Help shape more inclusive cancer care for people with disability
Have your say on the INCLUDES Project, a new SMICS initiative working to reduce inequities in cancer care for people with disability.
The Inclusive Cancer Care for People with Disability and Equitable Systems (INCLUDES) Project, led by the Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS) in collaboration with Monash Health and Bayside Health, seeks to address the misalignment between disability and cancer services, which can make it difficult to provide consistent, accessible care for people living with disability who are affected by cancer.
In Australia, 4.4 million people (18% of the population) live with disability. With almost one in two Australians affected by cancer during their lifetime, many people with disability will need to access cancer services.¹
The INCLUDES Project will be co-designed with people who have lived and living experience of both cancer and disability and health professionals from the disability and cancer sectors. The project aims to develop a toolkit which will support health services to respond to accessibility needs, strengthen care coordination, and deliver more consistent, inclusive, high-quality cancer care for people with disability.
Aligned with Pillar 3 of the Victorian Cancer Plan 2024-2028², which emphasises initiatives that support optimal access to and care across the cancer pathway. The INCLUDES project contributes to efforts to improve timely and equitable access to screening and diagnostic services, with a focus on priority populations.
Share your expertise: Contribute to the INCLUDES Project by completing our survey
The INCLUDES project team is committed to learning from those who deliver care in disability and cancer services. Your expertise and insights will help inform the design of the toolkit and support the development of more inclusive approaches to cancer care.
Feedback gathered through surveys will help shape a more inclusive approach to cancer care for people with disability.
Please select and complete the survey that best fits your professional background.
Contact the INCLUDES project team
For more information about this project, please contact SMICS Senior Project Managers Jane Auchettl, Jennifer Thresher, and Claire Evans via smics@monashhealth.org.
Reference
- Cancer Council Australia n.d., Disability and Cancer Care: Introduction, Cancer Council Australia, viewed 7 September 2026, <https://www.cancer.org.au/about-us/policy-and-advocacy/treatment-care/disability/introduction>.
- Department of Health Victoria 2024, Victorian cancer plan 2024-2028, Victorian Government, Melbourne.
