About The Study

The Disability and Reproductive Health during COVID-19 project aims to capture the experiences of women and gender-diverse people with disabilities accessing sexual and reproductive health services during COVID-19 across Canada.

Historically, Black women and gender-diverse individuals with disabilities have faced anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination, which have been identified as major contributors to health disparities seen in our community. As a project partner, the Ase Community brings to this project the subject expertise and understanding of the specific barriers faced by Black women and gender-diverse people with disabilities navigating the healthcare system.

In addition to actively contributing to the overall study’s development of data collection instruments, community engagement, and data analysis, the Ase Community further amplifies the voices of our underrepresented Black communities by conducting Black-focused 1-on-1 interviews facilitated by a Black peer researcher with disabilities.

These important insights will be captured through a:

Survey (can be taken online, virtually, or over the phone)

1-on-1 interviews

This project is a collaboration with the Ase Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities, the University of Toronto (Scarborough), SickKids Hospital, and DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada.

This study has been reviewed and approved by the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board [#42194] and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Project Outcomes

Through this research, we aim to:

Publish a Black-focused research paper specifically highlighting the experiences of Black participants in this study

Publish a general research paper outlining the key findings from the overall study

Identify the unique experiences, barriers, and challenges faced by Black women and gender-diverse people with disabilities navigating reproductive and sexual healthcare, costly accommodations, accessibility literacy, and oppression at the intersection of anti-Black racism, ableism, and gender-based discrimination

Inform the development of culturally relevant and accessible healthcare policies and community services to ensure they are truly equitable for all women and gender-diverse people with disabilities during and beyond the pandemic

Inform COVID-19 management plans for response and recovery to ensure they embed an accessible, inclusive approach that centers women and gender-diverse people with disabilities during and beyond the pandemic.

The Importance of this Work

The United Nations has documented the devastating impact of COVID-19 on reproductive health globally. This impact has been felt most in equity groups, including disabled, Black, Indigenous, racialized, low socioeconomic status, and rural/remote communities.

We know from existing research that Black people and people with disabilities experience disparities in reproductive health care, including limited access to sexual health information and family planning services, higher rates of perinatal complications, child custody loss, and intimate partner violence. For instance, Black Canadian women and non-binary individuals are at a higher risk of mortality from HIV/AIDS, uterine cancer, diabetes mellitus, and endocrine disorders compared to white Canadians (Tjepkema et al., 2023).

There is a need for evidence about the impact of COVID-19 on the reproductive health of women and gender-diverse people with disabilities to better inform accessible reproductive health services and better support people with disabilities.