Here Munira waits in the lobby of a local health center for her appointment. As a woman with a disability, Munira has experienced firsthand the challenges of seeking reproductive health care in a system not built for her or others like her.  

“There was a time I went to the hospital while I was pregnant,” Munira recounts. “A nurse told me if I wouldn’t stand up, she wouldn’t take my blood pressure. I was heavily pregnant at the time. They don’t have knowledge on how to assist a person with a disability. Rather, they will be questioning why you decided to get pregnant in the first place.” 

Hannatu Tila takes time to understand Munira’s disability and how it affects her health concerns. Without special considerations like this, people with disabilities can face a range of additional obstacles to quality care, such as lack of interpreters, inaccessible buildings, and assumptions about their competence or morality.  

“Some people, like those who are blind, are told that since they can’t see, they can’t follow directions,” Munira says. “Deaf people can’t communicate with hospital staff, because there are no interpreters. Someone who can’t speak might come in with stomach pain, but because they can’t express it, they’re misdiagnosed with something like malaria.” 

After her appointment, Munira leaves the health center without having to navigate difficult stairs. She returns home after a respectful, barrier-free medical visit, ready to take on her next task.  

After more than three years of trainings and community programs for disability-inclusive care by Ipas and SAIF Advocacy Foundation, Munira says the health-care experiences of people with disabilities in Gombe State are improving. Health center infrastructure is more accessible, and people with disabilities are getting the specialized care they need. 

“We’ve really had a lot of changes. And those barriers and gaps have reduced drastically,” Munira says.  

Back home, Munira feeds her family’s goats. With inclusive and accessible care, Munira’s medical appointments are just another part of her day. 

“Some places still don’t understand our value,” Munira says. “But when hospitals know what to do for us, it eases our pain.”