Women's Health
Today's modern woman has many roles and responsibilities: caregiver, wife, mother, employee, friend, and volunteer, among others. Twenty-six million of these American women are living with disabilities that can make these roles even more challenging.
In the area of women’s health, NCODH works to promote access to breast healthcare and cancer screening for women with disabilities by 1) assisting healthcare providers and mammography technologists to provide accessible reproductive health services for women with disabilities thru training and accessibility reviews; 2) educating women with intellectual disabilities about reproductive health and breast cancer screening, using the Women Be Healthy curriculum; and 3) improving access to sexual assault and domestic violence services for women with disabilities
Breast Cancer Screening- Women with disabilities face the same or elevated risks for breast cancer, as women in general. Women with disabilities may experience some of the risk factors for breast cancer, such as obesity, having no children, and chest radiation, more often than women without disabilities. However, according to the National Women's Health Information Center, women with disabilities often have less access to breast health services than any other group of women. NCODH partners state and community agencies to address improving access to breast cancer screening for women with disabilities.
The Women Be Healthy Curriculum was developed to enable women with intellectual disabilities to become more active participants in their health care. Its primary emphasis is teaching women about reproductive health and breast / cervical cancer screenings. The curriculum focuses on: health education, anxiety reduction and empowerment training. NCODH provides free training to service providers to teach them how to implement the curriculum. A free kit of educational supplies is available from NCODH to borrow while teaching the 8-week class.
Health Care- Women with disabilities often experience barriers to health care services. They may lack awareness and information about preventive care and health promotion. Health care facilities and service agencies may lack access to buildings, information, or communication for some women with disabilities. Often medical equipment may be inaccessible, such as scales, exam tables, or mammography machines. Providers may lack knowledge or experience in working with women with disabilities. NCODH is working to promote access to health care by providing training and technical assistance to health care providers, those in training, and self-advocacy information to consumers. NCODH also works with providers to provide accessibility reviews.
Support, Educate, Screen (SES) is a one year project funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, NC Triangle Affiliate under the funding priority of breast cancer education, screening services, and continuum of care among underserved populations. SES grant activities include:
- Promoting breast cancer screenings by establishing a women’s health support group for women with intellectual disabilities (WID) at a Community Rehabilitation Program in Orange County;
- Providing information about breast health care to family members and care providers of the members of the women’s support group during a women’s night out workshop
- Developing a disability supplement for the Radiography course curriculum at Wake Technical Community College (WTCC) to teach radiography students about providing mammography screening to women with intellectual disabilities;
- Supporting the Compensatory Education Program at WTCC to teach the Women Be Healthy curriculum to female students to learn about breast care.
SES project staff provide follow-up to students and care providers regarding scheduling and attending breast cancer screening appointments. This project promotes proactive and ongoing preventive behaviors related to breast health through collaborations among women with intellectual disabilities, employment service providers, and the NC Wake Technical Community College and Radiography Program.
Current NCODH Women’s Health partnerships include
- Carolina Mammography Registry, UNC-CH
- Center for Women’s Health Research, UNC-CH
- Governor Morehead School
- NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control
- NC Radiation Protection
- NC Schools for the Deaf
- Wake County Human Services
- Wake Technical Community College, Compensatory Education Program
