Risk Factors: Women with Disabilities
A disability is a health condition that makes it hard to do regular daily activities. Women with disabilities often do not get screened for breast cancer or get screened less often.
Every woman needs to have regular screenings, even if she has a disability. Women with disabilities are just as likely to develop breast cancer and may even have more risk factors than other women. Women with disabilities face many barriers to regular screening. They may have difficulty getting to the doctor’s office, undressing for an exam, raising their arms for self-exams, mounting a traditional examination table, standing, or positioning their wheelchairs for mammograms.
The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition has partnered with the University of Delaware’s Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS) to conduct an accessibility assessment of all mammography facilities in Delaware. Through funding from the Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund, the Delaware Mammography Access Project will produce an online guide to mammography facilities that women can access to determine which facility will best meet their needs. The project period is January to December 2009.
All mammography facilities in Delaware will be invited to participate. The assessment will gather information about the physical accessibility of the facility, as well as service-related information that may impact accessibility, including hours of operation, languages spoken, and information related to parking, route accessibility, and equipment. For a list of accredited mammography facilities, please visit the American College of Radiology’s Accredited Facility Search page.
The project will identify areas of concern around the accessibility of mammography facilities for women with disabilities and will identify challenges faced by mammography facility staff when providing services to women with disabilities. Areas of concern identified through this project will guide the development of future interventions to improve access to health care for women with disabilities. The guide will also be available in alternative formats upon request.
Please visit the Mammography Resources page for additional information, resources, and publications.