Sexuality & Disability Survey seeks critical feedback from SCI community

The needs of people with disabilities around sexuality, reproductive health, and sexual expression are consistently neglected. Young people with disabilities are left out of sex education classes. People with disabilities are often stereotyped as not having sexual feelings or desires, or as being unable to "have sex.” All of this causes people with disabilities to be overlooked as potential partners or to be perceived as not needing access to sexual and reproductive health care.

And in those instances, when the sexual needs of people with disabilities are acknowledged, the broader culture’s general discomfort with sex complicates the possibility of getting support for self-pleasure or partner sex from caregivers and attendants.

What are the actual experiences of people with disabilities related to sexuality?  What do people with disabilities need and want to have access to for full sexual expression?

The Bay Area Sexuality and Disability Network (BASDN) has partnered with Stanford University School of Medicine's WELL For Life program to create a survey assessing the experiences of people with disabilities related to sexuality.  Many months have been spent fine tuning the survey with Stanford to make sure it captures enough data to truly understand the experiences and needs of people with disabilities. Once analyzed by Stanford, the data will be used to secure funding with which BASDN can begin to address the needs of the community as identified through the survey. This is the first time any organization has collected and evaluated this type of information and your participation is critical to the success of the effort.

Complete the survey HERE by Sept. 22nd.