Disability and sexuality: stories from South Africa

The Disability and Sexuality Project explores the prevailing myths and attitudes towards the sexuality of people with physical disabilities in South Africa. There is an increasing recognition that sexual health is a human right, yet, research evidence suggests that people with disabilities may be generally excluded from living fully sexual and sexually healthy lives. A major social barrier previously identifi ed is the assumption that persons with disabilities (such as physical disabilities) are asexual, and thus not perceived as sexual persons.

The Disability and Sexuality Project is a collaborative, creative research project that aims to:

1. Investigate the attitudes of the general population towards the sexuality of people with disabilities in South Africa;
2. Explore the experiences of stigma and barriers to fulfi lling sexual relationships among people with disabilities in South Africa;
3. Raise public awareness about the intersection between disability stigma and sexuality;
4. The Disability and Sexuality Project was made possible by funding from the International Foundation of Applied Disability Research (www.firah.org)

The website presents some of the work that has been conducted, and includes details about was done; photographs and personal stories of people with physical disabilities themselves, short documentary videos, and publications related to the project.

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The project was conducted by:

• Dr Poul Rohleder, School of Psychology, University of East London, United Kingdom
• Mr Mussa Chiwaula, Director General of the Southern African Federation of the Disabled, Botswana
• Prof Leslie Swartz; Department of Psychology; Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Dr Stine Hellum Braathen; SINTEF Technology and Society, Department of Health Research; Norway
• Dr Mark Carew, School of Psychology, University of East London, United Kingdom
• Ms Xanthe Hunt, Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa