Women with disabilities are as likely as able-bodied women to get a mammogram screening at some time in their life, but they are far less likely to get them regularly. Why is it that millions of women in the U.S. let their breast healthcare lapse?

People with disabilities, including wheelchair users and cancer survivors, are at a greater risk for breast cancer overall than the general population. Certain factors - such as an increased likelihood never to have been pregnant, exposure to large doses of radiation and a decrease in regular exercise – put some women with disabilities in a higher risk group for the disease.

Why Mammograms Aren’t Continued
There are many reasons why a person with a disability may opt out of a mammogram, which should be an essential part of her wellness routine after the age of 40.

•    She has had a bad experience with a mammogram .
•    The facility is not accessible for wheelchair users.
•    Healthcare workers don’t know how to deal with her disability, or deal too much with only her disability and ignore her as a person.
•    Clinicians fail to see people with disabilities as sexual beings, and don’t offer reproductive care.
•    She thinks that because she has a disability, there is no way she could be so unlucky as to have cancer, too.
•    Medical appointments may be very difficult. A hearing-impaired person may need an interpreter, or a wheelchair user could require assistance changing into a gown.
•    Women with spasticity or who are wheelchair users may have difficulty getting into or maintaining position in the equipment so a clearly readable image can be obtained.

Get a Great Mammogram Screening
What’s a person with a disability to do? Here’s how to take control and have a better breast-imaging experience:

1.  Start with a doctor who is sensitive to your needs.

2.  Bring a friend or caregiver to your appointment if you can, to help you change clothing, get positioned properly and offer encouragement.

3.  Check with the imaging center before you go to make sure the building and machine are accessible for your needs. The mammogram itself will take about 15 minutes. If you have trouble standing that long, ask if someone can provide a chair so you can have images taken in a sitting position. If you are a wheelchair user, make sure the machine is accessible. Most are adequate (especially if the arms of your wheelchair can fold down). Some machines, such as  the Senographe, are designed with wheelchair accessibility in mind. If you are hearing impaired and  need a sign language interpreter, tell the center where to call to get one.

4.  If you have spasticity, you may want to ask if they have Velcro fasteners available to help immobilize you long enough that a good image can be obtained.

5.  Ask if the facility would like to schedule back-to-back appointments to allow adequate time for your mammogram. Some clinics may even have two technicians present to help.

See Related Articles
To learn more about breast cancer exams, see Routine Breast Exams for Early Breast Cancer Detection.

See symptoms of breast cancer and breast reconstruction for more resources and general information about breast cancer.