Disability, Race, and Mental Health: Addressing the Overlooked Needs of BIPOC Disabled Folks
- Dr. Sophia Aguirre, Ph.D., CGP, FAGPA
- Oct 10
- 3 min read
Conversations about mental health have become more visible in recent years, yet the voices of BIPOC disabled people are often overlooked. Living at the intersections of race, disability, and mental health means facing unique challenges—ones that cannot be fully understood when these identities are considered in isolation.
The Double Burden of Racism and Ableism
For BIPOC disabled folks, systemic racism and ableism intertwine in ways that create additional barriers to care. People may encounter:
Medical bias that minimizes their symptoms or misattributes them to cultural stereotypes.
Inaccessible services that fail to consider language needs, physical accessibility, or financial barriers.
Cultural stigma around both disability and mental health, leading to silence and shame rather than support.
The result is that many people of color with disabilities are less likely to receive accurate diagnoses, effective treatment, or culturally responsive mental health care.
Why Mainstream Mental Health Care Falls Short
Most mental health systems were built on frameworks that center whiteness, able-bodiedness, and Eurocentric norms. This can show up in therapy when clinicians:
Ignore how racism and ableism exacerbate anxiety, depression, or trauma.
Pathologize cultural practices instead of understanding them.
Offer “one-size-fits-all” solutions that don’t account for disability accommodations or cultural context.
When these systemic blind spots persist, disabled BIPOC clients can feel unseen, misunderstood, and even retraumatized.
Toward Inclusive and Affirming Care
Addressing the overlooked needs of BIPOC disabled folks requires a shift in how we think about therapy and mental health. Inclusive care means:
Intersectional frameworks: Recognizing how racism, ableism, classism, and colonialism shape mental health.
Accessibility as a priority: From wheelchair access to ASL interpretation to flexible scheduling, therapy spaces must adapt to clients—not the other way around.
Cultural humility: Therapists must approach clients’ lived experiences with openness, recognizing that clients are the experts of their own lives.
Centering resilience: BIPOC disabled folks hold profound wisdom, creativity, and survival strategies that deserve to be honored in the healing process.
Healing at the Intersections
For BIPOC disabled individuals, healing cannot be separated from identity, community, and justice. Therapy becomes not only a place to process grief, trauma, or anxiety, but also a place to reclaim joy, resist oppression, and imagine new ways of living fully.
At the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy, we believe in creating spaces where all identities—racial, cultural, gendered, and embodied—are affirmed and valued. We strive to meet clients where they are, honoring the intersections of race, disability, and mental health as central to their healing journey.
FAQs About BIPOC Disabled Mental Health
1. What unique challenges do BIPOC disabled people face in mental health care?
They often face overlapping barriers such as racism, ableism, language inaccessibility, and financial obstacles. These challenges can make it harder to access supportive, affirming, and accessible care.
2. Why is inclusive therapy important for BIPOC disabled folks?
Inclusive therapy ensures that mental health care addresses cultural values, systemic oppression, and disability accommodations. It validates clients’ lived experiences instead of minimizing or erasing them.
3. How can therapy support resilience for BIPOC disabled communities? Affirming therapy highlights the strength, creativity, and survival strategies within these communities, helping clients reclaim joy and resist oppression while building tools for emotional wellness.
4. What should I look for in a therapist if I am a disabled person of color? Seek a therapist who names their commitment to anti-oppressive, culturally responsive, and accessible care. It’s important that they understand both racial identity and disability as central to your healing.
💜 If you are a BIPOC disabled person seeking therapy, know that your experiences and needs matter. You deserve care that sees you fully and supports your healing without asking you to leave any part of yourself at the door. Reach out to request a complimentary phone consultation with one of our inclusive, affirming therapists.