# 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 career pathways in the medical field. Right now, people with disabilities face significant barriers when trying to access reproductive health services—from physical accessibility problems at clinics to doctors who lack training in disability-related needs. The bill recognizes that about 1 in 4 American adults have disabilities, and many of them struggle to get quality reproductive care, including preventive services, pregnancy care, and abortion services. The bill also notes that people with disabilities are sometimes sterilized without proper consent and receive less counseling about contraception options compared to people without disabilities.

To fix these problems, the bill creates two main programs. First, it funds training for health care providers—doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals—to learn how to provide reproductive health care to people with disabilities. These training programs would teach providers about disability rights, accessibility standards, and how to respect the independence and choices of disabled patients. The bill allocates $10 million per year for five years to support these training initiatives through grants to hospitals, universities, community health centers, and disability organizations. Second, the bill creates a program to recruit and support people with disabilities who want to become reproductive health care doctors and providers. This includes funding for mentorship, academic support, research opportunities, and financial assistance to help disabled students complete medical training and enter the reproductive health care field.

The practical effect would be twofold: patients with disabilities would have better access to doctors trained in their specific needs, and the medical workforce itself would become more diverse by including more disabled providers who understand these challenges firsthand. By increasing the number of trained providers and creating more career opportunities for disabled medical professionals, the bill aims to address a real gap in the health care system where disabled people often struggle to find knowledgeable, accessible care.

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.