California State University, Long Beach
Sexuality in the Disabled
Kam Sing Kwok
HSC 425
Marty Axelson
14 April, 2016
Introduction: Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations (WHO disabilities). Disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which the person lives.
There are some myths about people with disabilities. People think men and women with disabilities don’t need sex, men and women with disabilities are "oversexed.", sex must be spontaneous and/or have a set time, men and women with disabilities can 't have 'real ' sex, men and women with disabilities are not sexually attractive, boys and girls with disabilities don 't need sexuality education, men and women with disabilities have more important needs than sex, men and women with disabilities, such as retardation, should not have children and should not be allowed to have children.(Disabled World)
People enjoy having sex with their intimate partner. Sexuality is not only a physical act of having sex but also includes our thoughts, desires, beliefs, behaviors and experiences related to sex. People
The amount of people who live with disabilities is a controversial number. Depending on what law and diagnostic tools used, a person may have a visible disability, or one that may lie beneath the surface of his or her appearance. Some people believe that the term “disability” is merely a label use to hold back, or prescribe helplessness. Meanwhile, individuals who have been properly diagnosed with disabilities struggle to maintain respect and acceptance every day. In plain language, there is a lot of misunderstanding between people with disabilities and those without. It is firstly important to get everyone on the same page regarding the definition of disability.
In “On Being a Cripple,” Nancy Mairs describes her life as a “cripple,” being treated different for her multiple sclerosis. She describes how society views her as handicapped or disabled both which are terms that the author dislikes. Her viewpoint makes readers question their own beliefs on how the terms handicapped, disabled, or cripple influences a person to think differently about each term and its meaning. One of the reasons I chose this essay was because the author shows how different terms could affect the way society thinks about a person. Mairs believes that society often judge others based on their physical appearance and use the terms handicapped, disabled, or cripple to label. She argues that the outcome of this is creates an idea where being a cripple, or being disabled is considered a taboo where you're expected to be treated differently. Mairs claims that society i
Disability can be defined in various ways, depending on the context. Most definitions acknowledge the following components: an impairment of body function or structure; activity limitation or participation restrictions. There are four broadly recognised models of disabilities which will be discussed in this paper.
The presence of medical conditions, classified as disabilities by the Americans with Disabilities Act as, “…a physical or mental impairment that
Looking back in the past, there have been many features, and true definitions of the word disability. In the 1970s a group called the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation defined disability as the disadvantage or restriction of activity cased by social organizations. U.S disability activists made efforts during the 1970s to form different alliances with the disability community, that protested for the inclusion of disability discrimination under the Rehabilitation act. Thereafter there was a medial model at looking at disability, that views disability as an individual shortfall. In
Rarely, do we find in society, the overlapping topic of sex and disability being discussed. In fact, it is hardly ever addressed because there is an underlying notion which seems to discourage such an open minded perspective from individuals. In fact, the topic of sexual intercourse itself is seemingly discouraged. However, why is that the case? Our society has been conformed to hold such restricted societal values; such that in a way, the desire for sex is shunned upon and confronted with negativity. There is also the implication of gender roles that ties into this subject. However, the subject becomes much more complex when the matter of disability ties in. Often times, those with disabilities are almost “hidden away” from topics such as
Disability in a socio-cultural context can be defined as "a barrier to participation of people with impairments or chronic illnesses arising from an interaction of the impairment or illness with discriminatory attitudes, cultures, policies or institutional practices" (Booth, 2000). The traditional view of disability often focuses on the individual, highlighting incapacities or failings, a defect, or impairment. This focus creates obstacles to participation on equal terms since an individual who seems to lack certain capacities may not be able to attain autonomy.
This paper will speak of, women with spinal cord injury (SCI) and the changes in their sexual function in both physical and emotional. For women with spinal cord injury it is common to be unsure as to whether or not they can give or receive sexual pleasure. Many of these woman experience a loss of self-satisfaction, confidence and self-worth. As time passes, women who experience spinal cord injury begin to express great appreciation for sexuality. This paper will explain the opportunities for sexual exploration among disabled women were it can be very limited. I will cover its impact on self-esteem, which in turn affects sexuality by making the tendency of a woman with a disability of some kind feel unattractive, or even less worthy of sexual
According to the Oxford Dictionary, sexuality is the capacity a person has for sexual feelings, related to the instincts, physiological processes, and physical desires and attraction. (Oxford Dictionary)
A person with a disability, or handicap, can be defined as someone with a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial or long-term adverse affect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (Employment 2). Handicap workers face many challenges in the work place that the average person overlooks. Also, many special arrangements and alterations have been made to the workplace for people with handicaps. Accessibility, transportation, workload, and salary are just some of the many issues that must be considered with the prospect of employing the handicap.
This is exemplified in the World Health Organisation definition of impairment, disability and handicap. Impairment is a physiological, psychological or anatomical abnormality, while disability is the abnormality in terms of activity and handicap is the inability to fill a normal role due to the impairment. (reference required-1) Notice the emphasis on normality and the specified cause of the
The previous chapter employs anthropological techniques and theories to understand the relationship between disability and sexuality. Few researches in anthropology were incorporated in the previous chapter that examines the way cultural values and belief system, social structure and gender expectations impact the chances of people with disabilities in sexual and marriage relationships. This chapter explores the attitudes of the non disabled people towards those with developmental disabilities like that of Cerebral palsy, the impediments that people with such disabilities in regard to their sexuality and the recommended components for special education (sex education) programs for people with developmental disabilities.
A disability is a disorder or function refereed to being considerably impaired comparative to the normal standards of a singular person or crowd. The word is used to speak of a single function, as well as bodily deficiency, sensory deficiency, mental deficiency, knowledgeable damage, intellectual disease, and other numerous categories of this prolonged illness.
Disabled people are those whose impairments, physical or mental, restrict them, affecting their daily lives, ability to cope and employment prospects. (Madden, D, 1999).
“For purposes of nondiscrimination laws (e.g. the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act), a person with a disability is generally defined as someone who (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more "major life activities," (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such an