“Nothing suitable for us”: experiences of women with physical disabilities in accessing maternal healthcare services in Northern Vietnam

Abstract

Women with physical disabilities in Northern Vietnam encountered multiple challenges when accessing maternal healthcare services. Many Vietnamese healthcare services are ill-equipped to provide disability-inclusive and responsive maternal healthcare because of inadequate structural design, attitudinal barriers, limited appropriate information, and financial burden. There should be increased attention paid to mainstreaming the needs of women with physical disabilities into maternal healthcare services in Vietnam.Implications for rehabilitationThere is a need for strong and sustained advocacy from all related staff, including rehabilitation workers, to improve the quality of healthcare for pregnant women with physical disabilities in Vietnam.Disability training should be integrated into mainstream in-service courses for maternal healthcare providers and curricula for medical, midwifery and nursing students.A resource package that provides women with physical disabilities with reliable and comprehensive information on disability and pregnancy, childbirth and maternal healthcare should be developed and disseminated.Professional protocols and infrastructure for maternal healthcare for women with physical disabilities should be more sensitive and responsive to their needs and rights.