Monitor on Psychology - January 2012 - (Page 58)

“Women with disabilities’ health concerns often go unmet, particularly with regard to their sexual and reproductive health.” LesLey Ann tArAsoff University of Toronto orientation, race and other factors intersect with disability. “We have come a long way, but we have so much further to go,” said APA’s Executive Director for Public Interest Gwen Keita, PhD. For its part, the U.S. Department of Labor has several funding and public education initiatives designed to challenge assumptions that people with disabilities can’t excel in the workplace, said Assistant Secretary of Labor Kathleen Martinez, who also spoke at the meeting. “This conference is about improving health outcomes for women with disabilities, and employment has a role to play both financially and emotionally in this equation,” said Martinez, who has been blind since birth and heads the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. “When we work, we don’t just benefit our bosses, we benefit ourselves.” A full-inclusion workforce In today’s economy, jobs are hard to find, but the job hunt is particularly tough for people with disabilities. According to 2011 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 21 percent of people with disabilities are employed. Changing that number by encouraging employers to hire people with disabilities is a Labor Department priority, said Martinez. “Our goal is to change the landscape of our work force and weave in the experiences, talents and strengths APA expects to release a research, practice and policy agenda by summer 2012 based on the “Inequity to equity” conference that will help psychologists and other health professionals meet the needs of women with disabilities. the conference was also partially funded by a contract from the office on Women’s Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and received support from APA’s Div. 22 (rehabilitation) and Div. 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women) and many more groups and individuals. of women with disabilities,” she said. One federal initiative aimed at accomplishing that goal is “Add Us In,” which brings universities and small businesses together to devise ways to recruit and retain people with disabilities. Martinez is also working to change negative attitudes among employers about hiring people with disabilities through the federal Campaign for Disability Employment (www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org), a public relations effort that highlights the talents of people with disabilities and challenges workplace prejudices, such as that disabled employees drain time and resources. “We all know that fear is still a barrier, and that there are still old, worn-out perceptions, myths and stereotypes,” she said. The campaign’s award-winning “I Can” announcements feature seven people with disabilities talking about the skills they bring to their jobs, including Mat McCullough, who works for the District of Columbia Developmental Disabilities Council and has cerebral palsy, and Cheryl Collier, an elementary school teacher and middle school volleyball coach who is deaf. integrated, inclusive care Improving health-care delivery for women with disabilities is also a top priority, the speakers agreed. Women with disabilities often receive substandard care because too few health professionals are trained on how to work effectively with them. Many professionals speak to caregivers or assistants rather than the patient, for example, while others don’t have the appropriate office equipment, such as adjustable-height exam tables or mammography equipment that can accommodate women in wheelchairs. “Women with disabilities’ health concerns often go unmet, particularly with regard to their sexual and reproductive health,” said Lesley Ann Tarasoff, a graduate student from the University of Toronto, at a session on reproductive health issues. “They are often not screened for gynecological and breast cancers, often because of false assumptions about people with disabilities” — for example, that people with physical disabilities aren’t sexually active. Yet, according to 2011 data by the Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, 22 percent of women with disabilities reported a history of sexually transmitted diseases. While there M o n i t o r o n p s y c h o l o g y • J a n u a ry 2 0 1 2 58 http://www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - January 2012

Monitor on Psychology - January 2012
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
Contents
From the CEO
Apa’s Statement on the Dsm-5 Development Process
Girl Scouts Badge Promotes Positive Psychology
Early Investments Pay Off for Poor Children, Study Finds
Apa Meets With Chinese Psychological Society to Further Interaction and Exchange
Unique Opportunity for Psychologists to Travel to Cuba
In Brief
Government Relations Update
On Your Behalf
Psychology’s Growing Library of Podcasts
Standing Up for Psychology
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Science Watch
Beyond Psychotherapy
Perspective on Practice
Yes, Recovery Is Possible
Inequity to Equity
Making E-Learning Work
New Standards for High School Psychology
A Trailblazer Moves On
Psychologist Profile
Plan Now for Psychology’s Regional Meetings
New Journal Editors
Apa News
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - January 2012