Feature Issue on Sexuality and Gender Identity for People with Intellectual, Developmental, and Other Disabilities

Resources

Toolkits and Guides for Sexuality and Gender Identity Education

A circular ring on a blue background is divided into equal sections featuring different aspects of sexuality, such as pleasure, reproductive health, relationships, and gender identity.

Your Sexual Health Toolkit

This guide from Project SHINE offers accessible tools and information about bodies and sexuality. It also contains real stories about sexuality to go with the educational information.

Graphic silhouettes of three couples (two women, a man and woman, and two men appear under words forming an arc. The first letters of each word spell the word Rainbow: Respect; Always appreciate; Independent; Nurture; Believe; Optimistic; Wonderful.

Our Lives, Our Choices, Our Rights!

This Rainbow Support Group guidebook provides advice and information for understanding the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ people with IDD. Written by self-advocates, it tells family members, service providers, and other supporters everything they need to know to show allyship.

Human Rights Campaign: Glossary of Terms

This glossary provides definitions for common terms relating to LGBTQ+ identities in plain language.

Sex Ed for Self-Advocates

This guide from the Organization for Autism Research covers sexuality and sex education, and is written specifically for people with autism age 15 and up. It contains nine sections on different topics about relationships and sexuality, each containing articles, videos, and brief quizzes.

Supporting LGBTQ+ Individuals with I/DD: Cheat Sheet

This “cheat sheet ” from Elevatus Training is a guide for supporting LGBTQ+ people with IDD and what to say during difficult and important conversations about identity.

Our Rights Our Future

This brochure , created by Green Mountain Self-Advocates, explains what sexual self-advocacy can mean and what self-advocates want allies and supporters to understand.

Relationships and Sexuality: A Handbook For and By Autistic People

This handbook , produced by Autism NOW and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, was written by and for people with autism to discuss topics about sexuality in a frank and honest way.

What is a Sexually Healthy Person?

This handout from Elevatus Training provides a checklist of characteristics and information that a sexually healthy person should learn more about.

Sexual Rights Statement

This statement from the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission defines and provides examples of statements of rights around sexual health and sexuality.

Videos, Webinars, and Workshops for Sexuality and Gender Identity Education

Going Upstream: How To Get Legislation Passed in Support of Sexuality Education

This 90-minute recorded workshop from Elevatus Training is for professionals, self-advocates, and sexuality educators who wish to advocate for state-mandated sexuality education for people with disabilities.

Sex Ed for People with I/DD

This resource from the National Council on Independent Living features 10 videos about various sex education topics, including consent, puberty, sexuality and gender, and more. The videos are created by and for people with IDD.

Sex Talk for Self-Advocates

This webinar series from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities answers self-advocates' questions about relationships and sexuality.

Panel: Supporting the Sexual Health and Rights of Young People with a Variety of Disabilities

Self-advocates and sex educators who work with people with disabilities discuss how they use resources from Amaze, a global provider of online sex and gender identity education.

Family Resource Centre Online Workshops: Sexuality, Gender Identity, and Intimacy

This 20-minute workshop from Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, Ontario is designed for parents of teens with IDD and covers how to educate and talk about the important topics of sexuality, gender identity, and intimacy.

Other Resources for Sexuality and Gender Identity Education

The cover of a light yellow brochure features a large red flower.

In Their Own Words: Guidelines for Supporting the Sexual Health of Young People Experiencing Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

This report from the Sexual Health Equity for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Resource Hub offers guidelines for supporting the sexual health of young people with IDD.

Healthy Understanding of our Bodies

This resource hub from the Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham contains access to information, books, videos, teaching materials, and websites about sexual health for people with disabilities.

GULP! Newsletter: Talking With Your Kids About Sexuality

This newsletter from Elevatus Training provides educational information and tips for talking about sexuality and relationships for parents of people with IDD.

The LowDOWN Podcast – Love is Love: Down Syndrome and Sexuality and Down Syndrome and Sexuality: Your Questions Answered

These two podcast episodes from the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation discuss dating, relationships, and sexuality for people with disabilities. In the Questions Answered segment , host Andrea Lee addresses sex and relationship questions from listeners. See also: Lee’s article in this issue of Impact.

Down for Love

This reality TV show follows several people with Down syndrome as they navigate relationships, sexuality, and dating. The show can be streamed on Netflix.

Disability After Dark Podcast

This podcast , created by self-advocate Andrew Gurza, shines a light on stories of disability and sexuality. It can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.