Why Hospital Care is So Important to Me Some people with intellectual disabilities have fears about seeing their doctor or dentist. Many of us need to seek care at the hospital for medical procedures that others receive at their local doctor’s office. Unfortunately for some of us, the fear of hospitalization triggers a fight or flight reaction. So, what happens in a hospital really impacts our access to lifesaving medical care. How Disability is being Criminalized The Oregon Legislature is currently considering House Bill (HB) 4088. This bill was meant to protect nurses, doctors, and other hospital workers—something that is important to all of us. But an amendment to HB 4088 will criminalize disability-related behavior. During the past eight months, Disability Rights Oregon worked with Representative Travis Nelson (D- North and Northeast Portland) to include language in HB 4088 that would stop the criminalization of: “people with intellectual disability, developmental disability, delirium, dementia, traumatic brain injury, severe and persistent mental illness or other condition that significantly impairs the person’s judgment or behavior.” On Monday, Representative Nelson and the House Judiciary Committee posted a surprise “-2” amendment to criminalize disability-related behavior of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and others. This amendment would make it an enhanced felony crime if a hospital staff person were injured while you were receiving medical care we need to live. Criminalizing Disability Won’t Prevent Hospital Worker Injuries Legislators and law enforcement supporting this bill claim that Washington State has a similar law and that we need enhanced criminal penalties to prevent hospital workers from getting hurt. But that isn’t true. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: - Injuries of hospital workers are below the 10-year average in Oregon.
- Oregon has 26% fewer hospital worker injuries than Washington state.
- Oregon has 33% fewer hospital worker days away from work, job transfer, or restriction due to injury than Washington state.
There is no evidence to support the idea that enhanced criminal penalties prevent hospital worker assaults. But they will prevent access to healthcare. | 
