There are around 1.7 million disabled parents in the UK, most of whom have physical and sensory impairments. More and more disabled people are choosing to have children, however the choice often doesn’t come without its fair share of perplexed faces and unwarranted judgement. But, why? What is so dumbfounding about such a natural aspect of life?

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There are too many myths and a whole lot of stigma surrounding sex, disability and pregnancy and we want to set the record straight. Disabled people can have children.

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Unfortunately, disabled people still continue to face judgement on a day-to-day basis and what’s worse is that, in some cases, this will only increase with the choice to have children. That’s on top of the physical and emotional barriers to do with hospital and doctor accessibility, delivery, and postpartum recovery that comes along with this. It’s not always a picnic!

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For many disabled people, issues with accessibility are an everyday struggle, but when you are required to attend frequent appointments, prenatal classes and eventually the delivery room itself, there are some clear inefficiencies. Are there hoists to enable disabled people to access the examination table? Is there a suitable room and bed for safe and comfortable delivery? Are there prenatal classes that are relevant to a disabled parent? Sadly, the likely answer to all of these questions is…

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Insufficient support can also apply to many of those with learning disabilities and mental health issues who choose to have children. Is the language used to communicate clear and concise, not to confuse the patient? Are there enough mental health support mechanisms in place during pregnancy and post-partum? You tell us…

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So, what should we do?

First thing’s first – we’ve got to increase the exposure and there’s a hundred and one ways we can do this. Here’s a few quick wins:

• Retweet and repost relevant items
• Start and take part in open conversations
• Share a blog or article – just like this one!

(Just make sure you tag @EnhamTrust so we can be a part of the conversation too).

It’s simple steps like these that will bust the myths and break the stigma, and we want to hear your views! So, are you in? Share this blog and let’s get this conversation started.

It’s up to us.

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Sources:

https://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/parents-with-disabilities

https://healthtalk.org/pregnancy/learning-disability-and-pregnancy

https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2393-13-174