Breast Health for Women with Disabilities

About the Project

The Breast Health for Women with Disabilities project was made possible by a grant from the Wyoming Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Developed by the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND), the project was designed to make information on breast health for women with disabilities accessible to health care providers, women with disabilities, their families and loved ones. The project consists of the development of an annotated bibliography, the procurement of library materials on this topic, and the creation of the Women First: Breast Health for Women with Developmental Disabilities handbook, an introduction to basic breast health issues.

The annotated bibliography is a listing of selected resources that address the issue of breast health for women with disabilities. Additionally, the bibliography includes some materials which are designed to increase the knowledge care providers have regarding women with disabilities. Since information is so difficult to find on this topic, the bibliography will help anyone interested in this topic to quickly find resources to help them become more informed.

The literature review conducted to develop the bibliography was used to procure resources on this topic, as well as disability awareness materials directed towards health care providers, for the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) Resource Library. The Resource Library, a free service available to any Wyomingite, will further extend access to these unique resources.

Finally, this project was designed to make a contribution to the limited amount of resources available by developing a handbook for women with developmental disabilities on breast health. The free handbook has been disseminated to women with developmental disabilities, their family members, and health care providers throughout the state. Additionally the handbook has been added to the WIND Resource Library collection and is available for download through this web site.

Breast Health Issues for Women with Disabilities

The possibility of breast cancer is just as great for women with disabilities as for women without disabilities. However, women with disabilities tend to be at a higher risk for developing the disease and tend to receive less breast health care as a result of barriers that are specific to them. A study by the Center for Research on Women with Disabilities noted that “Women with physical disabilities are at a higher risk for delayed diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer, primarily for reasons of environmental, attitudinal, and information barriers.” Women with disabilities may have to contend with inaccessible health care facilities, equipment such as examination tables which do not accommodate physical limitations, educational materials unavailable in alternative formats, and a lack of disability awareness by health care providers. In addition to these external barriers, women with disabilities may also need assistance or specialized training to assist them in conducting regular self-examinations. For example, a woman with limited or spastic arm movement may find it difficult to conduct a thorough self-exam thus requiring adaptations in the process of special assistance by care providers.

These kinds of barriers tend to be magnified for women with developmental disabilities. A developmental disability is generally characterized as an impairment that occurs before the age of 21 and causes significant limitations in several areas of a person’s life. Types of disabilities which are often classified as developmental disabilities include mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, as well as other neurological impairments. Women with developmental disabilities may have additional issues to contend with when receiving proper breast health care. These issues may involve a lack of training about their bodies, communication and cognitive impairments which may affect their ability to provide personal information and feedback, and incorrect assumptions by health care providers that symptoms are just a regular part of the woman’s disability.

But the barriers mentioned that are unique to women with disabilities and are usually related to a lack of information and training. Information on this topic is very difficult find. A basic search of several medical databases provided only a few resources focusing specifically on breast cancer and disabilities. One probable reason for this is that the special needs of women with disabilities have not been recognized by breast cancer researchers and have therefore been overlooked as a topic for investigation. Consequently, individuals looking for information and resources in this area will have a very difficult time finding materials that meet their needs.

For More Information

For more information about this project or about people with developmental disabilities, please contact the: