PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Peat, M.
TI  - Attitudes and access: advancing the rights of people with disabilities
DP  - 1997 Mar 01
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 657--659
VI  - 156
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/156/5/657.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/156/5/657.full
SO  - CMAJ1997 Mar 01; 156
AB  - Barriers to movement and communication in the physical environment prevent people with disabilities from enjoying the same rights, privileges and opportunities as other members of society. The guidelines presented by Drs. Karen E. Jones and Itamar E. Tamari in this issue (page 647) remind us that access to physicians' offices is one area in which improvement is greatly needed. But, as Jones and Tamari acknowledge, accessibility involves more than the removal of physical barriers. The greatest obstacles faced by disabled people are often attitudinal ones. Programs that place responsibility for rehabilitation and integration within the community can foster a better understanding of the issues. Family physicians and other professionals must work with communities to change the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of policy-makers and the public. Until significant progress is made on this front, problems of access that serve to marginalize people with disabilities will persist.