Real Talk: Improving Quality of Sexual Health Care for Patients with Disabilities

People with disabilities are denied equal access to conversations, resources, health care, autonomy, and lived experiences relating to sexuality, sexual health, and relationships. Ableism has allowed sexual health providers, educators, parents, and others to desexualize people with disabilities – especially young people with disabilities, people with disabilities who are also LGBTQ+ or of color.

Since January, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) have operated Real Talk: Conversations and resources about sexuality for young people with disabilities and sexual health providers. Supported by a grant from the HSC Foundation, Real Talk has provided the space for young people with disabilities to create tips and resources for sexual health providers and other professionals on how they can provide inclusive, culturally-appropriate, accessible education and resources to people with disabilities.

 

Real Talk began with a series of dialogues with young people with disabilities about their experiences with sexual health providers. These dialogues culminated in the creation of a guide for sexual and reproductive health providers about inclusion and accommodations when working with this people with all types of disabilities.

Real Talk: Improving Quality of Sexual Health Care for Patients with Disabilities webinar slides are available in both PowerPoint and PDF formats.

Download the webinar slides PowerPoint

Download the webinar slides PDF

ASAN and NCIL also produced a Provider Toolkit with information about how to improve accessibility, access, and attitudes surrounding sexual health care for people with disabilties.

You can download the Real Talk Provider Toolkit here.

These resources are intended for sexual health providers, general practitioners, educators, parents, and others that work with young people with disabilities. This presentation is also likely to benefit young people with disabilities interested in understanding their rights and educating sexual health providers to be more inclusive and accessible.
Real Talk was created in partnership withNCIL logo