Watch #BornThisWay on A&E, Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. ET.
View Sexual Education Resources for People with Disabilities.
Rockville, Md., June 19 – Sexual education for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities is extremely important. Born This Way, a reality television show that stars seven diverse young adults with Down syndrome, is doing its part to highlight this.
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, an average of 59,000 adults with disabilities are raped or sexually assaulted each year. Approximately half of all adults with cognitive disabilities will experience 10 or more sexually abusive incidents in their lifetime.
The upcoming episode of Born This Way on June 20, 2017 highlights the importance of sexual education as it relates to dating and marriage. The cast speaks with Terri Couwenhoven MS, CSE, a well known sex educator and author. Couwenhoven specializes in the design and implementation of sexuality programs and resources for people with cognitive disabilities, their parents and the professionals who support them.
In coordination with Couwenhoven, RespectAbility has released a lengthy guide featuring resources for sexual education for children, teenagers and adults with disabilities, with a focus on those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The episode will air on Tuesday, June 20 at 10 PM ET/9c on A&E Network. Join RespectAbility for a live Twitter chat using #BornThisWay and #BTWchat.
Born This Way, which recently won an Emmy for being the best reality show on TV today, is not an ordinary reality show. It stars seven diverse young adults with Down syndrome. During season 3, episodes have tackled complex issues such as self-determination for people with disabilities in healthcare choices and the lack of employment opportunities for all people with disabilities.
Earlier, RespectAbility released a Born This Way Fan Guide with free resources for a variety of individuals with disabilities. The guide includes free tools, contacts, information and services around:
- Job Seekers with Disabilities
- Employers Embracing Employees with Disabilities
- Education Resources on Disability Issues
- Policy Makers
- Entertainment Professionals
- Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline
- Inclusive Philanthropy
For more information visit www.RespectAbility.org or email LaurenA@RespectAbility.org.
