The treatment of disabled persons with alcohol and drug problems: results of a survey of addiction services.

This report provides information on disabled clients that was collected as a supplement to the 1989 Addiction Research Foundation survey of alcohol/drug services in Ontario. The estimated prevalence of disabled clients in the treatment population was highest for those with psychiatric disorders (10.3%), followed by physical disabilities (mobility, 3.7%; vision, 1.5%; hearing, 1.4%; other impairments, 0.1%) and developmental handicaps (2.3%). There were, however, relatively few agencies reporting services tailored specifically for the disabled. Respondents generally felt that clients with psychiatric disorders or developmental handicaps would be better served by specialized programs with additional staff training, while the physically disabled could be adequately served in "mainstream" services. Resources for physically disabled clients were not available in many addiction programs. Not all agencies desired these resources, however, even if funding were to be made available. Other factors were also important, such as the architectural feasibility of wheelchair accessibility, or the perception among the agencies that outreach capacity was beyond the role of their program. Implications of various methods of service delivery for the disabled are discussed.