Raw Beauty Project Health
THE NEED:
Raw Beauty Project Health was created because women with limited mobility experience challenges in accessing basic health needs such as routine physical exams, mammograms, Pap smears, and eye exams.
THE REASONS:
Some of the reasons for this disparity include:
A lack of wheelchair accessible diagnostic and medical equipment such as examination tables and weight scales.
Medical professionals receive limited training in the care of people with disabilities.
Lack of understanding of disabilities and attitudinal barriers by healthcare practitioners.
Medical professionals are not aware of the ADA guidelines as they pertain to healthcare.
Women with disabilities are not aware of their rights in healthcare.
THE WOMEN:
Approximately 36 million women in the U.S. have disabilities – and the number is growing. [1] Nearly a third of women with physical disabilities reported being denied services at a doctor's office solely because of their disability. [2]
“When I became a paraplegic and in a wheelchair at the age of 39, I experienced firsthand the challenges that women with disabilities face in accessing healthcare. Since that time, I have never received a full physical examination nor been weighed. I have been turned away from doctors’ offices and hospitals for important medical tests due to a lack of accessible equipment. As a result, I am committed to bringing awareness to these healthcare issues in order to create change.”
Co-founder, Dr. Susan Solman
Our Vision
The vision of Raw Beauty Project Health is to ensure equal and accessible healthcare for women with mobility impairments through:
Education
Educating and empowering women on their rights to equitable and accessible healthcare.
Awareness
By sharing experiences via social media, we are highlighting these inequities as a first step to inclusive accessible healthcare.
Raising awareness about the challenges that women experience in accessing healthcare.
Inspiring Change
Inspiring women with disabilities to own their power and advocate for equal healthcare for all.
“In 1984, as a result of a car accident, I became a quadriplegic. Navigating the disability world was a new reality for me and I was shocked at the lack of resources and accessibility.
Many things have progressed since then. While I’ve been able to experience accessible SCUBA diving and sailing, I never imagined that I would still encounter barriers to healthcare due to inaccessible medical and gynecologic examination tables, eye exam equipment, mammogram equipment and weight scales.”
Co-founder, Wendy Crawford
Get Involved
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Division of Human Development and Disability. Disability and Health Data System (DHDS) Data [online]. [Accessed August 6, 2019].
https://www.bcm.edu/research/labs-and-centers/research-centers/center-for-research-on-women-with-disabilities/a-to-z-directory/health-care