Voices from the Margins – People with Disabilities on Desire

Elevatus is more than a training facility for sexual health competency for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities; it is a wealth of resources. The Elevatus newsletter is always full of free sexual health resources and goodies and this week’s newsletter is no exception. Click on the button below to access “Listening to Self-Advocates Voices: How Shameful, Negative Messages, and Fear-Based Sexuality Education Puts People At Risk”

Hear from Self-Advocates on Desire

Please read the Elevatus article and if you can, track down the original article  Restrictions, Power, Companionship, and Intimacy: A Metasynthesis of People with Intellectual Disability Speaking About Sex and Relationships by Rhonda S. Black and Rebecca R. Kammes, (Intellect Dev Disabil. 2020 Feb;58(1):65-81), pass it on!

Check Out the Article

Credit

Post written by  Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams, Prevention Specialist, Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV), cwilliams@icadvinc.org.

Webinar 9: Sex and Sense Ability: Disability, Sexuality, and Available Adaptations

Description

When we challenge assumptions and acknowledge that people with disabilities can and often are people with sexual desires, we grant people with disability agency over their bodies and desires. Sex and pleasure are accessible to everyone with some creativity and an open mind. In this jam packed session we will hit on a multitude of topics related to sex and sexuality from practical adaptations, conversations with caregivers, navigating partnerships, body positivity and sex surrogacy. Sexual desire is a spectrum for us all, including people with disabilities. It’s time we talk about how we talk about sex, sexuality, desire and intimacy. From social media movements like #disabledpeoplearehot and #babewithmobilityaid to discussions with doctors and other service providers, the discussion is happening all around us. Join Em Mais and Skye Kantola as they share a queer inclusive perspective on navigating this complex topic. Everyone (over 18) and ready to engage openly is welcome and encouraged to attend! CC coming soon!

Webinar Outline
  • 5-10 minutes: Housekeeping & introductions
  • 20 minutes: Accessibility & Aids
  • 20 minutes: Communication & Sexuality
  • 10 minutes: Technology & Resources
  • 10 minutes: Q & A
Presenters
  • Em Mais (they/them), Disability Advocate, Researcher, and Undergraduate Student at Indiana University
  • Skye Ashton Kantola (she and they), Program Coordinator, Multicultural Efforts to End Sexual Assault, kantola@purdue.edu
  • Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams (she/her, Tech Moderator), Prevention Specialist, Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
  • Note: Lane Banister and Em Mais originally created this curriculum and Em and Skye made some modifications to the curriculum for today’s webinar.

Closed Captions & Transcript created by Skye Ashton Kantola, MESA Program Coordinator

Co-Sponsors

Consent Resources for People with Cognitive and Developmental Disabilities

What do we mean when we say consent? Do we mean empowered decision making, a legal exchange, or what? Here are a few ways to look at it. Find the entire discussion about consent in the 2018 webinar series, webinar #2.

  • Autonomy/Agency (empowerment) 
  • Self-determination; i.e., my decisions impact what happens to me and the world around me;
  • Possible for everyone through supported decision making;
  • Power is located within the individual and executed through the individual’s decisions;
  • Power is shared in the mutuality of equitable sexual decision making.
  • (Legal) Consent
  • Requires competency and capacity in sexual decision making
  • Legal and medical systems interact to enact decision making power (system over individual)
  • Comprehensive culturally affirming sexual health education not required in every state, but competency is always required for legal sexual consent

Culturally Affirming Healthy Sexuality Resources

Pre-screen individuals using trauma-informed processes as a sexual consent tool can trigger trauma-related memories.  Healthy sexuality classes are part of comprehensive violence prevention efforts that include organizational assessments and policy changes as necessary to support health and wellness for all people. 

Credit

Post written by Cierra Olivia Thomas Williams, Prevention Specialist at Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence  

Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP), Virginia Commonwealth University

Applied researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have developed and are evaluating a healthy relationships program for people with intellectual and development disabilities called Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP).  The four-session program (and a one-session abbreviated version) was developed using Universal Design Principles and is co-facilitated by a person with a disability and a support person without a disability.  Researchers have been developing and testing participant outcome measures with a pre-test, post-test, and a 3 month follow up. Evaluation was initially in a paper-pencil format but has been moved to video vignette format. Implementation fidelity procedures include an observer checklist (and comments) to ensure consistency of the delivery of the curriculum across the facilitators.  Over 600 people have participated in LEAP.  Researchers are continuing rigorous outcome evaluation of the program in part due to an OVW Research & Evaluation grant they received for the through 2022.

Read More About LEAP

Credit

Post written by Cierra Olivia Thomas Williams, Prevention Specialist at Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence