020 - Policy and Research Workshop. Advancing Sexual Self-Advocacy for People with Disabilities

Session Submission Type: Workshop

Abstract

Many people with disabilities experience profound marginalization in multiple human rights domains, including disparities in sexual and reproductive health. There are a number of ethical considerations that have shaped how the sexuality of people with disabilities has been viewed. This workshop, in collaboration between the Sexuality & Disability Consortium of the Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD) and the University of Illinois at Chicago, will address the rights to sexual citizenship of people with disabilities and ways to advance sexual self-advocacy. Sexual citizenship is a concept that challenges us to expand our idea of sexuality to include marginalized and disenfranchised groups. While the United States has a strong tradition of disability rights, existing sexual policies and practices with regards to people with disabilities remain inadequate, underfunded and under researched. There are four goals for this workshop: 1) To understand the concept of sexual citizenship and how it applies to the disability community, 2) to identify unique barriers that marginalize people with disabilities regarding their sexual health, 3) to identify strategies to empower people with disabilities through sexual self-advocacy and to begin breaking down barriers such as stigma and oppression, and 4) to identify at least three resources for promoting sexual health among people with disabilities that can be incorporated into an action plan developed by participants.

Sub Unit

• Research/Policy Workshop

Session Organizer

• Thomas P. Horejes, DEAF Inc.

Co-Leaders

• Katie Arnold, University of Illinois-Chicago

• Linda Sandman, University of Illinois-Chicago

• Cathy Saunders, Illinois Imagines