Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 102848

Coordinator George Turner Opens in new window

Description This subject introduces students to the mutual fields of sexuality studies and disability studies by employing the critical lenses of queer, disability, and feminist theory to interrogate the privileging and ownership by mainstream culture of sex. By illuminating how people with physical, emotional, and cognitive disabilities experience romance, love, emotional intimacy and physical connection, students will explore how insufficient sexuality supports create diminished agency, excessive vulnerability, lack of access and "otherness" for disabled people. Students will ground their critical thinking by examining how they have constructed sexuality and disability norms based on their values, beliefs and views of these two intersecting and often taboo topics. Students will be encouraged to appreciate the importance of sexuality in the lives of people with disabilities and view the expression of our sexuality, sexuality agency, and access to sexual health as a basic human right.

School Social Sciences

Discipline Care for the Disabled

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Distinguish relevant concepts including sexual literacy, sexual justice and sexual voice within sexuality and disabilities scholarship.
2. Critically reflect on comfort, skills and knowledge through the lens of sexuality and disability.
3. Evaluate the sexuality model, such as the Circles of Sexuality as it applies to sexuality in everyday life for people with disabilities.

Subject Content

The Circles of Sexuality - an integrative, holistic practice model of sexual health.
Sexual justice & activism ? scholarly and professional approaches to sexuality as a human right.
Role of sexual well-being advocates ? Embracing frameworks of strengths, perspective and positive sexuality to support clients with a disability.
Countering the medicalisation of disability and reproduction-focus of sexuality.