Rights, sexuality and relationships in Ireland: “It’d be nice to be kind of trusted”

Résumé de l'auteur

[Authors' summary]

How to translate the right of people with intellectual disabilities to a full sexual and intimate life into proactive support remains a challenge for disabilities services in Ireland. Little formal research has been undertaken in this country into what people with intellectual disabilities think about these issues and what they would like to see happen in this area of their lives. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the first author’s PhD research into the views and experiences of a small group of Irish people with intellectual disabilities in the area of sexuality and relationships. Initial findings suggest that people with intellectual disabilities are getting insufficient sex education and that changes are needed at a disabilities service level to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities can express their sexuality in an open and supportive climate. At a government level, changes will need to be made to Irish legislation concerning the sexuality of vulnerable adults so that this country is meeting its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006). The authors argue that people with intellectual disabilities’ views must come first in all debates concerning their sexuality.

Commentaire du Centre Ressources

The document is an article extracted from a research on representation of people who have an intellectual disabilities living in Ireland about sexuality. 15 persons (7 women and 8 men) having intellectual disabilities agreed to participate, aged from 23 to 41 year old. Interviews were conducted through focus group (collective interviews). The groups were divided in two, on one side the men and on the other side the women. The document could interest professionals working in the disability field, heads of institutions, associations, relatives of people having intellectual disability, researchers. 

[Commentaire en français] 

Le document est un article issu d’une recherche sur les représentations de personnes ayant une déficience intellectuelle vivant en institution en Irlande au sujet de la sexualité. Quinze personnes (7 femmes et 8 hommes) ayant une déficience intellectuelle ont acceptées de participer, âgées entre 23 et 41 ans. Les entretiens étaient réalisés à travers des focus groupes (entretiens collectifs). Les groupes étaient divisés en deux, d’un côté les hommes et de l’autre les femmes. Le document pourra intéresser des professionnels du champ du handicap, des directeurs d’établissement, des associations, des proches de personnes ayant une déficience intellectuelle, des chercheurs.