Obstetricians and gynaecologists lack knowledge of their legal duty to accommodate women with disabilities to receive equal access to health promotion and care

Objectives Women with disabilities are less likely to have cervical screening and mammography, and subsequently have a higher incidence of advanced cancers. This study explored the knowledge of physicians regarding their “duty to accommodate” women with disabilities to receive equal access to women's health promotion and care, and the possibility of including a core competency on duty to accommodate in the newly developing CBME. Methods Physicians were recruited to participate in 30–45 minute in-person interviews, audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Charmaz-based qualitative analysis was supported by NVivo10TM software. Interviews were conducted until theoretical saturation reached. A legal analysis based on human rights codes was undertaken. Results The obstetricians and gynaecologists and family physicians interviewed commented on their lack of education in all levels of their medical training regarding promoting the health of women with disabilities. The physicians were unaware of their legal obligation to accommodate women with disabilities under provincial human rights codes and the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Person with Disabilities. Rather physicians perceived taking the extra time to provide accommodation was doing so out of the “goodness of your heart,” and commented that women with disabilities “...should feel fortunate that there are people out there willing to spend more time. … They should consider themselves lucky.” No competency in “duty to accommodate” women with disabilities was found. Conclusions Education in the rights of persons with disability and the duty of physicians to accommodate persons with disability must be prominently included in the newly - developing competency-based medical education curricula in Canada.