By the end of this article, you will understand the difference between equity and equality and why an equity approach is essential for effective sexuality/healthy relationships education for people with I/DD. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Equity Versus Equality: There is a Big Difference
Everyone deserves to feel accepted for who they are. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who are also LGBTQ+, acceptance can be harder to come by. This article explains the sexual right of acceptance, along with three practical ways to build understanding — plus free handouts and a Rainbow Support Group resource. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Acceptance for People With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
Pleasure — including sexual pleasure — is a normal, healthy part of life that everyone can enjoy, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). This article reframes pleasure as something to embrace rather than feel guilty about, sets a learning objective for self-advocates and the people who support them, and offers three ways to explore general pleasure, sexual pleasure, and sexual feelings. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Pleasure for People With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) deserve the knowledge and skills to help keep themselves safe. Learning about consent, boundaries, healthy relationships, and personal safety can help people recognize risks, communicate their needs, make informed choices, and advocate for themselves. This article explores why sexual safety education matters and shares practical ways to support self-advocacy, confidence, and safe relationships. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Safety, Empowering Self-Advocates to Keep Themselves Safe
Privacy is a basic human right, but people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are often denied it — especially around sexuality and relationships. This article explains how privacy gets taken away, sets a learning objective for self-advocates and professionals, and offers three ways to respect and protect privacy. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Privacy for People With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
Autonomy means self-governing — being in charge of your own life, body, mind, and relationships, and making informed decisions free of pressure. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), that right is often overlooked. This article explains what autonomy is and shares three activities to help self-advocates recognize and claim it, plus a bonus reflection for the professionals who support them. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Autonomy for People With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
Talking with your child about relationships and sexuality can feel intimidating, but staying quiet leaves them without the tools to build healthy ones. This article offers three steps: share positive messages about relationships, discuss what a romantic/sexual relationship is, and share your own values as these conversations come up. Read more about: 3 Steps to Support Children with I/DD to Have Healthy Relationships
Self-advocate Pauline Bosma shares her own story of coming out and finding acceptance, and explains why LGBTQ+ people with I/DD deserve support to express who they are. She also shares practical ways to support LGBTQ+ people with I/DD, from using the right names and pronouns to connecting them with a support network. Read more about: Supporting LGBTQ+ People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Katherine McLaughlin shares a 3-step script for teaching consent to people with I/DD: help them believe their life, mind, and body are theirs to control, explore what they want to say yes or no to, then practice putting it into words. Read more about: How to Teach Consent to People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
These webinars are part of a series that addresses self-advocate questions about relationships and sexuality. This series is a great learning opportunity for self-advocates, professionals, and paraprofessionals working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to better understand sexual health needs better. Read more about: Sex Talk for Self-Advocates Webinar Series
