Women with Disabilities: Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing ...
Women with Disabilities: Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing ...
Women with Disabilities: Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing ...
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WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES: BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO ACCESSING SERVICES DURING PREGNANCY,CHILDBIRTH AND EARLY MOTHERHOODSchool of Nursing <strong>and</strong> Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin(D’Eath et al, 2005). The introduction of telesupport or web-based supportgroups (Ugarriza, 2002), the provision of designated perinatal multidisciplinaryteams in the community (Oluwatayo <strong>and</strong> Friedman, 2005), <strong>and</strong> the introductionof more specialist mother <strong>and</strong> baby psychiatric units were also promoted(Lewis, 2007).7.2. ConclusionThe National Disability Authority <strong>and</strong> National <strong>Women</strong>’s Council of Irel<strong>and</strong> havepreviously highlighted the need <strong>to</strong> improve access <strong>to</strong> reproductive <strong>and</strong> sexualhealth services for women <strong>with</strong> disabilities in Irel<strong>and</strong>, as well as the need fordisability awareness training among health professionals (NWCI, 2001; NDA,2007). Evidence from the NDA’s second national survey suggests that thepublic’s attitudes <strong>to</strong>wards disability are improving (NDA, 2007). The literaturepresented here shows that in many countries women <strong>with</strong> disabilities havereported that services do not adequately meet their needs <strong>and</strong> emphasises theneed <strong>to</strong> improve the care services for women <strong>with</strong> disabilities attempting <strong>to</strong>access health care during pregnancy, childbirth <strong>and</strong> early motherhood.The dearth of literature in this review from the Irish perspective highlights theimportance of the current study commissioned by the National DisabilityAuthority, of which this review forms the first part. The second part, which leadson from <strong>and</strong> is complementary <strong>to</strong> this paper, is a review of Irish <strong>and</strong>international social policies relating <strong>to</strong> disability <strong>and</strong> childbirth (Begley et al,2009). These 2 documents demonstrate a need for comprehensive policydevelopment <strong>and</strong> planning in consultation <strong>with</strong> women <strong>with</strong> disabilities <strong>to</strong>provide an improved response <strong>to</strong> the maternity service needs of this group.The starting point for any change in service provision has <strong>to</strong> be <strong>with</strong> theindividuals seeking that service (Kennedy <strong>and</strong> Murphy-Lawless, 2002), so ifaccess <strong>to</strong> health services during childbirth, pregnancy <strong>and</strong> early motherhood is<strong>to</strong> be improved for women <strong>with</strong> disabilities, their experiences must bedocumented. The third section of the NDA-commissioned work, therefore, is a123
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