Fairness and justice: improving the quality of life of disabled people in retaining dignity and accessing healthcare

Abstract

In South Africa people with disabilities continue to face numerous challenges when accessing healthcare. The effect of the pandemic on these was described by scholars and activists in the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak. Based on fieldwork for the HSRC???s Women Rise Project, the story of Mandy (not her real name) is shared, to shed light on the struggles experienced by people with physical disabilities, especially those living in rural areas, when attempting to access healthcare. For people with disabilities in rural areas, equal access to healthcare services does not equate to equity.