Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
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PAGE 32<br />
<strong>and</strong> moderate intellectual disabilities in early <strong>and</strong> middle adulthood<br />
(McCarthy, 2002: 93).<br />
1.9 Attitudes <str<strong>on</strong>g>Literature</str<strong>on</strong>g> towards <str<strong>on</strong>g>Review</str<strong>on</strong>g> women <strong>on</strong> with Provisi<strong>on</strong> intellectual <strong>of</strong> <strong>Appropriate</strong> disabilities <strong>and</strong> <strong>Accessible</strong> <strong>and</strong> sexuality<br />
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are<br />
Until the 1960s Experiencing there were Crisis negative Pregnancy <strong>and</strong> repressive attitudes towards<br />
the sexual expressi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> people with intellectual disabilities, whether<br />
they lived at home or in the community (Kempt<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> Kahn, 1991).<br />
It has been argued that in the past many disabled women have been<br />
violated by the eugenics movement <strong>and</strong> have been deprived <strong>of</strong> their<br />
rights to bodily dignity <strong>and</strong> integrity through physical, communicati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
clinical barriers to obstetrical <strong>and</strong> gynaecological services; involuntary<br />
sterilisati<strong>on</strong>; forced aborti<strong>on</strong>; sex segregati<strong>on</strong> by placing women in<br />
instituti<strong>on</strong>s; over-use <strong>of</strong> l<strong>on</strong>g-acting c<strong>on</strong>traceptives; <strong>and</strong> the loss <strong>of</strong> child<br />
custody (Waxman-Fiduccia, 1996). Both in Europe <strong>and</strong> in the US women<br />
with intellectual disabilities were feared <strong>and</strong> seen as a threat to society;<br />
their reproductive rights were taken away from them, as it was believed<br />
that they were ‘unfit’ to be mothers <strong>and</strong> that they would also give birth to<br />
children with disabilities.<br />
According to Atkins<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> Walmsley (1995) the instituti<strong>on</strong>al era was<br />
characterised by the loss <strong>of</strong>, or rejecti<strong>on</strong> by, families at the time <strong>of</strong><br />
admissi<strong>on</strong>, <strong>and</strong> by the strict separati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> the sexes within instituti<strong>on</strong>s. A<br />
policy <strong>of</strong> protecti<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> people with learning disabilities was in existence.<br />
In relati<strong>on</strong> to women, this meant that the practice was to prevent<br />
sexual relati<strong>on</strong>ships, which might result in the birth <strong>of</strong> unwanted <strong>and</strong><br />
possible defective children. Closure <strong>of</strong> large instituti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>and</strong> the move to<br />
community living in many countries, which has occurred over the past<br />
twenty years, has allowed people with intellectual disability to enjoy<br />
greater freedom in their lifestyle choices, including establishing an<br />
intimate relati<strong>on</strong>ship <strong>and</strong> having children.<br />
However, Atkins<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> Walmsley (1995) argue that it is possible that<br />
a different sort <strong>of</strong> segregated living is emerging. The authors report<br />
that accounts from women suggest that the nature <strong>and</strong> quality <strong>of</strong><br />
relati<strong>on</strong>ships can be restricted through prol<strong>on</strong>ged enclosure, not <strong>on</strong>ly<br />
with the family but also in schools, hostels <strong>and</strong> group homes.