Considering Disabled Desires

In her Disabled Desire lecture, Cheryl Cohen-Greene examines a community of people who are often overlooked. As a surrogate partner and human sexuality consultant, Cohen-Greene believes there is an innate sexual desire and potential in ever human being. Unfortunately, when it comes to severely physically or mentally disabled individuals, this aspect of their self-hood is virtually erased.

Cohen-Greene discusses her deeply personal experiences with her clients, one of whom mentioned that his experience with her was the first time he had ever been touched in a pleasurable or sexual way. In her line of work, the goal is always to find a new awareness of how to communicate in order to improve physical and emotional relationships, a goal which is especially important for disabled individuals. She asks the audience, if they were physically compromised or challenged, would they want their sexuality addressed? Assuming the answer is yes, Cohen-Greene emphasizes the importance of considering disabled individuals as sexual beings and addressing their natural sexual tendencies as equally as legitimate as any able-bodied person.