Attitudes Toward Disability: Impact on Sexual Development and Forging of Intimate Relationships

Abstract

This article presents an overview of research on attitudes toward persons with disabilities and discusses how these attitudes adversely affect their social status and their perceived sexuaitty. While the existence of a disability tends to evoke negative reactions and feelings of discomfort in others, these feelings and reactions vary in intensity, according to type of disability and the context in which a social interaction occurs, and in the affect they have on adults and children. For adults with disabilities, acceptance comes more readily when they are perceived as fellow employees or casual friends than when they are perceived as potential dating or marriage partners. For children with disabilities, myths concerning the asexuality of persons with disabilities in general often lead to behaviors on the part of others which result in impaired sexual development. Therefore, possible impediments to the development of a healthy sexuality and potential interventions are identified for Erikson's first six stages of psychosocial development, from infancy through young adulthood.