SEXUALITY
The Spirit of Inervenors: Unlocking Doors to the
Future Conference – March 2013
Fran Odette
Agenda
 Introductions and Group Guidelines
 Getting to know one another
 What do we know about sexuality and
disability?
 Values and beliefs…how they influence how we
can be with people we are working with
 What is Sexual Support and what does that
mean for my work as an intervenor?
 Scenarios and Group Discussion
 What’s next?
Working Together
 Everyone’s Input is Valuable
 Respecting differences of Experience and
Opinion
 One conversation at a time
 Sharing the space to share with one another
 Respecting confidentiality
 Keeping to ‘I’ statements when needing
clarification and asking questions
What is Sexuality?
 “Sexuality is a central aspect of being human
throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities
and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure,
intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced
and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs,
attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and
relationships.
 While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not
all of them are always experienced or expressed.
Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological,
psychological, social, economic, political, cultural,
ethical, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors.”
World Health Organization Working Group
What to consider when supporting
someone around sexuality

Need to deliver the required information and education in the
context of real-life setting (having a chance for role plays)

Where someone has significant sensory impairment and can not
access the information through vision or hearing, consider a
‘hands-on’ approach, using prompts where needed.

Continue to look for new opportunities, new activities and
actively introduce people to build their confidence throughout
their life

Consider the ways that we learned something new that often
when there is a chance to build our confidence and skills over
time we get to know more about what we like and do not like
about what we’re learning and experiencing
Barriers

Access to Partners

Access to Accessible Sex education and information

Assumptions related to gender and sexual identity – which is not
always fixed or remains the same over a person’s life

Lack of positive, sexy role models

Sexuality is often not considered an area that intervenors should or
need to deal with because of the assumptions related to ‘asexuality’

Individual beliefs and values of those who are gatekeepers or holders
of the information

Lack of education both for the Deaf-Blind person and for the people
in their lives to begin to have conversations about sexuality
When Talking About Sex
 There is no right way to talk about sex and sexuality
 Timing is important – don’t start the conversation when
you don’t have the time during the booking because of
competing needs
 Location – having the discussion in a place that feels
comfortable and where you have privacy
 Start General, Not personal
 Clarify and ensure that you are being understood – lots of
room for misunderstanding when it comes to sexuality
 Everyone has the right to ask about sexual support but
pressuring the person to talk about it isn’t great…if they’re
not ready, they may take the cue that you are someone
they can talk with when they are ready
Sexuality and Disability
Resources

Books

Enabling Romance: A Guide to Love, Sex, and
Relationships for the Disabled, K. Kroll and E. Klien (No
Limits Communication, 2001)

Exile & Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation, E.
Clare (South End Press, 1999)

Love, Sex, & Disability: The Pleasures of Care, S.
Rainey (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2011)

Sexuality & Disability, M. Blackburn (ButterworthHeinemann, 2002)

The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability, M. Kaufman,
C. Silverberg, F. Odette (Cleis Press, 2007)
Sexuality and Disability
Resources – con’t
Websites
 Sexuality and Access Project,
http://www.sexuality-and-access.com
 Sexual Health and Disability Alliance,
http://www.shada.org.uk/
 Practical Suggestions from the Outsiders Club:,
www.practicalsuggestions.org.uk/contents.html
 About Sexuality Disability Resources,
http://sexuality.about.com/od/sex_and_disabilit
y/Sex_and_Disability.htm
General Sexuality Resources
Websites

About Sexuality: http://sexuality.about.com

Go Ask Alice! http://www.goaskalice.com

Sexuality and U.ca:
http://www.sexualityandu.ca/home_e.aspx

Scarleteen.com: http://www.scarleteen.com
Books

Good Vibrations Guide to Sex, A. Semans & C. Winks (Cleis
Press, 2002)

The Guide to Getting It On! P. Joannides. (Goofy Foot Press,
2009)

Urban Tantra, B. Carrellas. (Celestial Arts, 2007)