Sex and Disability 101

Sex and Disability 101 Video

Video Transcript

ALANNA RAFFEL: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Sex and Disability 101 presented by the Institute on Disabilities and TechOWL at the College of Ed and Human Development at Temple University. Photo is two people wearing masks walking outside. 

So in this presentation today, we'll be having a few accessibility features. So one is image descriptions. We always describe the photos on our slide. That's because we don't know if someone in the audience may be blind or have low vision or just wants to hear details about the pictures on our slide. So there's someone using their phone with a screen reader. 

We have picture-in-picture ASL interpretation, and we'll have captions available throughout this presentation. So someone's signing on a Zoom and a photo of YouTube video with captions. So, we really want this work and this content to be accessible to everyone, to as many people as possible. 

If there's something that you need to be able to access this content, please let us know. We'll make sure that you have our contact information so you can reach out to us. If there's something that you need to make this content more accessible to you, please, please let us know so we can make sure to get that to you. 

All right. So a brief content warning for our information today. We'll be discussing sexuality, sex toys and devices, sensitive topics related to sexuality and disability. So please take care of yourself. You can pause this presentation at any time-- that's the beauty of this recorded content, so you can pause it and restart when you are ready to learn more. 

Our agenda today is that we'll be talking about healthy sexuality, assistive technology, and then we'll do a wrap-up, and we'll share a survey that we would love for you to respond to. 

What are our learning objectives? What do we hope that you get out of this? So we hope this helps you address the unique challenges and needs related to sexuality and disability utilizing assistive technology as appropriate. We hope that you'll be able to demonstrate effective communication techniques when discussing consent and sensitive topics around sexuality. 

And we hope that you'll be able to integrate knowledge of assistive technology options that can empower sexuality and intimacy for people with disabilities. All right. I want to introduce you to our presenters today. So first, I'll pass it over to Izzy. 

IZZY KAUFMAN: Hi, everyone. I'm Izzy Kaufman. My pronouns are she/they. I'm a sexuality educator and work as a Program Coordinator at the Institute on Disability. My picture is I'm sitting in a wheelchair holding a microphone, speaking at Bucks County Community College. 

NOVA MCGIFFERT: Hi, everyone. My name is Nova McGiffert. I am the Healthy Sexuality Project Coordinator at the Institute on Disability. And I-- my photo is a close-up of me smiling. I have brown and gray hair and earrings. I'm a white queer woman and I'm glad to be here. 

TOM DIAGOSTINO: Hello, everyone. My name is Tom DiAgostino. My pronouns are he/him. I am a white cis male with short brown hair. In the picture, I have a ball cap on. I am the Senior Assistive Technology Program Coordinator at the TechOWL program through the IOD. And I'm really happy to share with you about different assistive devices around sexuality. 

IZZY KAUFMAN: The Institute on Disabilities-- that's Pennsylvania's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. We're at Temple University. We provide education, research, and services, and work mostly with the community outside of Temple University, but we have a lot of student workers and interns. And we have a student program for people with developmental disabilities to come and have a college experience. 

And you can-- every state has a university center. So you can find your state university center of disability on here, www.aucd.org. And we also, under this Institute on Disabilities, we host a Healthy Sexuality Project where we provide holistic sexuality education for disabled people, families, professionals in PA, anyone who wants to learn about disability and sexuality in a more holistic and comprehensive way. And you can contact us at iod@temple.edu. 

ALANNA RAFFEL: All right. And a little bit about TechOWL, which serves as Pennsylvania's Assistive Technology Act program. So we do all kinds of things throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania related to assistive technology. If you're not in Pennsylvania but you live in the US, you can find your state program at at3center.net/state-at-programs. And we'll make sure to put all these links available to you. But all of the programs, all of the state assistive technology programs do lots of things related to assistive technology. So do check out your state program. 

IZZY KAUFMAN: OK, so we're going to be talking a little bit about disability and language, because language is how we understand things. And I know we all have different kind of opinions, but we're going to be using two kinds of language today. You'll hear us use it interchangeably. Identity-first language. 

So identity-first language is disability is a part of who we are. It's a part of our identity and identity that connects us to people, to a community, culture, and a history. That's my preferred language, but I also totally respect if anyone wants to use person-first language, which is disability is something that a person has rather than who they are. So it could be like a person with a disability as opposed to a disabled person. And then on the right side of the screen is the Demystifying Disability, What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally By Emily Ladau book. 

All right, so now we're going to chat a little bit about healthy sexuality and talk about what it might look like and how we can model it in the world. This is a model that was based on another circles of sexuality. And really, this is a way to talk about sexuality as a whole life experience in a holistic way. 

So we have five different circles, but in the middle of all of these circles and interchanging with each circle is power and agency. So we can't ignore consent in the middle of all the other parts of our lives. There's the sensuality circle with a brain icon. The intimacy circle with a hug icon. Sexual orientation and gender identity with a person and a little question mark. sexual and reproductive health is a heart with a plus sign. sexual behaviors and practices is a little hand touching a heart. 

So sensuality circle is involved with all of the senses. So we can smell, taste, touch, hear, and see, and interact with the world around us that way. So this circle honors all of the different ways that we interact with our senses. We also talk about emotional senses and proprioception, which is your feeling of your body in space and knowing what's around you. 

And so skin hunger is a big part of the circle. Everyone has a different level of skin hunger. Skin hunger just means you want-- like when you want touch. So everyone's going to have a different level of this. And it's important to think about what your own level is by yourself, and then how you feel with other people, how do you communicate your skin hunger to other people. Being close with other people. So emotional closeness, physical closeness. 

Under the circle also falls body image, which is the way that we think about our bodies, how we perceive our bodies versus how they're perceived out in the world. We have our own internal perception. Also as a part of this circle is fantasy. So you can use your senses to imagine a fantasy in your brain, or even enact that fantasy in real life. So it's part of connecting with others, but also understanding what you like and don't like and how to build that into your sexuality journey. 

And then also a part of this is the sexual response cycle, which is just a biological cycle that happens in many people when engaging in sexual behaviors. And it can feel very exciting. And it can be like a part of all of the senses. So I just wanted to highlight this circle. Yeah, it's a part of sexuality. It's a beautiful part of sexuality. 

Intimacy is kind of like sensuality. We have some overlap. But we're talking about maybe meeting up with other people in intimacy. So physical closeness, emotional closeness. Vulnerability. So sharing your secrets and thoughts and dreams with someone else. Emotional risk-taking. So you might have to take a few risks in order to connect better with someone, or to connect better with yourself. 

And then sharing. So sharing interests. Sharing hobbies. Sharing just whatever you like to talk about. Special interests. And then mutual care is a part of this. So taking care of each other. If you're in a relationship with one other person, really looking at how you can care for them, how they can care for you. In every relationship there is a level of care-- or there should be a level of care in a healthy relationship. 

Image description on the screen is of two people on a blanket. Looks like they're outside. One of them is holding up a fidget popper, and the other person is holding a book and reading. 

NOVA MCGIFFERT: So our next slide is about sexual orientation and gender identity. So these are huge concepts, and we're not going to be able to get to the bottom of any of them. But I do want to give you a little bit of an overview of some of what we can think about when we think about these things. 

So first of all, we know that sex does not equal gender. And what we mean by that is that all of us are assigned a sex at birth. And some of us, it was super obvious that we were a boy or a girl, or a female or a male. And some folks, it's not super obvious. And folks, when it's not super obvious, they're called intersex. And we all have different bodies. All of our bodies are amazing. And if we don't fit into the boxes, one or the other, it's OK. And actually, most of us don't fit into boxes in some aspects of our lives. 

So we just want to make sure that we're not oversimplifying that all girls, all boys, or all females and all males are the same or have the same gender identity. So what we mean by gender identity is-- there's a lot that goes into it, but we know that some folks don't-- they might identify with something outside of boy/girl, male/female, man/woman. 

And that can be a lot of different identities. That could be transgender, that could be nonbinary, agender. There's a lot of terms. And if you want more information, there is a glossary later on in the resources and there's a lot more to research out there. 

But there is an image here for gender identity, which shows a triangle, which is really looking at all the different ways people can identify within the male, female, or nonbinary triad. And of course, folks can also identify outside of that. 

So another aspect is gender expression. And there's a box on here showing a spectrum that on one end of gender expression, that means how we present ourselves. So how we dress, how we wear our hair, the way we walk can get thrown in here, but how we express our gender could be-- on one end it could be super masculine. On the other end, it could be super feminine. And in the middle, it could be androgynous, which means neither feminine or masculine. 

And we know that we can exist anywhere on here. Every day it can be different. And it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to follow what you were assigned at birth. And it can change. So next slide, please. 

Relatedly-- and this is also inclusive in the sexual orientation and gender identity. So thinking about desire. So in terms of sexual desire, like who we're attracted to and if we want to be sexual with somebody. Not everyone feels that way. A lot of us, maybe even most of us, do have some kind of desire for either sexual or romantic attraction, but we know that's not actually the case for everybody. Some people are really not interested. 

So there is a spectrum here. There's like on one end, some people might have really a high desire for having sex, either with themselves or someone else, and that's like sex-favorable. And on the other end, you might be repulsed by sex. Like, I don't have any interest. It's important to not assume that somebody is going to have sexual desire or that they don't. A lot of times, folks with disabilities have been seen as asexual, that they don't have desire, that they don't want to be in relationships where they can be romantic or sexual. 

And we know that that's completely false. But everyone deserves to have the chance, if they want it, to have relationships and connection and sexual encounters if that feels good and consensual. 

And there's another box on the screen that shows sexual orientation. So this is related. So showing that some people are asexual, some people are allosexual. So being-- like some people might have desire, but they don't really want to have sexual relationships with other people, so that could look like asexual. And it's important to note, asexuality can look a lot of different ways, too. And on the other end, allosexual, people might have really want to have a lot of sexual encounters and have that-- like a higher level. 

In the middle there's demisexual, which is when you are attracted to people, when you have an emotional connection. So you might be physically want to have sex with somebody, but only after you're emotionally trusting or connected to them. 

The next category, there's a little-- we got a lot on these slides, y'all. So thinking about romantic orientation, we know that sexual desire and romantic desire are not necessarily the same thing. Some folks want to be super romantic, like want to watch a rom-com. You're really into getting flowers or going out on fancy dates together. That can be a nice, romantic vibe. But only for people who are into it. 

Some people are repulsed-- romance-repulsed. So some folks are not really into that kind of a thing. Some folks are very into that kind of thing. And we're all on a spectrum. So just want to normalize that. It's OK if that doesn't sound good to you in the relationship you're looking for. 

And then in terms of gender, just really making sure that we know that it's OK, no matter who you're attracted to, that some folks might be attracted to similar genders to their own, and some folks might be attracted to the opposite gender or variations of opposites of gender. And then there are some folks that are attracted to everyone, all kinds of genders. And there's all kinds of-- outside of those binaries and that spectrum. 

So no matter who you're attracted to, it's OK and welcome. And especially during Pride Month, we want to just uplift that we know that we don't fit in boxes. And as long as you're having a healthy and consensual connection, we want to support it. Next slide, please. 

OK. And on that note, this is a slide that really just wants to uplift queer-disabled folks. So there's two images here. One is of two drag performers from the drag troupe called Drag Syndrome in the UK. And there are two people wearing very shiny outfits looking fabulous. And the other image here are some animated folks who are looking very festive, standing all together. And they are using sign language to spell out Happy National Deaf LGBTQ Awareness Week. And that is from the Deaf Queer Resource Center. Next slide, please. 

OK. So this brings us to the next category of the circles of sexuality, which is sexual and reproductive health. So this is-- like when we think of health class in school or you have to go to a sex ed class, this is what a lot of people think of. It's how our bodies work. We might think about puberty, menstruation. 

When we're older, we might start thinking about menopause. Like, what does that even look like? Like, no one teaches us about these things unless we have a really special kind of an experience. And we know a lot of folks aren't getting sex ed, let alone, learning about all the different stages of life throughout our education. But it's super important. 

And especially when we look at how to stay healthy and safe. So thinking about sexually transmitted diseases and infections, really learning about how those things are spread and how to keep ourselves safe and healthy. Getting regular checkups, like where do you go, how do you make it not the most scary situation? To go to a clinic and get tested and make sure that you have all the information you need. 

And then how to talk to sexual partners and romantic partners about practices, how to keep each other safe. Like your partners and how you're going to-- just knowing that you're going to do what you can to protect yourself. 

Thinking about pregnancy and understanding what the risks are if you want to have a sexual life. And that includes if you want to become parents or are thinking about conception, either to prevent pregnancy, or, if you do want to have children, that's a really important thing to learn all the different aspects of how to take care of yourself in that, too. The image on the screen are three animated students reading a book called Health & Sex. 

And the last circle of sexuality is sexual behaviors and practices. And this is another one that we might think of when we think of sex ed, and when we hear the word "sex," we're thinking about what kind of acts are people doing? Like, having sex and different types of sex. Consent is a really big one in this category as well, which we talk about throughout. 

On this screen, we have an image of two people kissing. One person is in a wheelchair and they seem to be having a great time. And then the other image here is a graphic from Planned Parenthood. It says "Consent," and there's a picture of French fries, and it says, "I Love FRIES." This is an acronym. The word FRIES is an acronym. And it stands for-- F is for Freely given, R is for Reversible, I is for Informed, E is for Enthusiastic, and S is for Specific. 

And this is-- we probably aren't going to go super in-depth here, but just knowing that consent is something that you can give at any time, and it's important to ask, before you kiss someone or go in for any kind of sexual or romantic situation, to make sure that everybody's feeling good about what's happening or what might happen later. You can always change your minds. 

So if you think you want to go on a date with someone and it's not going well, you can get up and you can say, sorry, this is over. I'm not interested anymore. You can always change your mind no matter the situation. And yeah, it's a huge part of being in healthy relationships and exploring our sexuality. 

TOM DIAGOSTINO: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much, Nova, and Izzy, for your outline of the circles of sexuality and healthy sexuality. It is so important when talking about assistive technology in this conversation to have that foundation to understand the way in which we can communicate consent, the way in which we understand our bodies, and the experiences that we want to have. 

And knowing that, we can then embark on a conversation of how can technology help us achieve the relationship and intimacy that we want with ourselves and potentially with others? So without further ado, let's talk about assistive technology. 

There are a few expectations that I would like to outline before we get into this conversation. So first, I want to say that all of the devices that we are going to be talking about today is just an introduction. And also that there is no one size fits all when it comes to the conversation of assistive technology in general, and more so when it comes to this conversation connecting assistive technology to sexuality. 

We're going to be addressing a lot of sex toys and devices that can be purchased commercially. And you might not necessarily think that they're assistive in their nature, but I'm going to describe aspects in which this is assistive and ways in which we can think about the devices that are currently out there and how they can help ourselves or maybe others that we know achieve the intimacy that we would like. 

And lastly, I want to mention that all of the products that we're going to be discussing today, you might encounter, when searching for them, explicit imagery on the websites, packaging, or the materials that it comes with. So just be aware that when we are looking for these devices, that we might encounter some explicit images, and just to be prepared. On the slide, I have a person sitting in a wheelchair researching potentially some assistive devices that they could use. 

So we're talking about assistive technology. I've used this term a few times already. And I just want to get a baseline definition for us all. So assistive technology is a piece of equipment, a product, or something that you can acquire commercially, you can modify it, or you can customize it. And this device is going to help you increase, maintain, or improve a functional capacity, and specifically for an individual with a disability. 

That's the formal definition. It's a lengthy one. It's a mouthful. I much prefer a basic definition, which is a tool or tools that makes life easier, safer, and more independent for a person with a disability. On the slide, I have two images of, one, a generic device, a pencil grip, which I think we've all seen in schools. Pencil grips are assistive devices for people that might struggle gripping a pencil. 

The other image that I have on the screen is of a refreshable Braille display that is connected to a computer that has a screen reader so a person who is blind or deafblind is able to read a computer. So like these two images that are incredibly contrasting in complexity, we're going to be talking about the complexities of assistive technology. Some things we might talk about are incredibly simple or very straightforward, and other things we might be talking about today are going to be really complex and might need a little bit of support. 

The device categories that we are going to be discussing are communication, positioning, pleasure, and cleanup and aftercare. So these are the four categories of devices that we're going to be discussing in this section. The image in the screen is of a person sitting in a wheelchair smelling an aroma next to a lush plant. 

So to begin, our first device category is communication. Things that we should consider in communication is that consent can be communicated and can be renegotiated at any point in the encounter. It is incredibly important to know that you can renegotiate consent at any point. Access to your communication needs is paramount. And lastly, communication needs and barriers are addressed and communicated before, during, and after. On the slide, I have an image of two people, one person sitting in a wheelchair and the other person behind them giving them a hug. 

I have two devices here for the communication options, one being alternative lighting. On the screen, or on the image, there are multiple different types of lighting options. There's sheer curtains letting in natural light from the window. There's a floor lamp. There is some kind of holiday lighting or like fairy lighting that's sprawled over a couch. There's a table lamp. There are many different lights. 

It's important to have alternative lighting because when our mouth words are not making words, when our mouth is not making words, our bodies can communicate as well. Our body language, our facial expressions. It's incredibly important to use as many aspects of our communication, whether it's bodily, facial, or mouth, words in these interactions to ensure that we are enjoying ourselves, that our partners know that we're enjoying ourselves, and that consent can continue to be renegotiated. 

Also, some people who are deaf use American Sign Language or different sign languages depending on the region. And it's important-- if there's no light, then you're unable to see that sign language as well. So it's important to have some alternative lighting or dim lighting. 

Additionally, we have Alternative and Augmentative Communication, or AAC, which on the screen, we have here an image of a person using a tablet with icons that they can press and then that generates speech. So if you are a person that uses augmentative communication and does not have access to mouth words and uses a tablet to communicate, it's important to always have that handy. 

And more so, it's important to have words that can describe our body parts and our genitalia and can describe aspects of sexuality. Oftentimes these genitalia, like words for genitalia and words for sexuality and intimacy, they are not included in these tablets when you get them. You have to add them in. And so it's important, if you want to experience intimacy and sexuality, to ensure that those are programmed into your augmentative communication devices. 

The next category is positioning. Things to consider. So positions where a person is at the most freedom of movement, if they desire movement. Positions for intimate acts. So getting yourself prepared for certain acts. Positions to aid in self-pleasure. We're going to talk about being secure in our positions and comfortable in our positions, as well as ensuring that we're not experiencing pain or pressure points. On the screen, there's an image of a person with a prosthetic leg reading on a tablet. 

So I have four devices on the screen right now. The first, I have two different types of wedge cushions on wedge ramps. These are great for positioning your body upright. You can put them behind your back to push your upper back up to be able to see something or to get yourself into a position so that you don't have to reach as far to experience self-pleasure or to pleasure someone else. 

You can also use them underneath your waist or underneath your back or lower back to support yourself as well to lift your body up and into a position in which you would like to engage. 

We also have the Wanda Toy Mount. The Wanda Toy Mount is a shape where you can hold it and you can-- hold with your hands and place the vibrator where you would like to experience that sensation. You can also-- it is able to be sat on, and you can sit on that in a position such that it is vibrating a part of your body you would like it to vibrate. So this is a really helpful tool. 

And it's also helpful because sometimes it's hard to hold these vibrators when they're shaking. And so this alleviates the need to actually hold a vibrator. It's a mount that allows you to hold it without necessarily experiencing the shakiness. 

There's also the sexual lounge chair. This is an example of one lounge chair that you can purchase, but there are many different types of sexual lounge chairs. This one allows you to modify it. You can take cushions off. And you can put yourself in positions in which you would like to engage in. 

There are some more positioning devices that I have on the screen. One is called the Intimate Rider and Ride Mate. So the Intimate Rider is the seat. And has a ball bearing system so that at the base where you're sitting, the ball bearing system allows you to thrust forward and thrust backward. This was designed for people with spinal cord injuries or people that are not able to use their lower extremities and would like to engage in intimacy. 

And the cot, the Ride Mate cot thing, that is at the right level for a person to engage in penetrative sex as well. So that's the Intimate Rider and Ride Mate. There's also the multifunctional positioning chair. Again, there's handles. It is secure. There's multiple ways in which you could use this positioning device. 

The last two images on the screen that I want to share is a wheelchair and a Hoyer lift. Wheelchairs are designed for your body. And it's designed for your comfort. It's designed to ensure that you are comfortable in this chair. You're going to be sitting in this chair a lot. So it's important to know that you can also experience pleasure in this chair. You can also have intimacy in this chair because it's designed for your body. There's nothing more comfortable than something that is literally designed for you to experience pleasure. 

And so I just recommend, if you have a power chair, to consider waterproofing certain parts of it that would get damaged if liquid or fluids were to interact with that part, specifically the joystick. Putting just maybe like a sandwich bag or a plastic bag. Or placing maybe some waterproof sheets or an incontinence pad on the seat so that you're not going to get it-- ruin it or get it wet or get it dirty. 

And lastly, there's the Hoyer lift. So Hoyer lifts are designed to literally lift and transfer a person safely from one spot to another. And it goes without saying that this could also lift someone to then engage in intimate acts. It is designed specifically to lift and secure someone safely. And so it is-- it goes without saying that this could be a device in which you could use to engage in intimacy and pleasure. 

The next category we have is stimulation. So things that I want to talk about and consider in this section is grip size and adjustability. Variation of the control, size, and shape. The area of use, remote control access, as well as body-safe materials. The image on the slide is of a person with a prosthetic hand holding a flower behind their back. 

So some stimulation devices. So first is the Finger Vibe. The Finger Vibe, it is a tiny little device that can go run on your finger like a ring. And it shakes, it vibrates. And so this is really great, especially if repetitive motion or shaking motion for stimulating a part of your body. It's difficult, if you find that to be difficult. This does the shaking for you and does the stimulating for you. 

There's also anal plugs. What I like to describe about anal plugs in this sense is that there are anal plugs that can be remotely controlled and can vibrate. But the important part is that there is a flared base that the base of the anal plug ensures that it's not going inside of you. The anal cavity does absorb. So it's important if you're going to put something in your anus, to have it have a flared base to ensure that it does not go inside of you too far. 

Then next we have is the We Vibe. This is another vibrating device, but it has a ring. I think it's really important, especially if holding or gripping is difficult for you, to have options to have a ring, something that you could maybe put your fingers through, but you don't necessarily need grip strength to maintain, hold. And so the We Vibe is a good example of another device in which you can just put your finger through and then it stays on there. 

And then there's the Flip Orb. Again, this is another different type of way in which you can grip a device to-- that is not a traditional kind of grip. That just gives you more surface area. 

Other devices for pleasure. We have the Ohnut Penetration Buffer Ring. This is a device that you can add on to a phallic device, whether that be a person's penis or a dildo. And it allows you a buffer so that you don't go too far inside of you if you are worried about injuring yourself. Like the device is too big or the person's phallus is too big, you can just use these buffer rings to ensure that it doesn't go too far inside of you. 

Also, this toy harness for the knee, this is an incredible device for a person who maybe wants to penetrate someone, but they don't have predictable movements in certain parts of their body. I know that there are many of these dildo harnesses that can be around your waist, but if you find that thrusting with your waist is not in the cards, this you can put on your arm, on your legs, on another part of your body. This is incredibly variable, very versatile. And so it allows you to use the movement in which you have and in which you find most comfort to then be able to engage in that activity. 

There's also many versions of Bluetooth masturbators. This one is specifically for a person who uses a penis-- who has a penis. And this one is app-controlled. There are many that are not app-controlled, that are button-controlled. And so depending on the type of control that you want, like if you would prefer an app-controlled versus a button-controlled, then that would be something for you. If you prefer a button-controlled, there are many automated fleshlights that you can get as well. 

So some other devices that we have for pleasures, we have skin-safe bondage tape. So this is great. It's not going to react to anyone's skin because it doesn't attach to your skin, it attaches to itself. And this is great for a person who wants to either limit parts of their body, they want to feel more comfortable, they want to feel more constricted. Sometimes people get a little over-stimulated. 

Sometimes people just don't have control of certain limbs and want them to be tied up. So, again, this is for various usage, this bondage tape, beyond its original use. 

The Jewel Volta, again, this is another example of one that has a ring for you to hold on to it, but something that I love about this as well is that it has very clearly tactile buttons that you can press to control the device. We also have-- the third image on the screen is this extension, this reach handle with a dildo on the end. This device is great because it has a knob in the middle that allows you to adjust the angle to best fit your need. And so it's incredibly versatile and it's designed specifically for accessibility, which is wonderful. 

This also, you can purchase the dildos with-- that come with this company and for this device, but you can also purchase a mount that you can purchase just as traditional standard suction cup dildo and then suction cup that to the device as well. 

The last one we have is the Starsi Vibe. It is this tiny handheld palm-shaped device in the shape of a star. And it's designed specifically to fit in the palm of your hand that so you don't need much grip at all to be able to hold this. And you can place it wherever you would like to feel that vibration or stimulation. 

Additionally, this is designed that you can also just lay on it, or you can sit on it. It's very, very comfortable and designed also for any genitalia, not just one. So it's designed for a wide variety of genitalia as well, which is great. 

Finally, our last category is cleanup and aftercare. So things that I want to consider is maybe water sensitivity, devices that are water-sensitive or could be damaged with water. Access to the bathroom. The vibe and the environment, as well as personal needs before, during, and after. The image on the slide is of a person getting their teeth brushed by a caregiver. 

So first I have, for cleanup, incontinence, and aftercare, are wipeys. I think wipes are really helpful. They're just like great to have. Sometimes things get a little messy in the moment and just gotta wipe things up and it's all good. We also have toy cleaner. It's incredibly important to ensure that your toys are clean, that you clean them after every use, especially the toys that are going to be going inside of your body, to please, please clean those after every use. 

Also, some waterproofing options. So we have waterproof sheets that you can purchase. These are great, but they're kind of expensive. So if this is out of the price range, to consider disposable incontinence pads. Sometimes people get these covered by insurance. Also, you can absolutely buy these through your HSA. And so I'm always here to find the free or the insurance-covered versions of things if possible. 

Some other tools to consider is a portable urinal. This is in case that you have unpredictable access to bathrooms and you want to just ensure that if you can't transfer into the bathroom quickly enough, to have an option nearby so you can always just have a little portable urinal next to your bed. 

Also considering just some healthy snacks for before, during, or after. Also, in case your blood sugar drops or if you're someone that is sensitive to, yeah, like something where you need electrolytes quickly, to just have that food or that liquid that you would need near you just to ensure that your body is safe, your body is calm, and that in your mind you know, if something were to happen where your blood sugar dropped or you needed electrolytes quickly, you could easily access that. 

I also think it's important to consider the vibe, the ambiance with maybe essential oils. If you're someone who's not reactive to scents, to consider maybe like a lavender or just something to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. Sometimes intimacy can be incredibly vulnerable. So to just make an environment in which you feel so safe and so comfortable and able to feel 100% present. 

And lastly, considering alternative heating and cooling. Sometimes we can get a little overheated in these-- or maybe right afterwards we can get incredibly cold. And so to ensure that you have blankets or heating or a fan or air conditioning in that space to ensure that you're not overheating or over-stimulating your body in any way. All right. So I'm going to pass this over to Izzy and Nova to finish out. 

IZZY KAUFMAN: We're about to do a discussion. Thanks for-- Tom, for walking us through all of the assistive technology involved with sexuality. Clearly there is so many options, and it's awesome to be able to explore them here. On the screen right now are two people who have their foreheads together, they're smiling, they look very happy. And behind them it looks like there's a Pride flag. 

All right. So we wrote down some discussion questions in case you want to have a discussion after watching this video. So some questions to consider are, what is the most surprising thing you learned today? Number 2, how will you use what you learned today in the future? 

Number 3, what else do you feel like you still want to learn? And number 4, what other resources are you familiar with that are helpful for supporting people with disabilities and sexuality and assistive technology? On the right side of this slide is a person holding a "Deaf Joy" poster and standing in front of some graffiti. 

We have many resources available. We are always collecting them all the time, so this list can change at any point. But in our area, in Pennsylvania, there's PCAR, PA Coalition to Advance Respect. National Sexual Assault Hotline. National Domestic Violence Hotline. Childline for Suspected Child Abuse. Crisis Text Line, or text HOME to 741741. And Disability Rights PA. 

As well as LGBTQIA support specifically, which is can look at the Trevor Project for young LGBTQ people looking for support. And Trans Lifeline. And on the right side of the screen is a picture, a graphic of two people sitting on a bed who are looking at-- they're looking at each other, but they have a computer in between them that says "Therapist Near You." 

And we have some more resources for sexuality and disability. We have videos. You can check these out and use them whenever you want. Sexuality and People with Developmental Disabilities, we have the link right there for the four videos. Sex Ed for People with IDD is a whole series that was created in Washington-- Seattle. 

Tea Consent is a little video. Consent for Kids is another video you can watch on YouTube. Amaze.org has many, many different sexuality education videos and personal safety videos, among many other things. And then Picture This Documentary as well. And then there are some resource hubs that offer more resources beyond just what we showed here today. 

So Disability-inclusive Sexual Health Network; HUB, Healthy Understanding of our Bodies; and Planned Parenthood, of course, is always there. And then on the right side of the screen is a picture of two people. One is wearing headphones and they're looking at a computer and smiling. 

ALANNA RAFFEL: Thanks to all of our presenters for sharing such important content. And we're really looking forward to staying in touch with you. We want to hear from you. We want to make sure that you have access to this kind of information and information in the future. So please, we encourage you to connect with us. You can reach the Institute on Disabilities, the larger organization. The phone number is 215-204-1356. You can email iod@temple.edu or visit their website at www.disabilities.temple.edu. 

TechOWL, the State Assistive Technology Act program, which is under the Institute on Disabilities, our phone number is 1-800-204-7428. Our general email address is techowl@temple.edu. Our website is ww.techowlpa.org. And normally during the day there's a little chat button on the bottom of the website. So if you have a quick question, you just want to check in and ask something about assistive technology, you can usually chat with someone on the TechOWL team during the day on the bottom-right of the screen there. 

And we encourage you to follow us on social media. We share resources like this. We share updates on when we're going to do more live presentations on this topic and many others. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. TechOWL is @TechOWLPA, and the Institute on Disabilities is at @IODTemple. So feel free to connect with us there, and we share lots of great resources on all of these topics. 

All right. So we're wrapping up here. And there's a lot of really important information. And we want to know how it worked for you. How did this presentation work? Is this content helpful? What more do you want? What kind of information would be helpful to you all? We want all of that information. We really read the feedback and we take it into account. So we're really looking at feedback that we get in a non-judgmental way and trying to put it into action. So please give us lots of information on how this worked for you and what kind of information you took away. 

So, you can go to Bit.ly/TechOWLsurvey, or you can use this QR code. The presentation title, you can put Sex and Disability. For Presenters, if it asks you that, you can put IOD. That's fine, we'll know what that means. And just give us your feedback, that would be really helpful. 

Thanks for joining us for this presentation, and we look forward to being in touch in the future. Bye, everyone. 

For More Information

For more information or to request a training or resources, please contact: iodhsp@temple.edu.