Acknowledgements endorsements Background methodology executive Summary 11 Recommendations 22 Article — general obligations 38

Population–Based Public Health Programs Fail to Include People with Disability

456. 
     Australia provides a number of preventative health programs, however, the way information is presented and distributed can be inaccessible to people with disability. The lack of accessible information is of particular concern to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability where language and culture may create additional barriers to accessing mainstream information and programs.
     
457. 
     As the majority of general health information is provided in schools and television and radio campaigns, people with disability who are not able to access these sources adequately are likely to be information poor. For women in particular this could mean they lack information regarding menstruation, contraception and reproductive health.⁵¹⁷
     
458. 
     Workplace Health Check programs have been introduced in some jurisdictions as part of a proactive approach to health promotion. As many people with disability are not active in the mainstream workforce, they are unlikely to benefit from these public health initiatives.
     

Women

459. 
     People with disability are often seen as asexual, sexually inactive and incapable of being parents.⁵¹⁸ These beliefs can lead to lower screening rates for breast and cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases and a failure to provide information and education on sexual health or prenatal services appropriate for women with disability.⁵¹⁹
     
460. 
     The National Disability Strategy recognises that “women with disabilities are one of the most under–screened groups in Australia for breast and cervical cancer”, but there are no gender–specific measures identified in the Strategy’s ‘Areas for future action’.⁵²⁰
     
461. 
     Women with disability also experience forced menstrual suppression and contraception, often without regard to the wishes of the individual.⁵²¹ The continued practice of forced sterilisation of children despite international condemnation is also of serious concern.⁵²² (See also Article 23)
     
462. 
     Women with disability experience difficulty in accessing health information and services.⁵²³ Short appointment times, physical, sensory and communication barriers with health practitioners, misconceptions as to the sexuality of women with disability, limited financial resources, mobility difficulties and lack of adequately trained health professionals limit access to health services.⁵²⁴