Access to health services for people with disabilities: the perspective of primary health care professionals and managers

This article presents findings from a case study conducted on access to healthcare for people with disabilities from the perspective of professionals and managers of primary care units in three cities in Brazil, considering the dimensions of Availability and Accommodation and Adequacy. A total of 16 healthcare professionals and managers of primary care units were interviewed in the cities of Brasilia - Federal District, Arcoverde - Pernambuco and Santos - S & atilde;o Paulo. In the dimension of Availability and Accommodation, architectural and urban barriers, lack of healthcare services, geographical concentration of infrastructure and difficulty in coordinating care were observed. In the second dimension, Adequacy, there was a lack of healthcare provider training, which contributes to communication barriers between health professionals and people with disabilities. In addition, the interviewees pointed to a fragile link between the different health services that make up the care network. On the other hand, the attitude of the professionals and the bond built with people with disabilities were seen as facilitators to accessing care. It was expected that the more developed areas within Brazil would have less barriers to access. However, the study revealed challenges to accessing health in all settings, including the richest region of Brazil, the poorest region, the Northeast, and