Enhancing Equity in Cervical Screening Project

Project Title

Enhancing Equity in Cervical Screening

 

Funding

Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

The overall aim of the funding  is to implement activities to support increasing participation in the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) for people with disability

 

Project Summary

The Cervical Screening Project, led by CDS and the University of Sydney, aims to improve cervical screening access for people with disability. Phase 1 delivered a national awareness campaign with accessible resources and webinars, while Phase 2 focuses on training and advocacy through co-designed materials with people with lived experience to support carers, health professionals, and equitable access to screening.

 

Contact Person

Email: emily.gosden-kaye@sydney.edu.au

Cervical Screening Project Team

Associate Professor Mary-Ann O'Donovan

Chief Investigator, Centre for Disability Studies

Professor Deborah Bateson

Chief Investigator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney

Dr Emily Gosden-Kaye

Project Manager, Centre for Disability Studies

Suzie Jessep

Research Assistant

Edie Ballantyne

Communications and Marketing Officer

Phase 1 - Screen Me (Complete)

CDS worked in collaboration with the Daffodil Centre at the University of Sydney on a campaign to enhance cervical screening for people with intellectual disability. After screening barriers were identified, an awareness campaign was launched to emphasize the importance of cervical screening, including the option of self-collection. The development of accessible information on cervical screening is a key part of this project, as well as educational resources for healthcare professionals in the form of a live webinar series.

The campaign is being promoted through national networks of peak bodies, disability organisations and representative bodies for GPs, nurses and allied health professionals. The campaign materials are hosted on numerous websites including DOH, Centre for Disability Studies and Daffodil Centre. Access them through the below link.

Phase 2 - Training & Advocacy (In Progress)

Phase 2 of the project focuses on training and advocacy. Led by the Centre for Disability Studies and the University of Sydney, this phase aims to increase cervical screening participation by promoting the use of the Personal Representative Function of the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR).

This part of the project with consultations with people with lived experience of disability, healthcare professionals, and supporters to inform the development of accessible and relevant training materials.

A team of Screening Advocates, who are women and people with a cervix with lived experience of disability, will co-design and co-deliver educational resources. These include four national webinars and two training videos designed for the disability sector and family carers.

The goal is to raise awareness of cervical screening and to support both formal and informal carers to help people with disability access preventive healthcare. This phase continues the project’s commitment to inclusive design, leadership by lived experience, and equitable access to screening.

Interested in Learning More about Cervical Screening? Join our Free Webinar!

We’re hosting a free webinar about making cervical screening more accessible for people with disability. Read more about the webinar below.

About the Event

We’ll talk about the challenges people with disability might face when getting cervical screening tests and share practical ways to make the process easier and more supportive.

This session is especially for people with disability, their families, disability support workers, volunteers, and healthcare professionals, but everyone is welcome!

The webinar with be held on these dates (Sydney time, AEST).

You only need to attend one date – each webinar covers the same content.

What will the Webinar Cover?

The webinar covers these topics:

  • What cervical screening is and why it matters
  • How to support people with disability
  • Ways to make the experience easier
  • Options like self-collection

Who are the Speakers?

Speakers Include:

Professor Deborah Bateson (The University of Sydney) with insights from Associate Professor Mary-Ann O’Donovan and Screening Advocates with lived experience of disability.

Accessibility Features

  • Auslan interpreters
  • Captions,
  • A short break
  • Plain English
  • Visual descriptions
  • The session will be recorded to catch up later.

How to Register

Click “Get Tickets” on the registration page or call +61 2 9036 3600.

Let us know if there’s anything we can do to support access needs.