The Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) is pleased to release an Accessible Pregnancy Care Planning Toolkit. This toolkit is now available on our website to support healthcare providers in addressing the unique challenges faced by pregnant individuals with physical disabilities and their families.

People with physical disabilities experience pregnancy at approximately the same rate as people without physical disabilities; however, they can encounter significant barriers when trying to access care. Some individuals with physical disabilities face increased pregnancy risks and complex care needs. To address these risks and need, an interdisciplinary approach is required, and measures can be implemented to enhance the quality of care for these individuals.

In 2023, PCMCH began collaborating with Dr. Anne Berndl and Elizabeth Jung from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Accessible Care Pregnancy Clinic to develop a toolkit for healthcare professionals caring for pregnant individuals with physical disabilities. The resources included in this toolkit were created to drive high-quality care, reduce barriers to access, and to promote inclusivity for this population.

The toolkit includes a Comprehensive Pregnancy Care Checklist and a Complex Case Conference Template. The Comprehensive Pregnancy Care Checklist can be used as a guide when considering potential aspects of care needed for individuals with physical disabilities during pregnancy. It was developed in a person-centred manner with input from people with physical disabilities, community leaders, and an interdisciplinary team of care providers. The Complex Case Conference Template is designed to guide interdisciplinary case conferences for those with medical complexity.

These resources were adapted and revised to ensure their applicability in different care settings by healthcare providers caring for pregnant individuals with physical disabilities. Recognizing that rural, remote, and community care providers may lack access to some of the resources noted in the checklist, the toolkit is designed as a guide for providers to initiate conversations and create a tailored plan for pregnancy care that that is reflective of the care needs of each pregnant individual with a physical disability.

If you have any questions, please email info@pcmch.on.ca.

‍