Want to help Fight for Accessible Cervical Screenings? Here's how...
Thank you all for your continuous support for this petition and for your dedication to implementing change creating better access for Cervical Screenings for all women regardless of their disability/chronic illness.
One of the most important ways you can unite and support the cause is to write to your MP! Don't worry if you've never done this before, our friend and campaigner Lorna Fillingham has drawn up this template to get you started.
In just 3 Easy Steps you stand behind us to save lives of disabled women who fall through the net trying to access smear tests,
- Copy and Paste the letter template below into Microsoft Word and insert the information highlighted in italics.
- Print out the letter
- Stick a stamp on it and take it to the post box!
_________________________________________________________
Dear MP (find the name of your MP here: https://members.parliament.uk/)
Nationally, it has been identified that disabled women are struggling to access cervical screening, or have been put off cervical screening due to previous traumatic experiences.
The key findings of a report by Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust found the following:
88% said it is harder for women with physical disabilities to attend or access cervical screening
63% said that they had been unable to attend cervical screening because of their disability
49% said that they have chosen not to attend cervical screenings in the past for reasons such as previous bad experiences related to their disability or worries about how people may react.
The full report can be accessed here: https://www.jostrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/jos_physical_disability_report_0.pdf
This report specifies that more can be done by GP surgeries, such as making them more accessible and by providing hoists.
[Paragraph to insert own experiences/your story if applicable]
Disabled ladies should not be denied the opportunities to have potentially life-saving screening done, it would be a reasonable adjustment (under the Equality Act 2010) to provide hoisting in GP surgeries. Please support your disabled constituents and ensure that this occurs so that lives are not being put at risk due to a lack of equal opportunities.
Yours faithfully
(insert your name)