Pregnancy and Parenting Support Project
People with disabilities have the same rights, goals, and desires around parenting and family life as anyone else. However, parents with disabilities may face unique challenges in finding supports, and healthcare providers are not always equipped to provide the care that they need. The Pregnancy and Parenting Support for People With Disabilities Project developed out of a recognized need for more conversations, education, and resources related to pregnancy and parenting for people with disabilities.
We saw that many individuals with disabilities continue to experience misconceptions, lack of support, and barriers within healthcare and community systems, especially around reproductive autonomy and decision-making. The Pregnancy and Parenting project focuses on raising awareness about the experiences, support needs, and reproductive health rights of people with disabilities who are parents or who want to become parents. Through this project, we work to promote more inclusive healthcare, education, and community support systems for people with disabilities during pregnancy, parenting, and family planning.
The project is designed for healthcare providers, public health professionals, educators, students, direct support professionals, and community organizations who want to better support disability-inclusive reproductive and parenting services. A major goal of the project is helping professionals better understand and address misconceptions and barriers experienced by people with disabilities in reproductive healthcare and parenting spaces. It is also valuable for people with disabilities, families, advocates, and community members interested in learning more about disability-inclusive parenting and reproductive health. We want participants to feel more informed, confident, and prepared to support people with disabilities in conversations around pregnancy, parenting, and reproductive health.
Another focus of the project is the concept of supported decision-making: ensuring that people with disabilities are empowered to make informed choices about their own bodies, relationships, healthcare, and parenting decisions. We also highlight the voices and lived experiences of parents with disabilities through education, storytelling, outreach, and resource development.
The project helps participants better understand accessibility, advocacy, inclusion, reproductive justice, and supported decision-making. We also hope participants gain practical tools they can apply in healthcare, public health, education, and community settings to support autonomy and informed choice. In the long term, we hope that the project contributes to more inclusive healthcare systems and community supports for parents with disabilities.
Students and professionals can engage through internships, trainee opportunities, community partnerships, and public health education activities connected to the initiative. More information is available through the Pregnancy and Parenting initiative page and the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities website.