PADA ONLINE SEMINAR SERIES – DISABILITY IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD

Join us for a ‘Lunch and Learn’ experience with PADA as we discuss the impact that disabilities can have on accessing the birthing system and the follow-on mental health impacts during the perinatal period

We will be exploring this topic from two angles :
– How suitable support can be provided to a person with a disability during their perinatal period through advocacy and accessibility to services.
– How to provide support to parents who receive a diagnosis early on in pregnancy, or give birth to a child with a disability.

We will be hearing from 4 amazing speakers who each have their own lived experience as well working for organisations who offer guidance and support for whānau living with a disability.

Anna Reed: Anna currently works as a Disability Rights education primary health care worker and will share her experience as a person with a disability going through the health care service for her two pregnancies.

Meredith Dyer: Meredith is the Wellington Coordinator for the organisation Parent 2 Parent and will be discussing the services it provides,the importance of focusing on enabling the Good Life Principles when talking with a patient and remembering the societal view of disability as well as the medical view point. She is also the host of podcast ‘Thats good to know’ which focuses on stories and experiences of parents/caregivers who have a disabled or neurodivergent child.

Zandra Vaccarino: Zandra is the national executive officer for the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association. She will be discussing ways to support parents who have received a Down Syndrome diagnosis through the screening process. The importance of providing non biased support and information covering all options that are available to the family. Focusing on the family experience from the moment they receive the result through to support that should be offered to them during the pregnancy and after ( such as non objective counselling).

Amy Castle: PADA General Manager, Amy will be sharing her lived experience, through a traumatic birth and the subsequent impacts of navigating motherhood with a child with disabilitites.

These seminars provide professional development for healthcare providers supporting families affected by perinatal distress related to pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenthood. When participants leave each seminar, they will better understand how these topics impact families, and strengthen their knowledge and skills to help improve perinatal outcomes.