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Dear John,
Everyone has the right to make decisions about their own body and health. But for people with disabilities, that right is often denied by health systems that ignore their needs and exclude them by design.

Our work in Nigeria is just one example of how we’re advancing disability-inclusive reproductive health care ([link removed]) . We’re training health providers, supporting health centers to become more accessible, and building community support for all people’s right to access services like contraception and abortion.

Munira Ibrahim Saleh is one woman who’s experienced the lifechanging impacts of our work firsthand. She graciously invited us along to a health appointment to show us why inclusive care matters, and we’re proud to share that story with you today:
Munira is pursuing a master’s degree at Nigeria’s Gombe State University. She also works as a program officer for the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities—an organization in Gombe State trained in disability-inclusive reproductive health care by Ipas and our local partner SAIF Advocacy Foundation.

Here Munira waits in the lobby of a local health center for her appointment. As a woman with a disability, Munira has experienced firsthand the challenges of seeking reproductive health care in a system not built for her or others like her.

“There was a time I went to the hospital while I was pregnant,” Munira recounts. “A nurse told me if I wouldn’t stand up, she wouldn’t take my blood pressure. I was heavily pregnant at the time. They don’t have knowledge on how to assist a person with a disability. Rather, they will be questioning why you decided to get pregnant in the first place.”
Health provider Hannatu Tila greets Munira in the lobby of the local health center. When women with disabilities receive compassionate care from providers like Hannatu who understand their unique needs, they experience fewer barriers to essential care like abortion and contraception, leading to healthier, more autonomous lives.

Hannatu Tila takes time to understand Munira’s disability and how it affects her health concerns. Without special considerations like this, people with disabilities can face a range of additional obstacles to quality care, such as lack of interpreters, inaccessible buildings, and assumptions about their competence or morality.

“Some people, like those who are blind, are told that since they can’t see, they can’t follow directions,” Munira says. “Deaf people can’t communicate with hospital staff, because there are no interpreters. Someone who can’t speak might come in with stomach pain, but because they can’t express it, they’re misdiagnosed with something like malaria.”

After her appointment, Munira leaves the health center without having to navigate difficult stairs. She returns home after a respectful, barrier-free medical visit, ready to take on her next task.

After more than three years of trainings and community programs for disability-inclusive care by Ipas and SAIF Advocacy Foundation, Munira says the health-care experiences of people with disabilities in Gombe State are improving. Health center infrastructure is more accessible, and people with disabilities are getting the specialized care they need.

“We’ve really had a lot of changes. And those barriers and gaps have reduced drastically,” Munira says.

Back home, Munira feeds her family’s goats. With inclusive and accessible care, Munira’s medical appointments are just another part of her day.

“Some places still don’t understand our value,” Munira says. “But when hospitals know what to do for us, it eases our pain.”
At Ipas, we believe that reproductive justice—for Munira and so many women like her—is impossible without disability justice too. We invite you to learn more about how we’re advancing disability-inclusive reproductive health care ([link removed]) .
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