As Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley wrote in September, “For many people with disabilities, access to reproductive health care is significantly hindered by structural barriers such as discrimination, physical and financial barriers, and a lack of inclusion of people with disabilities in the healthcare workforce. People with disabilities are less likely to receive contraception counseling, timely prenatal care, and are at a greater risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes.”
And the GOP's war on everything good, right, and decent has only made accessing reproductive health care harder. Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Patty Murray, as well as Missouri Rep. Cori Bush—a former nurse—and Pressley have reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act. The bill aims to dismantle barriers to reproductive health care for people with disabilities.
Sign the petition: Strengthen reproductive health care access for disabled people.
A recent study by the National Partnership for Women & Families shows that over 36 million women of reproductive age, including 2.9 million with disabilities, live in states that are likely to ban abortion. Disabled people already face an 11 times greater risk of maternal death, and are more likely to experience complications during pregnancy.
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The Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act was originally introduced last session following the June 2022 Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe. Barriers to abortion have only increased in the year since—it is now banned or tightly restricted in 20 states—and Republican politicians in state legislatures continue to pass new laws that severely limit reproductive care.
The Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act acknowledges the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, and the deep-seated impact of health care barriers.
Specifically, the act would:
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Provide grant funding to eligible entities to carry out training programs for healthcare professionals providing reproductive healthcare for individuals with disabilities ($10 million).
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Expand the physician and nursing workforce by increasing the representation of people with disabilities in such workforces ($15 million).
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Provide grant funding to carry out education programs focused on the sexual and reproductive healthcare needs of people with disabilities ($10 million).
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Establish a new technical assistance center to provide recommendations and best practices regarding sexual and reproductive healthcare for people with disabilities ($10 million).
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Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out a study to analyze reproductive healthcare for people with disabilities ($15 million).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 4 disabled adults doesn’t have a regular health care provider, and has unmet health needs due to the cost of care.
“For too long, Americans with disabilities have faced persistent barriers to health-care services, equipment, and providers—and with right-wing efforts underway to go even further to undermine these rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe, many are rightfully worried about having an even harder time accessing the reproductive care they need,” Duckworth shared in a statement, going on to say that she wants to ensure “all of us in the disability community are not left behind in getting the care we need, when we need it.”
Even in the parts of the country where factual history is still taught, most folks are unaware of our dark history of reproductive coercion and forced sterilization of disabled people. Rewire News Group reports that eugenicist efforts make seeking reproductive health care "deeply fraught—and potentially even dangerous—for disabled people." The Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act helps ensure comprehensive and accessible reproductive health care for members of the disability community. It’s an important move towards health equity.
“Every single American deserves to have control over their own body, life, and future—and that, of course, includes Americans with disabilities. But people with disabilities have long faced discrimination and truly unacceptable roadblocks to getting the reproductive care they need—and Republicans’ nonstop attacks on our rights have made matters so much worse,” said Murray in a statement. “Our legislation will help ensure people with disabilities can access reproductive care that meets their needs.”
Remember: Even before Republicans increased barriers to abortion, disabled people were not guaranteed access to culturally competent health care. This bill is a much-needed start to address the significant barriers disabled people face, and ensuring everyone receives the care they need exactly when they need it.
Sign if you agree: Everyone deserves reproductive health care access.