People with intellectual disability often experience repression and control of their sexuality as they have historically been perceived as being childlike and asexual by members of society. Such acts can be seen to contravene their Human Rights under The Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (CRPD), which endorses the rights of people with intellectual disability to fully express their sexuality.The purpose of this study was to explore if people with intellectual disability access internet based social media, and if so, if they use it to form relationships that express their sexuality. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 adults with an intellectual disability (22 males, 8 females), aged between 20 to 66 years. Participants were purposely sampled though disability #organisations.Three themes emerged from the data: creating new friendships, maintaining existing friendships, exploring and expressing sexuality. People with intellectual disability used a variety of personal electronic devices to access internet based social media to be socially and sexually active. Facebook was accessed to make contact with existing platonic friends, peers and interest groups to meet socially. Sexually explicit material was viewed using the internet, either as an individual activity or by couples in monogamous relationships. This study adds to the paucity of research examining the use of internet based social media by people with intellectual disability for sexual expression. This research revealed the people with intellectual disability exercised cyber safe practices without any explicit formal education and conducted themselves in a respectful manner. Few participants acted in a manner that appeared to put them at risk of exploitation.
Due to a lack of confidence in the availability of access to mainstream community-based aged care services, many participants felt vulnerable or unsure about their future and ability to remain living in their own home. Several participants commented that this meant that an undesired early relocation into residential aged care or congregate disability services appeared inevitable.
As social connectedness and relationships are highly valued in Nigeria's diverse society, we suggest that adults with visual impairment would significantly benefit from visual rehabilitation services placing greater emphasis on addressing the social goals of participants. Implications for Rehabilitation Visual impairment in working-age adults can strengthen family relationships (homogenous groups), creating bonding capital that is associated with access to important resources including emotional and moral support, and some financial and material resources. Visual impairment can negatively impact relationships with managers, coworkers, and others in the community (heterogeneous groups), resulting in diminished bridging and linking capital. Visual impairment can reduce access to resources such as an income, social status, and reduces participation in the wider community. Visual Rehabilitation Services could significantly benefit participants by placing greater emphasis on social goals, such as building and maintaining social networks, particularly with diverse (heterogeneous groups), which are valued in Nigeria's diverse cultural climate.
Like other sub-Saharan African nations, Nigeria has a relatively high proportion of adults with acquired vision loss. This study investigates the impacts of becoming blind in adulthood and how the use of blind rehabilitation services addresses functional needs, supports activities of daily living, and enhances participation in educational, vocational, and community activities. Adopting a qualitative and interpretative approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with eight adult users of blind rehabilitation services. Three broad themes were identified: (1) psycho-emotional responses to vision loss; (2) impacts on participation in education, employment, and community; and (3) positive impact of blind rehabilitation services. Findings are discussed in the context of the international literature, and suggestions that may enhance the blind rehabilitation services are made.
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