THE POLITICS OF DISABILITY AND SEXUALITY: SEXUAL POLITICS OF DISABILITY

When we look at the development in many disability movements, we find that they present so many things and forget to address some of the issues that touch the lives of persons with disabilities at both individual and social level. When we address issues of employment, housing, transport and so forth we also need to talk about the issue of disability and sexuality. We don’t need to continue shying away from showing or even talking about the importance of sex to an individual. Just the way we talk of the importance of friendship and intimacy, so should we talk of the importance of sex to the disabled persons. So, if we talk of the disability rights, we need to add sex to the agenda.

 

It is very common to find that sexuality and relationships has a very low profile on any disability related topic, people overlook persons with disabilities in these vital areas of life. And we should not sit back and let it be the way it has been, we need to fight for a change in attitudes. And this affects women with disabilities than it affects the men with disabilities. In most cases we find that people in disability movements and also in the disabled people’s organizations present disability issues as an umbrella need but with a keen look, we find that indeed they are simply fighting for the needs of men with disabilities according to the relevance of the outcomes.

 

There is need to make sure that disabled people get access to public space whether from their own effort as well from their families and the society at large. We also have to make all possible efforts to end discrimination in education, employment and any other aspect of life to give the disabled an equal opportunity to meet people and also to create relationships and get a chance to exercise their sexuality in life.