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As I sit in the office polishing off the remaining few dark chocolate hearts left over from Valentine’s Day, I am reminded of what this holiday means for those of us with disabilities. Our romantic and intimate feelings are as rich and complex as those of our non-disabled counterparts yet are often ignored or even discouraged. To combat this, I recommend the following resources so those of us with disabilities can learn more about ourselves, and those of you who are non-disabled can learn how to best support your friends, family members, and collogues with disabilities as they build and maintain their romantic lives in whatever way works best for them.
First up is this comprehensive booklet from the Office of Developmental Primary Care, Our Sexuality, Our Health: A Disabled Advocate’s Guide to Relationships, Romance, Sexuality and Sexual Health. This guide, written by a person with a disability, is comprehensive, covering everything from sexual education, dating, consent, accessing reproductive healthcare and family planning, all the way through to marriage and pregnancy.
The next resource is this video of a panel on LGBTQ experiences among people with disabilities from the Arc & UCP California Collaboration’s Developmental Disabilities Public Policy Conference from 2017 which highlights the specific needs and challenges faced by LGBTQ people with disabilities.
Knowledge is power, so please take the time to review these resources and remember, love is for everybody.
Christian McMahon, Communications Specialist, The Arc of California