A Study on Enhancing Public Health Services for Rural Persons with Disabilities from the Perspective of the Ethical Principle of Solidarity

Background People with disabilities face multiple barriers in accessing public health services, including limited accessibility, psychological stress, and delayed health information. Social support theory—through its dimensions of instrumental, emotional, and informational support—provides a framework for understanding and addressing these challenges. Guided by principle of solidarity ethics, this study employs a social support network model to examine these barriers and explore the application of solidarity ethics within this theoretical framework. Methods Based on the social support network model, this study employed qualitative research methods to conduct in-depth interviews with people with disabilities and their stakeholders, systematically analyzing their actual difficulties in accessing public health services. The model encompasses three core dimensions: instrumental support, emotional support, and informational support. Building on this foundation, the study integrates the principle of solidarity ethics to explore in depth the practical pathways and ethical implications of these three support dimensions within the public service system for people with disabilities. Results Analysis based on the social support network model reveals that people with disabilities in Lin’an District face several structural barriers in accessing public health services. At the instrumental support level, existing home modification and subsidy policies—due to a lack of personalized design—have failed to effectively alleviate the economic burden on individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, insufficient coordination between barrier-free facilities and assistive devices has hindered the development of a systematic support environment. In terms of emotional support, although community workshops and volunteer programs provide basic assistance, people with disabilities continue to experience widespread social discrimination, social isolation, and limited access to professional psychological services. At the information support level, fragmented dissemination channels, non-targeted communication methods, and delayed policy information transmission make it difficult for individuals with disabilities to fully understand and effectively utilize available health resources. The principle of ethical mutual aid serves as a theoretical foundation for addressing challenges across these three dimensions. Conclusions Guided by the principle of solidarity ethics, a multi-level and integrated social support network should be established to strengthen public health services for people with disabilities in rural areas.