide, which you can access for free on our website here, and browse the many fact sheets we have available related to disability and mental health.  

Connecting with others with similar lived experiences is crucial in creating community and combatting isolation. Join our Virtual Support Groups to meet others living with paralysis, and request a peer mentor at ChristopherReeve.org/peer