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Persons with disabilities in Europe continue to encounter prejudice and discrimination, inaccessible environments, and attitudinal barriers. Mothers with disabilities, in particular, remain an underserved group, often overlooked by policymakers, researchers, and healthcare providers. 

Healthcare professionals play a vital role in advising and supporting women on their journey to motherhood. Unfortunately, women with disabilities frequently report cases of discrimination, stigma and discouragement, including denial of fertility services, pressure to terminate pregnancies or to relinquish newborns for adoption. According to Perez et al. (2023, p. 16), one in twenty children born to a mother with an intellectual disability is immediately placed in social services after birth. In multiple cases, healthcare providers often rush to classify pregnancies in women with disabilities as “high risk” (Camilleri Zahra, ibid.), regardless of individual circumstances. This practice, combined with inadequate prenatal care, contributes to a disproportionately high rate of C-sections among mothers with intellectual disabilities (Perez et al., pp. 15 and 18). Cases of forced sterilisations of women with disabilities remain disturbingly frequent (European Disabilities Forum, 2022). It is thus evident that the prevailing practices of many healthcare professionals are restricting the rights of women with disabilities to equal access to a safe pregnancy and motherhood. 

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These practices violate the rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), particularly Articles 12, 16, 17, and 23. These articles guarantee the equal legal capacity of persons with disabilities (Article 12), protection from violence and abuse (Article 16), the right to physical and mental integrity (Article 17) as well as their right to marry, found a family and retain fertility on an equal base with others (Article 23). Additional relevant CRPD articles, such as Article 6 (women with disabilities), Article 9 (accessibility), and Article 25 (health), also affirm their rights to non-discrimination and accessible healthcare.

In response to these challenges, the ASSIST project aims to contribute to:

  • Create inclusive and accessible healthcare environments for mothers and women with disabilities by training medical students and healthcare professionals through the use of an innovative Digital Ecosystem.
  • Develop a comprehensive training curriculum for current and future healthcare providers, alongside outreach efforts to strengthen NGOs’ capacity to drive policy change.
  • Promote positive, respectful attitudes among medical professionals toward mothers with disabilities, recognizing the importance of social barriers

The project will adhere to the United Nations’ “Disability-Inclusive Communication Guidelines”.