Today is the first ever Congressional recognized Disability Reproductive Equity Day. President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, Dr. Jamila Perritt, responds:
“Today, and every day, I am proud to be in community with disability justice advocates and activists. We must be committed to leaning into Disability Justice principles and values, listening and learning from communities most impacted, and always working together to meet the critical and, sometimes, unique needs of disabled folks as they access reproductive and sexual health care. Today’s congressional resolution to mark May 23 as Disability Reproductive Equity Day is an important marker of how much more we can do to center accessibility in the provision of health care.
…it is critical that the reproductive health community centers the experiences of people with disabilities and commit to creating accessible and compassionate care.
“People of all abilities have sex, use birth control, get pregnant, have miscarriages, give birth, and have abortions, and it is critical that the reproductive health community centers the experiences of people with disabilities and commit to creating accessible and compassionate care. We at Physicians for Reproductive Health are hoping to more intentionally take time to learn from Disability Justice advocates and storytellers to address and unlearn systemic ableism and make abortion care, pregnancy care, and all sexual health care more accessible and respectful for everyone.”