The scandal repeats itself and it's worse than ever: Mammograms are still denied to women with disabilities

MONTREAL, May 3, 2022 /CNW/ - RAPLIQ invites you to a press conference We will remember on August 22, 2014 when, after meeting Minister Barrette at his Union Street offices, RAPLIQ expressed its indignation in front of several members of the media. RAPLIQ had phoned all of the screening clinics designated by the MSSS and fourteen (14) of them had categorically refused to allow a woman in a wheelchair into their clinic for a mammogram, even though the said clinics were accessible.

Minister Barrette, visibly shocked by this news, promised us that this would not happen again and that each of these clinics would be sharply challenged.

In 2017, to follow up on the file, we redid the exercise by calling the 97 clinics registered on the site of the designated screening centers (DSC) of the Quebec breast cancer screening program (QBSCP).

We were bitterly disappointed to find that not only were access to mammography examinations still being refused to women in wheelchairs, but that this refusal was also falsely justified. Falsehoods such as: "the devices (mammographs) do not lower"; "you absolutely must transfer to a small stool", etc.

Or humiliating remarks such as: "You really can't stand up at all at all? - "You must be able to stand" - "No, in your case, it's the hospital." »

In order to be reassured about an improvement in the commitments made in 2017, in November 2021, we redid the same verification exercise with the designated screening clinics for a third time and even pushed our investigation to check with these centers. located in a hospital environment, which according to private clinics represented "THE" solution for women in wheelchairs.

And quite rightly not! The results are worse than ever !! We have once again come up against prefabricated and insane answers, placing ourselves in front of so many uncertainties or categorically refusing to set an appointment.

We are convinced that Minister Barrette was sincere when he wanted to change these discriminatory practices three years ago. So who is to blame? To the leaders of the CIUSSS? To FMG managers?

As you know, each passing day decreases the chances of being diagnosed with cancer in time to treat it. The systematic refusal of the DSC's condemns them !

For lack of prevention, because it is forbidden to them...

About RAPLIQ:

RAPLIQ is a pan-Quebec organization that supports and accompanies people with disabilities who are victims of discrimination to defend and claim their rights and to promote them by aiming to eradicate this discrimination too often made against them.

SOURCE RAPLIQ (Regroupement des activistes pour l'inclusion au Québec)

Linda Gauthier, Présidente, [phone], www.rapliq.org ; Steven Laperrière, Directeur, général, [phone]