ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of disabilities in the general population is not neglectable and gaps in providing quality health service persist between people with and without disabilities. Though life expectancy of persons with disability is increasing, there is an excess of preventable morbidity and mortality. The person with disability has needs and expectations and should be partners in the process of prevention, treatment and follow-up of their health status. According to research, the medical care for the patient with disability does not meet the standards derived from the evidence. Patient safety is a core domain in the quality of care and that is true for the care of persons with disability. Communication, stigma, lack of knowledge, skills and training, are major inhibitors of the provision of high-quality care for the people with disabilities and are considered to be factors responsible for the high incidence of adverse and medical errors in this group of patients. Approaching these topics with critical attention is needed across the span of medical care from the community to the hospital and from prevention to the more complex and sophisticated care offered to the patient with disability.
