Here at Scarleteen we view being a sexual person and having a disability, or two or three, as just as normal as any other human variation.
We also know, though, that there isn’t a lot of disability-positive material out there, and even less material related to sex ed.
As an educator and advocate of healthy sexuality, who also has some disabilities, I think it’s pretty important for people to have accurate information, but also to see themselves and their experiences included in the conversations we have about sexuality.
We get a lot of negative, or vague messages about sex, and people with disabilities often get left out of the conversation completely. Both topics—sexuality and disability—have loads of social and psychological complexities around them. So, I’ve put together a list of resources that put people with various kinds of disabilities smack dab back in the middle of the conversation.
You’ll notice that a lot of the information is the same as the standard material on sex and relationships, including topics like self-esteem, body image , and contraception . There are more similarities than differences when it comes to the way people with disabilities experience sex and relationships, but there are enough differences that we need to start talking about them.
Books:
- The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability: For All of Us Who Live with Disabilities, Chronic Pain, and Illness
- Queer Crips: Disabled Gay Men and Their Stories
- The Sexual Politics of Disability: Untold Desires
by Tom Shakespeare, Kath Gillespie-Sells and Dominic Davies Out of print, but well worth the read if you can find a copy.) - Exile & Pride: Disability, Queerness and Liberation
At Scarleteen:
- Disabled Sex Yes!
- Intercourse and Pleasure with a Spinal Cord Injury
- Depression has sapped my libido. Will it ruin my relationship?
- Body and Sexuality Disconnects with Disability
- Disability Dharma: What Including and Learning From Disability Can Teach Everyone About Sex
- No Big Deal: Sex And Disability
- How Can I give my Sister a Good Sex Education?
- Sex Not Working
- Can I start dating when I have a mental illness?
Other Sites and Organizations:
- Disability and Body Image (from Outsiders)
- Self-Advocates Speak Up About Sex
- blindness and sexuality
- Myths About Sex and Disability
- Deaf Queer Resource Center
- Sins Invalid: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility
- An Interview with Eli Clare: The Challenge of Difference
- Sexual Health Education for AAC users
- Speak UP: Safeguarding People Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Against Sexual Abuse/Victimization
- Sexual Vocabulary Lists for People Who Use Augmentative And Alternative Communication (AAC) devices
- Sex and Disability Barriers
- Talking About Sex and Relationships: The Views of Young People with Learning Disabilities (pdf file)
- Ask Alice: How can Boyfriend With Cerebral Palsy Get IN Touch With His Body?
- Ask Alice: Sex and Disabilities
- Sexual Vocabulary Terms IN Sign Language
- Sex Education for Physically Disabled Teenagers
- Sexual Side Effects of Medications
- Sexual Health and Disability Alliance
- Queer Disability Conference 2002
- GimpGirl
Do you have a resource to share?
Email us and we’ll add it to the list.