Dear editor,
I use a wheelchair for mobility but I am otherwise independent.
In all my years, (I’m now a senior) I have never been to a doctor’s office where there has been an adjustable height examining table which lowers to accommodate ease of transfer for a seated patient. When I was younger this was not a big issue as I had good arm and upper body strength and was able to get myself onto the table. That ability has not been a reality for some time as I’m now in my 70s. Luckily I’m in good health and it’s been some years since I’ve needed to be on the table, but that right should be available to everyone at their family doctor’s office whether or not they have a disability.
I work with the Comox Valley Accessibility Committee and the Cumberland Accessibility & Inclusion Committee and the lack of accessible examination tables is an issue we have been working on for some time. But it appears that things are beginning to change. I would like to give a shout-out and a thank you to the leadership of the Family Practice Division locally, and specifically to Valley Care Medical and Dr. Tyler Falk. I was happy to learn today that they have now acquired their table.
I don’t know how many clinics in the Comox Valley have an adjustable table but I do see the day when it will be the dignified option in every clinic. It’s a matter of equal rights for all citizens.
Judy Norbury,
Comox Valley