Abstract:This paper follows up on qualitative interviews conducted with British disabled people in 1994-6, exploring how people's lives and relationships have changed over twenty years (n = 8). The themes include imagery and identity, access to relationships, social context and attitudes. Ageing brought greater self-acceptance, and also lower salience of impairment; but for some, it also brought co-morbid chronic health issues which made life more complicated. Respondents generally felt that social attitudes to disable… Show more
“…Historically, professions such as medicine, physical rehabilitation, and special education have dominated the ways that disability has been studied and defined (Thomas, , , ; Titchkosky & Michalako, ; Watson, Roulstone, & Thomas, ). Furthermore, these professions have traditionally dominated the study of disability and sexuality (Cheng, ; Jungels & Bender, ; Liddiard, ; Shakespeare et al, ; Wentzell, ). As Shuttleworth and Mona () contend, issues related to disability and sexuality historically have been “framed in medicalized, apolitical, and individualist terms” (Shuttleworth & Mona, , para.…”
Section: Origins Of the Fieldmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…While research conducted by medical professionals has made valuable contributions to the field, the voices and experiences of disabled people have a history of being absent from this medical literature (Clare, ; Hughes, ; Shakespeare et al, ). As Shakespeare, Gillespie‐Sells, and Davies argue in their influential work, The Sexual Politics of Disability (Shakespeare et al, ), here is quite an industry producing work around the issue of sexuality and disability, but it is an industry controlled by professionals from medical, psychological and sexological backgrounds. The voice and experience of disabled people is absent in almost every case.…”
Section: Origins Of the Fieldmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Queer studies scholars draw several parallels between the experiences of LGBTQ persons and disabled people. Some of these include similarities between “coming out” as gay and “coming out” as disabled, passing as either non‐disabled or heterosexual and cisgender, and similarities between the oppressing and alienating outcomes of ableism, homophobia, heterosexism, and the various forms of discrimination they entail (McRuer, , ; McRuer & Mollow, ; O'Toole, ; Samuels, ; Shakespeare et al, ; Wilkerson, ). Moreover, historically both homosexuality and disability have been stigmatized, medicalized, pathologized, and even viewed as the result of sin or immorality (McRuer & Mollow, ; Oliver & Barnes, ; Shakespeare et al, ; Wilkerson, ).…”
Section: Origins Of the Fieldmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…220–221). As a female participant in the Shakespeare et al () fundamental study expressed, “If you are a sexually active disabled person, and comfortable with the sexual side of your life, it is remarkable how dull and unimaginative non‐disabled people's sex lives can appear” (p. 203).…”
Section: Sexual Expression and Activitymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Until a marked increase of interest and publications beginning in the late 1980s and carrying into the 1990s, sociologists, disability, and sexuality studies scholars often tended to leave the study of sexuality and disability to medical professionals and as a result neglected issues surrounding sexuality and disability (Shakespeare, 2014;Shakespeare et al, 1996;Waxman-Fiduccia, 2000). Beginning with a number of feminist texts that challenged the earlier neglect of these topics, sociologists, disability, and sexuality studies scholars began to explore various dimensions of disability and sexuality, often through compelling personal memoirs (see Abu-Habib, 1995;Appleby, 1993;Clare, 1999;Ferri & Gregg, 1998;Fine & Asch, 1988;Finger, 1990Finger, , 1992Gerschick & Miller, 1994, 1995Grealy, 1994;Hahn, 1981;Mairs, 1996;Morris, 1989Morris, , 1991Morris, , 1993O 0 Brien, 1990;Shakespeare et al, 1996;Thomas, 1999;Waxman & Finger, 1989, 1991Waxman & Gill, 1996). Unlike previous medical research on disability and sexuality, these texts focused on the lived experience of disability by prioritizing the voices and experiences of disabled people and thereby began what Sherry (2004) has dubbed the "deconstruction of the public/private divide" (p. 776) in disability-sexuality research.…”
Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, scholars have sought to advance a more nuanced and robust understanding of the sexual lives of disabled people. In doing so, these scholars have identified some of the barriers to sexual expression that disabled people face as well as some of the positive and pleasurable aspects of disabled people's sexual lives. This article reviews research regarding the sexual expression and activity of disabled people as well as some of the challenges to sexual expression that people with disabilities experience. Persons with disabilities—whether they are acquired, congenital, intellectual, physical, and/or sensorial impairments—continue to encounter alienation, stigmatization, and discrimination, particularly in terms of their sexuality. However, I argue that if proper laws, policies, and adequate supports are in place, people with disabilities can further challenge and push past these barriers to engage in a wide array of sexual and erotic acts. Furthermore, although the amount of disability‐sexuality‐related research has increased over past decades, I argue that many intersections of disability and sexuality remain under‐studied and that further research in this field is necessary.
“…Historically, professions such as medicine, physical rehabilitation, and special education have dominated the ways that disability has been studied and defined (Thomas, , , ; Titchkosky & Michalako, ; Watson, Roulstone, & Thomas, ). Furthermore, these professions have traditionally dominated the study of disability and sexuality (Cheng, ; Jungels & Bender, ; Liddiard, ; Shakespeare et al, ; Wentzell, ). As Shuttleworth and Mona () contend, issues related to disability and sexuality historically have been “framed in medicalized, apolitical, and individualist terms” (Shuttleworth & Mona, , para.…”
Section: Origins Of the Fieldmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…While research conducted by medical professionals has made valuable contributions to the field, the voices and experiences of disabled people have a history of being absent from this medical literature (Clare, ; Hughes, ; Shakespeare et al, ). As Shakespeare, Gillespie‐Sells, and Davies argue in their influential work, The Sexual Politics of Disability (Shakespeare et al, ), here is quite an industry producing work around the issue of sexuality and disability, but it is an industry controlled by professionals from medical, psychological and sexological backgrounds. The voice and experience of disabled people is absent in almost every case.…”
Section: Origins Of the Fieldmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Queer studies scholars draw several parallels between the experiences of LGBTQ persons and disabled people. Some of these include similarities between “coming out” as gay and “coming out” as disabled, passing as either non‐disabled or heterosexual and cisgender, and similarities between the oppressing and alienating outcomes of ableism, homophobia, heterosexism, and the various forms of discrimination they entail (McRuer, , ; McRuer & Mollow, ; O'Toole, ; Samuels, ; Shakespeare et al, ; Wilkerson, ). Moreover, historically both homosexuality and disability have been stigmatized, medicalized, pathologized, and even viewed as the result of sin or immorality (McRuer & Mollow, ; Oliver & Barnes, ; Shakespeare et al, ; Wilkerson, ).…”
Section: Origins Of the Fieldmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…220–221). As a female participant in the Shakespeare et al () fundamental study expressed, “If you are a sexually active disabled person, and comfortable with the sexual side of your life, it is remarkable how dull and unimaginative non‐disabled people's sex lives can appear” (p. 203).…”
Section: Sexual Expression and Activitymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Until a marked increase of interest and publications beginning in the late 1980s and carrying into the 1990s, sociologists, disability, and sexuality studies scholars often tended to leave the study of sexuality and disability to medical professionals and as a result neglected issues surrounding sexuality and disability (Shakespeare, 2014;Shakespeare et al, 1996;Waxman-Fiduccia, 2000). Beginning with a number of feminist texts that challenged the earlier neglect of these topics, sociologists, disability, and sexuality studies scholars began to explore various dimensions of disability and sexuality, often through compelling personal memoirs (see Abu-Habib, 1995;Appleby, 1993;Clare, 1999;Ferri & Gregg, 1998;Fine & Asch, 1988;Finger, 1990Finger, , 1992Gerschick & Miller, 1994, 1995Grealy, 1994;Hahn, 1981;Mairs, 1996;Morris, 1989Morris, , 1991Morris, , 1993O 0 Brien, 1990;Shakespeare et al, 1996;Thomas, 1999;Waxman & Finger, 1989, 1991Waxman & Gill, 1996). Unlike previous medical research on disability and sexuality, these texts focused on the lived experience of disability by prioritizing the voices and experiences of disabled people and thereby began what Sherry (2004) has dubbed the "deconstruction of the public/private divide" (p. 776) in disability-sexuality research.…”
Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, scholars have sought to advance a more nuanced and robust understanding of the sexual lives of disabled people. In doing so, these scholars have identified some of the barriers to sexual expression that disabled people face as well as some of the positive and pleasurable aspects of disabled people's sexual lives. This article reviews research regarding the sexual expression and activity of disabled people as well as some of the challenges to sexual expression that people with disabilities experience. Persons with disabilities—whether they are acquired, congenital, intellectual, physical, and/or sensorial impairments—continue to encounter alienation, stigmatization, and discrimination, particularly in terms of their sexuality. However, I argue that if proper laws, policies, and adequate supports are in place, people with disabilities can further challenge and push past these barriers to engage in a wide array of sexual and erotic acts. Furthermore, although the amount of disability‐sexuality‐related research has increased over past decades, I argue that many intersections of disability and sexuality remain under‐studied and that further research in this field is necessary.
Despite research indicating evidence‐based sexual health education results improved student outcomes, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) do not typically receive sexual health education. While school psychologists possess skills that could contribute to sexual health education for students with I/DD, there is no existing research on this topic. To address this, we conducted a survey of school psychologists in a state in the Southeastern United States regarding their attitudes, perceptions of social norm and self‐efficacy, and training and familiarity in regard to sexual health education for students with I/DD. The survey's focus and design were guided by the Reasoned Action Approach. Data collection and analyzes addressed (a) the underlying structure and internal consistency of our survey's scales; (b) school psychologists' level of training, knowledge, and beliefs about implementing sexual health education programs with students with I/DD; and (c) the relationship between school psychologists' previous training, knowledge, and beliefs and their implementation of and advocacy for sexual health education for students with I/DD. Descriptive statistics, principal component analyzes, and multiple regression were used to summarize the data and address the research questions. Data from the multiple regression analysis indicated that a significant amount of the variance in participants' implementation/advocacy scores was explained by attitude, social norms, behavioral control/self‐efficacy, and training/familiarity. Our findings suggest that school psychologists' engagement in implementation of and advocacy for sexual health education for students with I/DD can be influenced by level of training and knowledge and perceived capability and behavioral control.
In this chapter, we will explore the intersections of disability and masculinity. We will look at how disability influences how men are viewed by others, and how men with disabilities view themselves as masculine and as sexual beings. We also look at the influence of culture on masculinity in the South African context. We draw on existing research knowledge, as well as the pictures and personal stories of some of the male participants in our research project.
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