AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Soon girls and women who have disabilities in the Panhandle will be able to access a program that will provide them with more health education.
Panhandle Breast Health and Uniting Parents have partnered together to create a curriculum targeting girls and women in the Panhandle.
“What we found out, there wasn’t a lot of research on women or young girls with disabilities,” said Maria Garcia, M. Ed., program director for Uniting Parents, Coalition of Health Services, Inc.
COVID-19 has put a pause to starting the health educational program because most of the girls and women involved have disabilities that put them at higher risk for catching the disease.
“I think one of the major reasons we decided to target young girls with disabilities is because that is a part of our population that maybe does not get as much access to education and training as the neurotypical population. Not saying the girls aren’t exposed to it, but it may be that they need additional training,” said Garcia.
The organization says those with disabilities often find it difficult to learn about other health circumstances because they are more focused on dealing with their primary condition.”
The program is split into two different age groups.
One is for young girls ages 12 through 20 that focuses on teaching them about what changes happen to their body when adulating.
“We’re just helping support that conversation. Finding those teachable moments that this is normal, this is something that happens to all women and it’s not something that happens because of disability,” said Garcia.
The other age group is for women ages 40 plus to learn more about their breast and cervical health.
“Women with disabilities have a lower screening rate than those without... We we’re interested in reaching out to provide breast health information and connection with services when needed and when eligible so we can empower women with education to become more responsible for themselves, and early detection is key to survival,” said Leticia Goodrich, founder and executive director of Panhandle Breast Health.
Uniting Parents plans to start having in-person training starting next month and Panhandle Breast Health will provide a Zoom opportunity at the end of April for women who want to learn more.
Visit the Uniting Parents website for more information or you can give them a call at (806) 337-1700 for more questions.
Click here to be directed to the Panhandle Breast Health website for more on what they offer. You can also give them a call at (806) 331-4710 for more questions.