Family Planning Queensland recognises International Day of People with Disability, 3 December
International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is a United Nations sanctioned day that aims to promote an understanding of people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and wellbeing. The day also seeks to increase awareness of the benefits of the integration of people with disability in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
Disability resources
Free activity books designed to enable parents, carers and professionals to support sexuality and relationships education for people with a disability. Includes activities, worksheets and picture cards to discuss topics such as bodies, public and private, puberty and decisions about sexual relationships. Worksheets and picture cards are at the end of each activity book.
Feel Safe educational CD teaches young people with learning needs about self protection by following the stories of six young people aged 12-16, who learn valuable self protection skills. There are nine games to play that encourage learning about this topic in a fun and interactive way.
Safe Relationships Safer Sex is a freely downloadable brochure for people with a learning difficulty or disability. It supports conversations about saying yes or no to sexual activity as well as being safe and happy.
Every body needs to know is FPQ’s highly acclaimed sexuality and relationships education resource for teaching people with a disability. Recently updated format includes CD or lesson plans and activities as well as 295 picture cards. A fabulous resource for educators and other professionals.
Contraception is a free brochure that describes the most common forms of contraception and uses pictures to help explain how they are used.
About Periods brochure for young women and women with a disability explains what a period is, how often they occur and provides a step by step visual guide to changing a pad or tampon. The About Periods factsheet for parents and carers is a useful addition for those wishing to explore having this conversation with a young woman or woman with a disability. Both can be downloaded from the FPQ website.
Everyone’s got a bottom is FPQ’s award winning book that helps parents and carers gently start a conversation about protecting our bodies in a respectful and age appropriate manner.
I have the right to be safe booklet for children and Feel Safe – promoting self protection factsheet for parents and carers are free to download. They offer important information to help teach and learn self protection skills.
Sexuality, relationships and disability
Family Planning Queensland (FPQ) advocates that people with a disability must be acknowledged as sexual beings, and have access to information and resources to make informed choices about their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health. It is essential that people with a disability be supported to make choices and decisions that offer the least restrictive alternative to their health and lifestyle.
View FPQ’s full position statement on sexuality and disability
Training around the state
FPQ regularly offers workshops and training to support parents, carers and professionals in learning strategies to talk about sexuality and relationships and keeping children, young people and adults with a disability safe and informed. Visit our training calendar to see what’s on. FPQ can also provide accredited training tailored to your organisation's needs. Contact us for more information.
Other service options to support parents, carers, professionals and people with a disability.
Talking about sexuality and relationships
Parents, carers and key professionals such as teachers and support workers are often best placed to provide sexuality and relationships education to people with a disability.
Learning about sexuality is a life-long process, and as a parent, carer or professional, teaching sexuality is an ongoing conversation and not just a ‘one-off’ talk about ‘the facts’. Research 1 suggests people with a disability benefit and learn more from sexuality information that is repeated and reinforced in the home, school and in support services.
One of the best ways to provide sexuality and relationships education is to share small amounts of clear, correct and positive information. It is best for this information to come from the adults in the person’s life that they know and trust. As a parent, carer or professional, you may be the person in the best position to provide assistance and respond to the needs and questions that a child, young person or adult has.
Most parents, carers and professionals recognise the importance of children, young people and adults with a disability having accurate, age-appropriate sexuality and relationships education. The important thing to remember is that it is never too early or never too late to start talking about sexuality.
FPQ encourages and supports parents, carers and professionals to work together to promote healthy attitudes and communication of sexuality issues.
1. Ballan, M. (2001). Parents as sexuality educators for their children with developmental disabilities. Siecus report, 29(3), 14-19.