The COVID-19 pandemic caused a tremendous shift in mental healthcare delivery, transforming virtual therapy from an occasional alternative to a vital lifeline. But for many disabled people, the widespread adoption of remote therapy represented more than just a pandemic response—it validated a long-advocated need for flexible, accessible mental healthcare options. This shift invites us to examine how virtual therapy can either perpetuate existing barriers or create transformative possibilities for accessibility in mental healthcare.

Research has frequently shown that disabled people experience disproportionately high rates of trauma in healthcare settings. While exact statistics vary across studies and disabilities, numerous researchers have documented patterns of medical trauma, healthcare avoidance, and healthcare-related distress among disabled populations. This trauma can manifest through repeated experiences of dismissal, discrimination, and denied accommodations within healthcare systems.

This intersection becomes even more critical when considering that many people seek therapy precisely because they're struggling to cope with the impact of inaccessible spaces, medical discrimination, and the constant burden of having to justify their needs. When providers fail to recognize this connection, they risk perpetuating the very trauma their clients are trying to heal from.

When you think of “accessible therapy,” what comes to mind? Affordability? Local availability of therapists? Accepting insurance or offering a sliding scale? While all of these matters are certainly part of making therapy accessible, there’s another, often overlooked aspect of making therapy accessible. Take a moment to consider what the word “accessibility” means to you.

The most basic definition is: being able to be reached or obtained easily. Looking at that definition through the lens of therapy, affordability, availability of therapists, and insurance / sliding scale all fit to make therapy more accessible. The ACA and telehealth have also played a big role in making therapy more accessible to many. But what about accessible therapy for clients with disabilities?