Considering disabled women’s experiences in accessing healthcare
- Written by: Mary Ballantyne —
- Published: 19th January 2026
The ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health Lived Experience Group reflect on their input to Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.
I wanted to get involved with the Women’s Health Lived Experience Stakeholder Group because disabled women are not often considered when thinking about women’s health. I go through the same health experiences as most women during their lives, but being in a wheelchair can mean it can be more complicated. I would like it to be more accessible to get my mammogram, get a smear, or get HRT. I wanted to join the Group to say, I’m a woman sitting in a wheelchair with slightly more difficulties, but I want to be treated the same as every other woman. Being involved in the Group has helped me input to conversations about my experience, and that will hopefully make things easier for myself and for professionals.
What I’ve appreciated most about being involved in the planning for Phase 2 of the Women’s Health Plan is being able to have important conversations with women with similar priorities, but from different walks of life. Everybody was able to bring their opinion to the table and everybody listened. I enjoyed being able to have small group discussions, where we could go into depth about what could be achieved. We came up with good ideas.
That’s why it’s so important to involve lived experience in decision making and planning. If decision makers don’t have that lived experience and they’re not being told what’s wrong, how can they sort the problem?
I hope that moving forward all women, and particularly disabled women, are listened to in their health issues. That there are things in place for us to talk about how we truly feel and given time to balance our health with our busy lives and the responsibilities we have.
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