Barriers and Solutions to Passing State Legislation to Protect the Rights of Parents With Disabilities: Lessons From Interviews With Advocates, Attorneys, and Legislators

Parents with disabilities experience discrimination within the child welfare, family law, and adoption and foster care systems. In response, there have been increasing calls for states to pass legislation prohibiting discrimination against parents with disabilities, and as of 2020, 28 states have passed or are considering such legislation. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 19 advocates, attorneys, and legislators on barriers and solutions for passing legislation to protect the rights of parents with disabilities. Participants identified three barriers: (a) legislators’ pejorative attitudes toward parents with disabilities, (b) external opposition, and (c) legislative barriers. Participants also identified eight solutions: (a) cross-disability advocacy, (b) education, (c) relationship-building, (d) bipartisanship, (e) support from state and national organizations, (f) strong sponsors, (g) incrementalism, and (h) model legislation. Study findings should help to inform ongoing legislative advocacy to protect the rights of parents with disabilities.

The determinants of the relationship between parents with physical disabilities and perinatal services: a scoping review

Because of recent medical advances and increasing advocacy for the rights of people with disabilities, more and more people with disabilities are becoming parents. Parenthood is considered a fundamental right by the United Nations, and appropriate perinatal services are an important promoting factor for positive parenting experience and practices. Despite this, access to parenthood and access to services is still hindered for parents and future parents with disabilities. This scoping review, based on eighteen (n=18) studies, provides a unique insight into the relationship between parents with physical disabilities and perinatal services.Results suggest that four main determinants influence this relationship: mothers’ needs, professionals’ characteristics, quality of relationship with professionals, and organization of services. Issues related to accessing information and the services themselves were also identified. Finally, a framework for accessibility is presented to better understand how to improve access to appropriate services for parents with physical disabilities.