"The Committee is concerned about barriers faced by women with disabilities in accessing services for safe abortion, owing to a lack of access to information on and services related to sexual and reproductive health rights and the limited number of clinics that provide termination of pregnancy services. The Committee also notes with concern the stigma and attitudinal barriers faced by persons with disabilities in gaining access to medical tests and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, owing to prejudices that consider persons with disabilities “asexual” and the refusal of health-care services. It is further concerned that persons with disabilities continue to face physical, financial and attitudinal barriers in accessing information and health-care services, including with regard to sexual and reproductive health and rights, and notably abortion, and that the cost of medication remains a significant obstacle.
The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Adopt measures to ensure universal coverage of health services for all persons with disabilities, including indigenous persons with disabilities, and that services are accessible, affordable and culturally sensitive, and prevent the denial of health-care services, including abortion;
(b) Take measures to provide persons with disabilities with information in accessible formats about their sexual and reproductive health;
(c) Conduct training to ensure that health-care practitioners are aware of the rights of persons with disabilities under the Convention and have the tools to provide appropriate advice for persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities;
(d) Establish special measures to ensure that people with disabilities, including transgender and gender-diverse persons with disabilities, have equal access to health services, including surgical and medical abortion services, and gender-affirming comprehensive health care."
Source document: CRPD/C/CAN/CO/1, para 45 and 46 (08/05/2017)