# Plain Language Summary: Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act

This bill aims to improve reproductive health care for people with disabilities by funding training programs and creating pathways for disabled people to become reproductive health care providers. The bill recognizes that about one in four American adults has some type of disability, and many of these people face serious barriers when trying to access reproductive health care—including physical accessibility problems at clinics, lack of accessible medical equipment, transportation challenges, and healthcare providers who don't understand the specific needs of disabled patients. The bill also notes that disabled people experience worse health outcomes related to reproductive cancers and are less likely to receive preventive care and prenatal services compared to non-disabled people.

To address these problems, the bill creates two main programs. First, it funds training for existing healthcare providers—doctors, nurses, and other professionals who provide reproductive health services—to learn how to better serve patients with disabilities. These training programs would teach providers about disability rights, accessibility standards, how to communicate with disabled patients respectfully, and evidence-based practices for providing reproductive care to this population. The bill sets aside $10 million per year for five years to support these training initiatives through grants to health centers, colleges, disability organizations, and other qualified groups.

Second, the bill creates a program to help people with disabilities become reproductive health care providers themselves. It funds medical schools and other health education programs to recruit, support, and mentor disabled students pursuing careers in reproductive health, including obstetrics, gynecology, and abortion care. The idea is that having more disabled healthcare providers will help create a workforce that better understands and can serve disabled patients' needs. The bill allows these educational programs to offer mentorship, financial support, and other assistance to help disabled students succeed in their training.

Overall, this bill targets a specific gap in healthcare access by investing in both better training for current providers and expanding the pipeline of disabled people entering the reproductive health field. It's designed to make reproductive health care—including contraception, pregnancy care, cancer screenings, and abortion services—more accessible and culturally competent for people with disabilities.

Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act

Bush, Cori

Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act This bill establishes various grants and related programs that address sexual and reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities. Specifically, the Health Resources and Services Administration must support <ul> <li>training for health care providers who offer sexual and reproductive health care to individuals with disabilities, and</li> <li>educating individuals with disabilities about sexual and reproductive health care.</li> </ul> The Administration for Community Living must establish a national center to provide recommendations, technical assistance, and other resources related to the provision of sexual and reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities. The bill also authorizes support for medical schools, nursing schools, and other educational institutions that offer obstetrics and gynecology training programs to expand the number of individuals with disabilities entering the reproductive health care workforce. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must study the effectiveness and other aspects of reproductive health care services and programs for individuals with disabilities.