Alan (head of the table) leads the Self Advocates in a discussion about sex

By: Sue Hutton

As February was Valentine’s month, the Self Advocates Council (SAC) held a special February meeting to talk about sex and relationships. What better month could there be to talk about this topic? McMaster researcher Alan Santinele Martino joined us for a very engaging talk. Everyone had quite a bit to share; so much so, that we would love to continue the talk with Alan!

Alan is a really nice, fun guy who is a doing his PhD at McMaster University. Alan’s research is titled: The Romantic and Sexual Experiences of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Ontario, Canada.

He shared with the SAC that his older brother lives with cerebral palsy. Alan said he’s been noticing that it’s very difficult for his brother to meet people to be in intimate relationships with. Alan realized there are lots of social attitudes about sex and disability. He actually became so interested in learning more about this, that he is doing a PhD exploring the topic!

Alan writes in his research flyer: “Individuals labeled with intellectual disabilities have been commonly silenced in research, while their family members and care workers have spoken on their behalf about their experiences (Sigstad, 2014). Thus, the goal of this project is to make space for these individuals to share their own perspectives, challenges, potential subversions and triumphs on sex, sexuality, and romance”.

If you know someone labelled with an intellectual disability who might be interested in speaking with Alan about his research, you can contact him. To be eligible to participate in this research, participants must self-identify as having an intellectual disability, be at least 18 years of age, and be interested in sharing their experiences, issues, and hopes concerning their sexual and intimate lives. The Self Advocates Council will also be organizing a date for people to be  interviewed one on one. Gift certificates of $20 will be given to each participant. To be a part of this research please contact Sue at shutton@cltoronto.ca. You can also reach Alan directly at:  Alan Santinele Martino: santina@mcmaster.ca

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