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Event and Resource Spotlight
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PEATC Sexual Health and Wellness Factsheets and Resource Documents
Follow You, Follow Me Teacher and Student Learning Guides
In November, DSHN released Follow You, Follow Me - a short film designed with and starring people with disabilities and produced through collaboration between the Disability-inclusive Sexual Health Network and Health Education Design Group at James Madison University. You can now download the learning guides on our website.
DSHN staff and partners worked to create a Sexual Health Concepts document to provide examples of sexual health concepts that could be applicable to students with disabilities. While these are broader concepts, they can be broken down to meet the needs of each individual student. Then, IEP teams can work to create SMART goals to put in the IEP. This is a living document and will continue to be updated/added to.
PEATC Sexual Health and Wellness Workshop for Parents of Students with IDD
- This workshop is for Virginia parents, guardians, and family members of youth with disabilities. It is also open to educators and professionals.
- If you find it uncomfortable to talk with your child about sexuality and puberty, you’re not alone. Most parents do. However, being comfortable talking about this with your child is so important, as these conversations are critical to your child’s health and safety. They help your child with a disability develop self-care skills, cultivate social skills, gain an understanding of appropriate behaviors, increase personal safety, and work toward becoming a more independent adult. This training has 2 sessions. Registrants should plan to attend both sessions.
- February 8 & 9, 6 - 8 pm
- Virtual
- PEATC Registration
SVAP Sexual Health Education Workshop for Youth with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities (ages 13 - 22)
- Shenandoah Valley Autism Partnership is hosting a one day in-person workshop for youth with autism and other developmental disabilities. This workshop is designed for both youth and their parents/guardians. Topics will include healthy relationships, decision making, sexual feelings, attraction, and acts.
- March 4, 8:30am - 12:30pm @ Compass Behavioral Solutions (3360 Emmaus Road, Harrisonburg, VA)
- SVAP Registration
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Black History Month and Maternal Mortality
Please reach out to dshn@jmu.edu to share resources that would be helpful for folks in our network, or for more resources on any specific topic.
Since 1976, every U.S. president has declared February Black History Month in the United States. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 Black Americans identify as having a disability. Additionally, persons with a uterus are more likely to have or develop a disability over their lifetime. This means that Black Americans with a uterus are more likely to have a disability than White Americans with a uterus.
As we know, persons with disabilities already experience barriers to gaining appropriate health care. While not all persons with a uterus give birth and not all persons with a uterus that give birth have a disability, it is important to note that the United States is the most dangerous developed country in which to give birth for anyone regardless of race or disability. The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal deaths in the developed world and is the only industrialized nation to see those rates continue to rise. It is estimated that more than 700 women* die each year from pregnancy-related complications in the United States. Even more alarming is the fact that more than 60% of these deaths are preventable – possibly as many as 84%.
Women of color, specifically BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and Asian/Pacific Islander women, are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. When maternal deaths were first recorded in every state in 1933, the mortality rate for Black mothers was 1.8 times that of White mothers. In comparison to White women, Black women are less likely to access prenatal care leading to higher rates of premature births, low birthweight, and increased maternal mortality. In 2016, a group of white medical students were surveyed and a report revealed that a significant number of medical students and residents hold false beliefs about biological differences between Black Americans and White Americans. In this study, reviewers determined a racial bias in pain perception and pain treatment recommendations was present.
Currently, only nine states and the District of Columbia investigate or consider racial disparities when gathering data on maternal mortality. Virginia is not one of them. Virginia is not required to determine the preventability of the death, review cases or trends, or track morbidity data. Through this data, it is clear that Black women are not only more likely to have or develop a disability than White women, but they are also far more likely to experience pregnancy complications that result in death.
This month, as we celebrate Black History Month, we encourage others to find ways to support maternal health in the United States and fight against discrimination - whether it be race, gender, or disability focused - in our medical system. For more information and resources concerning Black maternal mortality, visit the websites below.
Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality | CDC
The National Birth Equity Collaborative | NBEC
Center for Reproductive Rights
Black Momas Matter Alliance | BMMA
Focusing on maternity and postpartum care for Black mothers leads to better outcomes | APA
Black Maternal Health Resource List | Every Mother Counts
*the gendered term "women" is used to refer to persons with a uterus. We acknowledge that not all people with a uterus identify as female; however, the data collected labels the population "women" and to avoid inaccurate representation of data, it remains "women" in this context.
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Resources throughout the newsletter are labeled as follows:
[t]=text [v]=video [a]=audio [l]=list [w]=website
[v] How the US medical community fails Black mothers
[w] Self-Love: A Valentine’s Day Guide to Disability Pride
[w] On Valentine’s Day, Let’s Recognize Why #AccessIsLove
[v] Aftershock Documentary : This documentary focuses on two families, both affected by Black maternal mortality (available on Hulu)
[a] 'Aftershock' explores Black maternal mortality | NPR
[t] Valentine's Day Social Stories
[w] 12 Disability-Friendly Jewelry Gifts for an Extra Special Valentine’s Day
[a] America's Maternal Mortality Crisis, Part 1 | Next Question with Katie Couric
[v] My Boyfriend Does Not Have A 'Disability Fetish' | Love Don't Judge: In this episode of Love Don't Judge, interabled, expecting couple Alex and Noah open up about the ableism they encounter in their daily lives.
[a] The Daily: A Life-or-Death Crisis for Black Mothers
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Tip: Use YouTube's media player controls to make videos more accessible. Find out how at the links below:
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Let's Make Valentine's Day Accessible!
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Print your own cards to give to classmates.
Store-bought Valentine's Day cards often have 4-6 different designs per box. Choosing which cards to give to which classmates can quickly become a daunting task for children with IDD. Instead, print Valentine's cards that are all the same. If your student is interested in personalizing each one, find a printable design that allows them to color each one.
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Require students to give EVERYONE a card
If you are an educator, consider requiring students to bring a card for everyone in the class. While this might seem like a strange request, it helps students with I/DD who might have trouble socializing and connecting with other students not feel discouraged. This way, no one is left out and everyone gets the same number of cards!
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Give fidgets instead of candy.
While candy is delicious, many students with disabilities have dietary restrictions. Instead of handing out candy at Valentine's Day, consider giving out small fidget toys or party favors.
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Respect boundaries
Though Valentine's Day is often about showing those around us how much we care for them, it is also a perfect opportunity to respect boundaries. Some children with I/DD prefer not to be hugged or kissed, even by a close family member or friend. No matter the holiday, respect other's boundaries and try to think of another way to show affection that doesn't involve touching.
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