SUNDAY 7TH JUNE, 2015 – UWI TODAY
17
Towards Social Integration: Rights, Roles, Recognition of Persons with Disabilities Conference
There is widespread misconception
that disabled
people have no sexual attractions or urges, cannot perform
sexually, are sexually irresponsible or are oversexed. This
leads to a tendency to infantilize the disabled embodiment,
denouncing sexual curiosity, and inadequate sexual health
services. All of which indicate the deficit embedded in
the social values towards disabled people and the false
dependency notion that those with impaired bodies are
incompetent, passive beings of whom things must be done
for, and to.
Symptomatic of the way that the rights to full citizenship
are denied for disabled people, is the widespread prevalence
of sexual oppression and exploitation with disabled women
being assaulted, raped and abused twice as much as non-
disabled women, and the more disabled the woman the
greater her risk of being assaulted (Cusitar 1994, Simpson
& Best 1991, Sobsey 1998). Sexuality is the second most
important human drive after survival (Owens De Than
2015) yet so many are afraid to speak openly about it. But as
the incidents of sexual and intimate abuse are so prevalent
isn’t it time for frank discussions and risk reduction actions
on this silent taboo?
Below is just a snapshot of what some disabled people
have experienced:
Joyce a 21 year old with severe physical impairments
was plied with alcohol and raped by a neighbour. The police
officers refused to take further action because according
to them “she can’t understand what happen to she, she
retarded.” The only villager to chastise the perpetrator was
Simon the parent of a disabled son.
Four siblings who had been raped were taken into
a home for displaced youngsters. The matron found the
13 year old masturbating and relayed that she “beat the
nastiness out of him and send him to bed without food as
punishment.”
Carol’s family take her to weekly prayers. The Pastor
squeezes her breasts and genital area because he believes
she has a sex demon.
So who are the abusers? Perpetrators are people we
know and trust, they live in and amongst us, are the people
we work and socialise with – according to the Out of the
Shadows 2011 Report, 97% to 99% of victims know their
perpetrators.
The consequences of sexual exploitation range from
unwanted pregnancies, to emotional distress leading to
misuse of drink or drugs, destructive behaviours and
suicide. It carries a degree of shame and guilt where some
victims believe that they may have enjoyed the experience
thus creating mistrust and in some instances destroys
families. As a result, it is clear that more needs to be done
to safeguard, protect, educate and support disabled people.
But try as we might, resisting the conversations only
increases the vulnerability of our disabled population.
Although Trinidad and Tobago is intending to ratify the
UNCRDP shortly there needs to be widespread awareness
raising in all sectors and robust sex education for the entire
population that addresses gender stereotypes, cultural
sexualisation leading to a cultural change that develops and
promotes positive healthy sexual behaviours.
One perpetrator said he took advantage of the victim’s
lack of mobility demonstrating that the sexual exploitation is
also about vulnerability and opportunity.These can be done
Toward s S o c ia l I nt e gr at i on
Sexual Oppression
and
Exploitation
B y D r Y a n s i e R o l s t o n
This is a modified version of a paper presented by
Dr Yansie Rolston
at a conference hosted by
The UWI Network and Outreach for Disability Education and Sensitization (NODES) and the Disability Studies Unit (DSU)
, UWI, St Augustine on April 23 and 24, 2015.
The conference theme was
“Towards Social Integration: Rights, Roles, Recognition of Persons with Disabilities.”
hand in hand with a number of risk reduction measures
while simultaneously addressing the social ills that are
harbouring the perpetrators.
Disability sexuality should be a specific theme within
overall sex education, disability strategies, and crime and
violence prevention processes together as part of a multi-
partnership approach to the social and structural barriers
that prevent disabled people from accessing services. There
needs to be investment in accessible services that responds
to the needs of disabled people, that includes quality sexual
health care in accessible formats – easy to read, simple
English, large print, electronic text, braille – and the needs
of disabled people ought to be catered for in HIV/AIDS
systems.There should also be independent scrutiny of social
care institutional settings and robust reporting frameworks
that ensure justice will be exercised and hefty sanctions
imposed.
On a more individual level here are a few tips:
Be mindful of one’s own sexual behaviours. A group of
adult women were seen gyrating on a young teenager while
others laughed and joked about it.
Look, listen and take action.
Encourage consent and feelings of discomfort
conversations about the body and touch, remembering the
mouth is also an orifice for sexual abuse.
Do not compromise freedom and sexual autonomy but
encourage safe, healthy consensual relationships and allow
opportunities to share experiences.
