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Disabilities
Information
updated February 2004
Maureen
Sayer
Senior Health Promotion Officer - Breast/Cervical/Skin Cancer,
Bowel Screening and Disabilities
Email: maureen.sayer@liverpoolpct.nhs.uk
||| Tel: (0151) 707 1555 x 105
Disability
is a major health issue for the 21st century. It is also a civil
rights issue. The Government published a report in 2001 called,
'Towards Inclusion - civil rights for disabled people'. Liverpool
adopted the social model in 1996, which locates disability in
society not in individuals.
During 2001 a Government white paper on people with learning difficulties
was published. It drew attention to the exclusion that people
with learning difficulties face in society. The Disability Discrimination
Act 1995 offers protection to people with learning difficulties
as well as other disabled people. Providers of health care must
offer an equal service to people with disabilities.
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Health
Promotion worked with People First and Women with Learning difficulties
to produce information on various health issues in a pictorial
and easily understandable format. There are a sequence of books
which cover Breast Care and Cervical Screening.
1. Having a Smear Test
2. Breast Awareness- Taking Care of Our Breasts
3. Having a Mammogram Xray of the Breasts
4. Going to the Breast Assessment Clinic at the Breast Unit.
These Breast Assessment books can be obtained from: The Womens
Health Information and Support Centre (WHISC) 120 Bold Street,
Liverpool, L1 4JA Tel: (0151) 707 1826
The cost depends on the quantity requested.
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A
Women’s Bits conference was held in 2003 for professionals
and women with disabilities. It was very well attended from
across the country with about 30% professionals and 70% disabled
women. The disabled women felt it was the first time they had
had a voice and they requested another conference to provide
further opportunities to voice their opinions. The Having a
Mammogram Xray of the breasts and going to the Breast Assessment
Clinic at the Breast Unit books were also launched at the conference.
The Womens group from People First told the conference how they
worked on the development of the books and why they feel it
was important for disabled women to attend for breast and Cervical
screening.
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The project making Health information Accessible to Disabled
People has also been supported.
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Work
has taken place with Liverpool Voluntary Service for the Blind
to produce audio-tapes for both ethnic communities and the visually
impaired.
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Also
linked into the Breast Screening and Marginalised Women Research
Project in Liverpool which has looked at the needs of women
with sensory impairment. The report was launched in October
2002.
A
policy has been developed with the Breast Screening Unit using the
Social Model of Disability to make the Breast Screening Service
more accessible to disabled women.
Useful
Links
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