ACCESS ISN’T OPTIONAL: Sexuality and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

In a society that prefers institutionalizing and warehousing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), many IDD people have been viewed in a binary when it comes to sexuality. They are either viewed as asexual and not deserving of education and access regarding sex or seen as hypersexual simply for having a sexuality; many times, they are denied the ability to explore this facet of themselves, which is a basic human right. This chapter will explore some of the challenges of providing this population with capacity-appropriate, accessible, consent-informed, and inclusive sex education while also helping to navigate ableist laws and harmful attitudes and support in disability-aware and engaged spaces.