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Call for papers - Improving care for people with disabilities

Guest Editor

Linda Long-Bellil, PhD, JD, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, USA
Janelle Weise, PhD, MPH, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Australia

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 14 June 2025

BMC Health Services Research is calling for submissions to our Collection on improving care for people with disabilities. We seek submissions  addressing healthcare challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, including access barriers, provider knowledge gaps, financial constraints, chronic health issues, transportation difficulties, and discriminatory attitudes. Topics of interest include patient-centered care models, healthcare disparities, payment and reimbursement strategies, disability-inclusive policy frameworks, innovative accessibility technologies, culturally competent care, provider training in disability-informed care, collaborative approaches with disability advocates, physical and attitudinal barrier solutions, and the impact of inclusive policies on health outcomes.

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Linda Long-Bellil, PhD, JD, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, USA

Linda Long-Bellil, PhD, JD is an assistant professor of Family Medicine and Community Health in the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School where she is based at the E.K. Shriver Center. 
Dr Long-Bellil conducts research and policy analysis on issues related to health care, including sexual and reproductive health care, and long-term services and supports. She also teaches in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship program and has more than twenty years of experience teaching medical and other health professions students how to provide quality care to people with disabilities.

Janelle Weise, PhD, MPH, University of Sydney, Australia

Janelle Weise has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) (Hons) and a Master of Public Health. She was awarded her PhD in 2018 which explored the way in which we can equip the mental health workforce in the area of intellectual disability mental health. 

Janelle has worked across clinical, service delivery and managerial roles within the disability and health sectors. She is passionate about addressing the inequitable access to healthcare and poor health outcomes experienced by people with intellectual disability and other marginalsed populations. As a researcher, Janelle has worked on a range of initiatives to enhance the capacity of the health care sector to deliver accessible, effective and efficient healthcare to people with intellectual disability. 

Janelle has expertise in mixed methods, co-design, and working with people with lived experience.
 

About the Collection

BMC Health Services Research is calling for submissions to our Collection on improving care for people with disabilities.

People with disabilities encounter numerous healthcare challenges, including physical and communication barriers that hinder access to healthcare facilities and effective communication with providers. Healthcare providers' lack of knowledge and training regarding the specific needs of individuals with disabilities often results in disparities in diagnostic evaluations and treatments. Financial constraints further exacerbate access issues, limiting individuals' ability to afford necessary care and assistive devices. Moreover, people with disabilities experience higher rates of chronic health conditions and secondary health issues, underscoring the importance of preventive care, which is often lacking. Transportation limitations also impede individuals' ability to access routine and emergency healthcare services. Attitudinal barriers, such as negative stereotypes and discrimination, contribute to a hostile healthcare environment, discouraging individuals with disabilities from seeking necessary care. Addressing these multifaceted challenges requires concerted efforts to improve accessibility, enhance provider training, mitigate financial barriers, promote preventive care, and foster inclusivity within healthcare systems.

This Collection invites submissions addressing the diverse needs of people with disabilities. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Implementing patient-centered care models for individuals with disabilities
  • Addressing healthcare disparities among  people with disabilities
  • Designing and evaluating payment and reimbursement strategies to enhance care for people with disabilities
  • Policy frameworks for fostering disability-inclusive healthcare services
  • Advancing healthcare accessibility and delivery through innovative strategies and technologies for individuals with disabilities
  • Culturally competent care for people with disabilities from marginalized communities
  • Collaborative approaches between healthcare providers and disability advocates
  • Training healthcare professionals in disability-informed care
  • Addressing physical and attitudinal barriers in healthcare settings
  • Evaluating the impact of inclusive healthcare policies on health outcomes for people with disabilities
     

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities.

Image credit: © SewcreamStudio  / Stock.adobe.com

  1. Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common childhood-onset motor disability. Play-based early intensive manual therapies (EIMT) is an evidence-based practice to improve long-term hand function particularly for chi...

    Authors: Divya Vurrabindi, Alicia J. Hilderley, Adam Kirton, John Andersen, Christine Cassidy, Shauna Kingsnorth, Sarah Munce, Brenda Agnew, Liz Cambridge, Mia Herrero, Eleanor Leverington, Susan McCoy, Victoria Micek, Keith O. Connor, Kathleen O’ Grady, Sandra Reist-Asencio…
    Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2025 25:503
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Improving care for people with disabilities" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.