Access to health care is a fundamental right, but it is sad to note
that in Côte d’Ivoire there is a great disparity in the real accessibility to
health services for deaf people. Because the disability is invisible, this
population is marginalized and is more at risk for chronic diseases. The

Ivorian government has reacted by putting in place a national policy to
improve their condition. However, the health system is still not adapted
to the needs of deaf people. Moreover, the medical staff is not trained to
welcome the deaf people and to provide them with the necessary care
whereas the needs for care are a reality. The goal of this article is to study
the care pathway of deaf people on the one hand and to identify the
obstacles associated with this pathway on the other hand. Based on a
questionnaire survey of deaf people aged between 16 and 60 years, our
results show that 85% of them use health services late. They primarily use
traditional medicine because it is more accessible to them financially.
Health services are used in cases of serious or chronic illness. Deaf people
encounter difficulties in accessing health care, which can be explained by
their socio-economic conditions and inadequate communication between
medical personnel and deaf people. In this study, we unfortunately note
that the use of health care structures is rare among deaf people where the
health care needs are the greatest.
Keywords: Disability, Health Service, Deaf Person, Care Pathway, Barrier
to Care