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Access to Cancer Screening for Women with Mobility Disabilities

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Abstract

Women with mobility disabilities are less likely to access cancer screening, even when they have a primary care provider. The Gateways to Cancer Screening project was initiated to document the challenges for women with disabilities in their access and experiences of screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer. The study followed the tenets of participatory action research. Five peer-led focus groups were held with 24 women with mobility disabilities. Study participants identified multiple and interacting institutional barriers to cancer screening. Their discussions highlighted the complex work of (1) arranging and attending health-related appointments, (2) confronting normative assumptions about women's bodies and (3) securing reliable health care and information. These overlapping, mutually reinforcing issues interact to shape how women with disabilities access and experience cancer screening. We explore implications for redesign of cancer screening services and education of health providers, providing specific recommendations suggested by our participants and the findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Suite 130, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8, Canada

    Jan Angus, Lisa Seto & Naomi Cechetto

  2. Centre for Independent Living Toronto (CILT) Inc., Toronto, Canada

    Nancy Barry

  3. Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary Breast Health & Taking Charge Programs, Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada

    Linda Muraca

  4. Regent Park Community Health Centre, Toronto, Canada

    Sharmini Fernando

  5. Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women’s Program, Springtide Resources, Toronto, Canada

    Fran Odette

  6. My Leaky Body, Health Education and Performances, Toronto, Canada

    Julie Devaney

  7. Ismaili Cancer Support Network, Toronto, Canada

    Samira Chandani

Authors
  1. Jan Angus
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  2. Lisa Seto
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  3. Nancy Barry
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  4. Naomi Cechetto
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  5. Samira Chandani
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  6. Julie Devaney
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  7. Sharmini Fernando
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  8. Linda Muraca
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  9. Fran Odette
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan Angus.

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Angus, J., Seto, L., Barry, N. et al. Access to Cancer Screening for Women with Mobility Disabilities. J Canc Educ 27, 75–82 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-011-0273-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-011-0273-4

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