WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.050 --> 00:00:00.580
Yeah.

2
00:00:00.580 --> 00:00:25.329
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: I am. Yeah. So push recording push record. So it should be recording for us. Now. Okay, Hi, folks, welcome just gonna get started now, welcome to the sexuality and access Town Hall event supporting conversations about sexuality and disability. My name is Lindsey Thomson, and I work at the University of Guelph, at a unit called the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute (CESI).

4
00:00:26.840 --> 00:00:40.208
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: And my role, basically support community engaged partnerships like the sexuality and access project. And I've had the you know, privilege of

5
00:00:40.670 --> 00:01:04.259
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: working with a wonderful team, for I think almost 3 years now, which is wild so thank you all for joining us today for this important conversation. We know that those attending today's event include folks with multiple and deep connections to topics of sexuality and disability. Whether in their work for them personally for loved ones, and more. So a huge thank you also to our wonderful speakers.

6
00:01:04.260 --> 00:01:19.200
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: And we have many of them today which is exciting, who are joining from a range of locations. I know how busy you all are, and I deeply appreciate the time and the knowledge that you're bringing to today's event, and we'll get to these folks very shortly.

7
00:01:19.950 --> 00:01:44.110
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Just before we jump into things, quick notes on access and participating in today's event. So please feel free to turn your camera on or off as you feel comfortable we won't have a formal break in today's meeting, but take breaks as they work best for you. Feel free to get up, move around, do what you need to do throughout the session feel free also to ask questions.

8
00:01:44.110 --> 00:02:04.479
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: So just because we do have so many speakers, we won't take questions right after everybody has spoken, but we will have a designated time for questions and answers. At the end of today's event, which will be shortly after 1pm, so between about 1pm and 1:30pm, we'll turn it over to folks to ask questions of any of our speakers.

9
00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:19.250
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: You can also write your questions or comments in the chat at any time. I can't see the chat right now, but after I'm done sharing I will be right on that chat and looking at your questions, and kind of setting them aside for the QA. If you'd like support in sharing them.

10
00:02:19.510 --> 00:02:36.261
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: and an important point about close captioning. You can find the close captioning button at the bottom of your zoom screen. I believe it's somewhere in the bottom, right it says in capital letters, CC, if you click on that, you should be able to see the captions for today's event through zoom.

11
00:02:36.550 --> 00:03:01.059
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: if you would also like to view a live transcript of the meeting. We have a program that's really cool, called Otter.ai, and that's the button in the top right corner. Of your zoom screen. So beside it, it says, click here to open the live transcript, and it'll come up with a nifty new window that'll, you know, have a live transcript of the event, so you can feel free to engage in those. And if you have any questions about how to do that. I will jump over in the chat and

12
00:03:01.060 --> 00:03:04.769
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: and be able to support folks there after I'm done this kind of intro.

13
00:03:04.980 --> 00:03:13.919
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: okay? And yeah, we all know we're recording today's session. And we'll have more information on how to access that recorded session following today's event.

14
00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:39.210
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: The next thing I'll just quickly go over is a quick, territorial acknowledgement and just setting intentions for moving forward together today. So I know folks are joining us from multiple locations. I myself am situated on the lands known today as Guelph which are the traditional territories and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the credit covered under Treaty 3. The between the lakes purchase.

15
00:03:39.608 --> 00:04:00.490
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: I want to recognize that many 1st nations and cultures around the globe recognize and celebrate a wide range of sexualities, genders, abilities, ways of being, and have continued to do so despite the ongoing violence of white supremacy and legacies of colonization which dehumanize and oppress those who do not align with whatever's considered the norm or the norms.

16
00:04:01.171 --> 00:04:17.559
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Our team members, as I mentioned, are really passionate about sexuality and disability. Among other intersections, many of us encounter themes of sexuality and disability in our work, and have personal connections and grounding in queer and or diverse disability communities, and beyond

17
00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:38.889
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: this, again, includes for ourselves, for those we love as family friends and our wider communities. So today we're approaching today's conversation with the utmost humility and a strong desire to learn together and move forward in ways that support people holistically with a focus on individuals and communities living with a disability, or whom are multiply disabled.

18
00:04:39.456 --> 00:04:43.709
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Whatever labels or identities we we we feel connected to

19
00:04:43.960 --> 00:05:01.630
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: this is because people with disabilities are often denied recognition, dignity and support for their full humanity on interpersonal and larger systemic levels. And we know that challenges are compounded exponentially for those who live within intersections of other oppressive systems.

20
00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:22.739
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: So today we intentionally engage in learning and dialogue with one another, to take stock of where we are and where we can act from our various social locations and in our shared responsibility toward one another, to ensure that all people may live, thrive, and celebrate themselves and their communities in all our beautiful diversity, gender sexualities, body minds, cultures, and beyond.

21
00:05:24.310 --> 00:05:48.399
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: And with that I'm really trying to stay on time. The last piece you'll get from me is just a quick overview of our Town Hall session. So folks know where we're going. So after our intros here, we're going to have a couple brief videos for you folks to view. We were really hoping that Fran Odette would be able to be here today. But there was a shift in schedule that was really important for Fran that we wanted to accommodate. She has very kindly

22
00:05:48.400 --> 00:05:56.029
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: provided us a video that will provide background on a project around sexuality and access that was done in 2011

Hi everyone, my name is Fran Odette, and my pronouns are she/they. I will give a visual description of myself. I have short salt/pepper hair. I wear purple glasses with lime green and pink designs on the frame. I also wear hearing aids with purple and blue moulds. I am wearing a dark lavender short-sleeve shirt with strawberry print. Finally, I’m sitting in my office in Toronto or Takaronto, which is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.  

I wish to thank Wallace and Melanie from T6talk for inviting me to the Sexuality and Access Town Hall.  I will share a little about the start of this project, which began in 2011.  I was working with Springtide Resources, formerly called Education Wife Assault.  This provincial-wide organization promoted healthy and equal relationships by engaging diverse communities in the development, and Springtide Resources promotes healthy and equal relationships by engaging diverse communities in shared educational strategies designed to prevent violence against women and the effect it has on children. 

Then, Springtide Resources was also the only organization providing program-specific training and resource development on violence against Deaf and disabled women and children.  Springtide Resources provided services mainly to women they also work with men, particularly in training on violence issues for community organizations, and in promoting healthy, equal relationships among young men and women.  

Springtide’s Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women’s Program plays a significant role in the provision of training and education to service providers working in woman abuse on issues related to inclusion and access to services for women with disabilities and Deaf women fleeing violence.  Historically, myths and stereotypes have surrounded the sexual health needs of persons living with disabilities, focused primarily on the belief that people living with disabilities are asexual or are not interested in sex or sexual expression.  As a result, there is a dearth of relevant sex information, or access to services and programming to support and enhance sex-positive decision making and choices.

One result of these misperceptions is that sexual health is rarely included in institutional policies which address the health needs of persons with disabilities, and it is subsequently ignored in the training and practice of professionals who work to support the health of people with disabilities.  Persons living with disabilities have few opportunities to discuss their sexual health or express their sexuality.  This vacuum creates conditions where people with disabilities are at greater risk, making them simultaneously less likely to achieve sexual health and more likely to be sexually victimized.

While research remains scant, studies have shown people with disabilities to be anywhere from two to ten times more likely to be victims of sexual violence.  Two frequently cited risk factors for sexual victimization are isolation and a lack of relevant information about sexual health.  Because of the dynamics associated with dependency of the person with a disability upon the service provider, persons with disabilities who use attendant services are at greater risk for sexual violence than persons with disabilities who do not use attendant services.

At the crux of this vulnerability for people with disabilities who use attendant services is the negotiation and provision of ‘sexual support’ between persons with disabilities and their attendants.  Attendant services have been traditionally understood to include supporting with activities such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, using the bathroom, bathing and dressing.  Broadly speaking, sexual support describes the range of assistance that an individual may request and an attendant may provide, as well as an acknowledgement that sexuality is a part of life and may be an activity of daily living. Sexual support can be thought of along a continuum of involvement and intimacy, from assistance with cooking a romantic meal, to assistance with shopping for sexual materials, to assistance with positioning with sexual activities. 


23
00:05:56.359 --> 00:06:17.799
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: I'll move on from there to have a video about the current project from Melanie and Wallace. A couple of our awesome team members and team leaders, and then we'll move on to our other wonderful speakers from shore. Dan. Sorry legend Andrew Gurza. Adam Davies, and then finally, Ashley Cole, who will be presenting findings from the current research.

24
00:06:17.900 --> 00:06:42.170
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: And after all that we will very happily open it up to a question and answer period with all of you. As we're definitely looking forward to your comments or questions and anything you have for us. We'll go from there to our closing, and then, if anybody wants to get in touch with any of us following the Town hall. I'll try to put contact information for those who are open and able to do that. In the chat.

25
00:06:42.420 --> 00:06:43.250
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Okay.

26
00:06:44.840 --> 00:07:05.979
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: I wasn't able to see the chat. So I hope that not too much came up there for me. Okay? And with that, what I'm going to do is now move to Fran Odette's video. So very brief introduction for Fran is that Fran was the one of the original leads on the sexuality and access project which are current

27
00:07:06.290 --> 00:07:16.429
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: is based off of back in 2011. So Fran is going to provide some information about that project. And then we're going to jump into learning about the

28
00:07:16.520 --> 00:07:17.760
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: current project.

29
00:07:18.830 --> 00:07:20.240
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: I'll just get that queued up

[VIDEO PLAYS - Fran Odette] - see recording for video captions

156
00:17:30.860 --> 00:17:56.749
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you, Fran, for that video. I know you'll probably watch the recording of today's event. So thank you so much, Fran, for providing that wonderful background and overview of the original project. And with that I'll go on to our second video from Melanie and Wallace, from T. 6. Talk, one of our value community partners and leaders in this project. So I'm going to turn it over to Melanie and Wallace via Video. And I'll just take a second to get this set up.

[VIDEO PLAYS - Melanie & Wallace, t6talk] - see below for transcript

Slide 1
•	Sexuality & Access Town Hall
•	June 25th, 2024
•	Melanie (she/they) & Wallace (he/they)

Slide 2
•	In 2021 we did a series for Spinal Cord Injury Ontario called “Let’s Talk About SCI and Intimacy”
•	We were asked to talk about the relationship between those who access attendant care services and those who provide attendant care services – specifically how they navigate sexual health supports
•	We could not speak to it from personal experience and after looking into it we quickly realized it was not a popular topic and we struggled to find any information
•	We acknowledged this in the presentation and asked people to leave it with us

Slide 3
•	Our interest was piqued, and we wanted to find out more
•	We began investigating, speaking with our contacts and expanding our network as we went, encompassing all disabilities, not just spinal cord injury
•	We did meet with some resistance – as some educators of PSWs and some PSW companies do not feel attendant care workers should support the sexual health of their clients
•	That is when Dan Lajoie from Independent Living Waterloo Region told us about Fran Odette and Cory Silverberg’s Sexuality and Access Project 
•	Dan provided us with a link to the Executive Summary and gave us his copy of a DVD with qualitative interviews
•	When we reviewed it, we knew we had our starting point

Slide 4
•	From our conversations with folks, we felt one of Fran & Cory’s key conclusions remained unchanged “Everyone wants to talk, but no one knows how to start the conversation”
•	We wanted to be a part of the solution
•	We know we can’t change the world, but perhaps we can bring some positive change
•	We believe right down to our bone marrow that all of us have the right to the sexual health we want

Slide 5
•	Around this time, we were introduced to TK Pritchard – who was the ED of SHORE Centre
•	They in turn connected us with Dr Adam Davies and Lindsey Thomson at the University of Guelph
•	We found ourselves working with the most amazing team!
•	And they had the same passion as us
•	With Fran and Cory’s permission, we used their study as a jumping off point and we started Phase 1 in early 2022 – the consultation phase

Slide 6
•	From January 2023 to early 2024, we consulted with people across Canada who have lived experience, through online surveys and qualitative interviews
•	Ashley Cole, a valued member of the team, will be sharing the results with all of us today
•	This Town Hall marks the end of Phase 1 and the beginning of Phase 2

Slide 7
•	Phase 2 will be about the development of a training program to help people navigate these sometimes-difficult conversations
•	This will be done in consultation with an advisory committee
•	To connect, but differentiate this version from the original study, we initially named it the Sexuality & Access Project 2022, then it became the Sexuality & Access Project 2023… with each passing year it dates the name.
•	We know this project is a marathon, not a sprint, so we are updating the name of the project one last time to the Sexuality & Access Project 2.0
•	If you are not already on our email list, and you want to be kept updated, email us at t6talk@gmail.com 

Slide 8
•	As stated in the Fran & Cory’s survey summary, they began the project with the four following truths in mind, which remains unchanged with this project: 
1.	Sexual rights are human rights, 
2.	sexual health is a core component of general health, 
3.	people with disabilities who use attendant services have a right to access information and resources about their sexual health and support in expressing their sexuality, and lastly, 
4.	attendants have sexual rights, which include the right to a workplace that is not sexualized.
•	Thanks for joining us and for your support!
•	Let’s keep the conversation going

Slide 9
•	https://t6talk.com
•	t6talk@gmail.com


203
00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:19.139
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: There we go. Thank you so much, Melanie and Wallace, for that wonderful video and getting us up to speed with the the current project.

204
00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:39.279
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: With that I would like to turn it over to one of our next speakers, which are the current and previous executive director of the SHORE Centre in Kitchener, and I believe Kayla Orr is going to be speaking first.st So, Kayla, can I turn it over to you?

205
00:23:40.790 --> 00:23:42.680
Kayla Orr: I'm actually speaking. Second.

206
00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:47.659
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Nevermind, I'm wrong. Let's turn it over to TK, and Thyra, please take it away.

207
00:23:48.210 --> 00:23:49.560
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): Thank you.

208
00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:57.749
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): Also, I'm like busy gushing over Melanie and Wallace. Sweet your pictures at the end of yours, so that totally distracted me from anything I was going to say.

209
00:23:58.604 --> 00:24:11.680
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): I'm tK, I use they/them pronouns, this is Thyra. Thyra is a lot of things, including an activist and disability space and a disabled therapist, also very fortunate that they're also my partner.

210
00:24:12.001 --> 00:24:14.349
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): So we're very happy to both be here today.

211
00:24:14.817 --> 00:24:20.469
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): I was formerly the Executive Director of SHORE Centre, when we were starting this project, as folks named before.

212
00:24:21.089 --> 00:24:27.920
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): And it was a really exciting and natural fit for the organization to engage in this work.

213
00:24:28.060 --> 00:24:33.229
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): I was privileged previously to have been an educator at SHORE Centre when we were developing

214
00:24:33.280 --> 00:24:44.099
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): programming around specifically support for folks with developmental disabilities or intellectual disabilities, and having conversations around sex and sexual health, as well as doing some kind of

215
00:24:44.320 --> 00:24:48.110
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): piece work here and there in the community that Thyra was also involved in.

216
00:24:48.130 --> 00:24:50.029
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): and that looked at

217
00:24:50.230 --> 00:24:53.329
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): at disability and worked with some of the agencies. And in a kind of

218
00:24:53.430 --> 00:24:56.140
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): non-coordinated specific way.

219
00:24:56.791 --> 00:25:02.820
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): So when Melanie and Wallace brought this project forward, one, they're a delight to work with, and

220
00:25:02.860 --> 00:25:20.199
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): it made a lot of sense based on the work we had previously been doing, but also on our organizational principles, that everyone who wants to should have access to the sex that they want to have and the right to have conversations on their sexual health and be supported, and all of those things.

221
00:25:20.260 --> 00:25:45.689
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): and even in the developmental disability project, it was very apparent that while there was lots of information around sexual health out there, one of the greatest barriers was, whoever else was in that person's life, and providing any kind of support that often. That's where a lot of the barrier was existing, and the vast majority of education around sex and disability

222
00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:49.989
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): teaches you to protect people and keep them safe. There's not a lot of

223
00:25:50.250 --> 00:25:52.290
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): cool conversations around

224
00:25:52.672 --> 00:25:59.749
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): actually supporting people that really amazing sex lives and the sex that they wanna have. And what does that mean? And all of those things? So

225
00:26:00.225 --> 00:26:06.369
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): I will stop talking because I'm not in this role anymore very sadly, and I will give it to Kayla, but I will say that

226
00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:14.250
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): this was a really exciting project to sign on to. We are both hoping to stay involved from a community perspective. And

227
00:26:14.360 --> 00:26:16.370
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): you know this is such a

228
00:26:16.520 --> 00:26:20.629
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): such a huge gap in the sex and sexual health work

229
00:26:20.650 --> 00:26:25.919
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): even in very progressive agencies. So I think there's a lot to be done here. It's very exciting.

230
00:26:27.940 --> 00:26:29.870
Kayla Orr: Thank you so much, TK.

231
00:26:29.970 --> 00:26:50.979
Kayla Orr: as this project carries forward. SHORE Center is excited to be involved in the next phase. We've identified through this research, the need for continued support, specifically engaging with post-secondary institutions to supplement and enhance existing curriculum with a focus on knowledge, comfort, and capability for individuals to provide high quality attendant services.

232
00:26:50.980 --> 00:27:10.729
Kayla Orr: developing comprehensive training for personal care, attendance, whether they work within agencies or independently with the goal of elevating the standard of care across the board, fostering a community of well trained, confident, compassionate service, compassionate service providers prepared to support the sexual lives and needs of those receiving attendant care services.

233
00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:28.889
Kayla Orr: offering information and education sessions to people using attendant services specifically tailored to empower them. To have these conversations that are vital to promoting a more inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment for themselves and everyone involved, and to be able to have the sex they want to have.

234
00:27:29.080 --> 00:27:47.440
Kayla Orr: We believe that these initiatives will not only enhance the quality of attendance services and the lives of the people receiving them, but also create a more informed and empathetic community. I'm excited about the potential of the impact of this work and look forward to collaborating with all of you, to make these goals. And the next phase of this work a reality.

235
00:27:50.740 --> 00:28:12.779
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you so much, Kayla, and thank you. TK, and Thyra. We're so fortunate to have had your involvement in this project on an ongoing basis, and for sure. And and now, TK, and your new role and Thyra in in your work and activism, joining the project as well, so thank you so much for being here today and and for all of your wonderful words there. Thank you.

236
00:28:13.330 --> 00:28:24.636
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Okay, we just keep rolling with the speakers. So we're gonna now turn it over to Dan Lajoie, who I'm going to let introduce themselves.

237
00:28:25.060 --> 00:28:27.350
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Dan, are you okay to take it away.

238
00:28:28.340 --> 00:28:30.740
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Oh, I think I'm pretty good to do that. Yeah.

239
00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:31.170
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Next.

240
00:28:33.025 --> 00:28:40.080
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Yeah. My name is Dan Lajoie, and I work for the Independent Living of Waterloo Region. I'll talk more about

241
00:28:40.632 --> 00:28:45.010
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: the organization I work for in a little bit, cause it's pretty diverse, but

242
00:28:45.320 --> 00:28:48.160
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: thought I would start with a little bit of

243
00:28:48.520 --> 00:28:50.179
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: my own personal journey.

244
00:28:50.600 --> 00:28:52.400
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: because I'd add some context.

245
00:28:53.360 --> 00:28:59.269
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I was born with a disability. So I was diagnosed at one year old spinal, muscular, atrophy type 2

246
00:28:59.943 --> 00:29:01.509
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: always been a wheelchair user.

247
00:29:02.150 --> 00:29:05.459
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I grew up a pretty good life. My parents were very

248
00:29:06.230 --> 00:29:12.540
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: great advocates for me. They included me and everything. I was

249
00:29:12.620 --> 00:29:15.570
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: the 1st of many growing up in the 70 s. And 80 s.

250
00:29:15.620 --> 00:29:18.129
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: At the time. But one thing that

251
00:29:18.570 --> 00:29:25.160
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: certainly that I never got spoken to about from a family point of view was the birds and bees, and not because

252
00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:27.720
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: my parents weren't especially, you know.

253
00:29:28.420 --> 00:29:41.390
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: tight or cruel, but I just think they never really imagined that that would be an option for me, their son, who was in a wheelchair, and they probably just thought, well, you know, he's gonna live the life he does, and whatever but little did they know that, of course.

254
00:29:41.500 --> 00:29:45.150
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: being a teenage boy, I wanted to have sex believe it or not.

255
00:29:45.827 --> 00:29:48.540
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I went to the University of Waterloo

256
00:29:49.730 --> 00:29:52.310
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: and started to receive attendant services

257
00:29:52.530 --> 00:29:54.189
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: through independent living.

258
00:29:54.590 --> 00:29:58.499
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: And that's where sort of the journey begins with this whole concept of

259
00:29:58.530 --> 00:30:02.719
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: sexual expression and using attendant services. So

260
00:30:02.780 --> 00:30:04.640
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: when I was in university.

261
00:30:05.180 --> 00:30:09.450
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: many of the attendant providers were also university students.

262
00:30:09.490 --> 00:30:11.840
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: so the line between

263
00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:20.359
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: professionalism and non-professionalism was pretty gray back in those days, for sure. But what it did do is for the 1st time in my life.

264
00:30:20.610 --> 00:30:26.349
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: make me realize that I was a sexual person, and I did have sort of the ability to be that person.

265
00:30:26.945 --> 00:30:28.339
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Which is great.

266
00:30:28.900 --> 00:30:30.748
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: As the years progressed,

267
00:30:31.460 --> 00:30:34.699
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: that relationship sort of evolved as well.

268
00:30:35.416 --> 00:30:36.410
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: You know.

269
00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:39.810
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I recall a few moments in my young adulthood when

270
00:30:41.740 --> 00:30:45.359
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I wanted to be intimate with a partner, and but I needed support

271
00:30:45.370 --> 00:30:50.989
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: from staff to get ready and independent living, which, of course, follows the independent living model.

272
00:30:51.837 --> 00:30:56.390
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Was very homiding to that, and I remember this this one story in particular that I'll share.

273
00:30:56.480 --> 00:30:58.390
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: There was this one attendant.

274
00:30:59.720 --> 00:31:02.940
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: He was an older guy, and really sort of like.

275
00:31:03.330 --> 00:31:06.110
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I don't know a little strange, really conservative actually

276
00:31:06.441 --> 00:31:08.688
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: a little bit of an oddball. But

277
00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:24.929
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I remember I was interviewing with somebody, and I called down for support afterwards, and he came down and man. It didn't phase him one bit. It was like nothing. It was just. He went about a business. He did what he had to do. And I just thought, Wow, that's really cool, you know, like.

278
00:31:24.940 --> 00:31:26.880
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: for someone who maybe

279
00:31:27.280 --> 00:31:32.149
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: would never have seen themselves in that position to be providing that type of support. So

280
00:31:33.300 --> 00:31:38.819
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: that's a bit of my story, I went on and became married. I now have 2 children.

281
00:31:38.910 --> 00:31:43.080
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: 20 and 15 years old son and daughter.

282
00:31:43.790 --> 00:31:47.130
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I've had to talk to them about the birds and bees now since then.

283
00:31:47.533 --> 00:31:52.240
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: But yeah, it's really cool. So I work for independent living, Waterloo Region.

284
00:31:52.672 --> 00:32:03.279
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I don't work for the attendant service program. I work for the community programs. I'm the manager of independent living resources, but we do provide attendant services through our organization.

285
00:32:03.580 --> 00:32:06.610
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Certainly this topic has come up, and it's a really interesting one.

286
00:32:06.620 --> 00:32:08.439
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: And I remember back

287
00:32:09.840 --> 00:32:16.120
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: working with Franny and Corey back. When this project 1st started I was with independent living back then as well.

288
00:32:16.380 --> 00:32:18.380
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Although I did take a break in between

289
00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:22.709
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: and the conversation is really interesting for our organization, because.

290
00:32:22.850 --> 00:32:32.629
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: you know, we do follow the independent living philosophy. So by that extension we believe that people with disabilities are entitled to make their own choices and express themselves wherever they wish.

291
00:32:33.009 --> 00:32:38.760
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: That does get a little bit complicated when you're asking your staff to provide support in that area.

292
00:32:38.890 --> 00:32:43.600
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: and the truth of it is, you know, we do do that sort of support through our attendant service program.

293
00:32:43.760 --> 00:32:51.539
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: but there isn't really any policy around it. There isn't really any direction around it, and there isn't really a conversation piece that's been formed about it.

294
00:32:51.887 --> 00:32:56.169
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Which is why I think the work that Melanie and Wallace are doing is so important

295
00:32:56.200 --> 00:32:59.779
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: because organizations, even those like ours, which

296
00:32:59.810 --> 00:33:01.150
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: fully support.

297
00:33:01.450 --> 00:33:25.260
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: you know, independent choice, independent living, and sexual expression there still is that professional procedure that you need in place to help bridge the communication gap between recipients of service and those providing it. So yeah, that's a little bit about me. That's a little bit about modernization and the work that we do. I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to support

298
00:33:26.030 --> 00:33:28.770
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Melanie Wallace as they move forward in the work.

299
00:33:28.830 --> 00:33:32.159
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: and I'll be around to answer any questions if there's any. After.

300
00:33:34.790 --> 00:33:44.280
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you so much, Dan, for all of that for sharing parts of your story, and just emphasizing the importance of these complex conversations. Thank you so much.

301
00:33:45.493 --> 00:33:51.770
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Yeah. And now to keep us going with their speakers. I'd love to turn it over to Andrew Gurza.

302
00:33:51.910 --> 00:33:52.430
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: who, I.

303
00:33:52.430 --> 00:33:53.190
Andrew Gurza: Hello!

304
00:33:53.190 --> 00:33:54.730
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Let them introduce themselves. Hi! Andrew!

305
00:33:54.730 --> 00:34:02.790
Andrew Gurza: Hi, thank you so much for having me. It's just pleasure to be a part of this project, and we asked to be here. I don't have anything prepared. So I'm gonna just

306
00:34:02.840 --> 00:34:10.220
Andrew Gurza: speak from the cuff and just talk a bit a little bit about my experience working in sex and disability as a disabled person, and how I have

307
00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:20.619
Andrew Gurza: navigated receiving care and and wanting to talk about sexual support. I really appreciate what Dan said, because the conversations that we're having

308
00:34:20.830 --> 00:34:28.730
Andrew Gurza: are not having happening enough. I'm glad they're happening in the little pockets, but I wish that these conversations were way more widespread.

309
00:34:29.540 --> 00:34:32.629
Andrew Gurza: I've been receiving attendant care since I was 16.

310
00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:41.644
Andrew Gurza: Before that I was kind of you know my my family took care of me, and still does to a point.

311
00:34:42.210 --> 00:34:43.500
Andrew Gurza: And so

312
00:34:43.880 --> 00:34:52.870
Andrew Gurza: there was no discussion of How do you talk to your attendant care worker about sexuality? And so I really learned that when I went away to school I went away to Carlton, New back in

313
00:34:53.500 --> 00:34:58.009
Andrew Gurza: 21 years ago, now back in 2003, I went away to school to

314
00:34:58.720 --> 00:35:01.410
Andrew Gurza: just, you know, be a university student, and that's

315
00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:05.389
Andrew Gurza: where I learned. Oh, I'm a sexual being, and I want to

316
00:35:05.430 --> 00:35:17.609
Andrew Gurza: have sex. And I'm also queer. And I want. I need support for my caregiving team, and much like Dan, said I at the time, had university students my age taking care of me. So

317
00:35:17.720 --> 00:35:25.549
Andrew Gurza: it was really gray area of like. Oh, I think I might be having feelings for the care staff. What do I? How do I navigate that? And there was no

318
00:35:25.630 --> 00:35:28.078
Andrew Gurza: real discussion around that

319
00:35:29.480 --> 00:35:33.689
Andrew Gurza: And then, when I finished school in 2013, I started

320
00:35:33.850 --> 00:35:37.440
Andrew Gurza: kind of sharing my story as a queer, disabled person.

321
00:35:37.890 --> 00:35:44.629
Andrew Gurza: wanting to have sex, and being very outspoken about that. I was queer and disabled, and wanted all the same experiences as my peers.

322
00:35:44.910 --> 00:35:48.069
Andrew Gurza: but those conversations never really trickle down

323
00:35:48.160 --> 00:36:00.179
Andrew Gurza: 2 care workers, and I'll share 2 brief stories that highlight that point when I moved into where I'm living now in Toronto. I live in a march of dimes home, which is independent living.

324
00:36:00.670 --> 00:36:09.930
Andrew Gurza: or it's called supported housing here, but it's the same thing. So when i, 1 of my attendants a couple of years ago, very nice man from a different part of the world.

325
00:36:11.040 --> 00:36:17.600
Andrew Gurza: Every morning he would get me up and he would say, Okay, today, we're gonna get you ready to find a wife.

326
00:36:17.850 --> 00:36:20.260
Andrew Gurza: And I would just smile and say.

327
00:36:20.270 --> 00:36:23.779
Andrew Gurza: Okay, and I would like, wouldn't say anything because I didn't want to offend him.

328
00:36:23.810 --> 00:36:36.850
Andrew Gurza: and I wouldn't say anything to him at all, and he would do this. He did this for every morning for about 3 years, and I am very openly queer, and anyone who knows my work knows that I'm super duper. Queer, but he would always say.

329
00:36:37.060 --> 00:36:42.969
Andrew Gurza: I want we want. I want to find your wife, and I was too shy and scared to tell him that I was queer because

330
00:36:43.020 --> 00:36:45.639
Andrew Gurza: he was providing my care. Usually this happened

331
00:36:45.730 --> 00:36:54.879
Andrew Gurza: at shower time, so I was completely vulnerable to somebody who I wasn't sure if they were comfy with my queerness I didn't want to offend them because they were from a different

332
00:36:55.670 --> 00:37:00.219
Andrew Gurza: religious background, them by defendants. I was very, very concerned. So I just I just

333
00:37:00.300 --> 00:37:02.179
Andrew Gurza: played along with it. And one day.

334
00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:04.469
Andrew Gurza: he said, oh, we're gonna find your wife.

335
00:37:04.600 --> 00:37:05.880
Andrew Gurza: and I

336
00:37:06.420 --> 00:37:08.579
Andrew Gurza: stopped and very quietly said.

337
00:37:08.590 --> 00:37:10.660
Andrew Gurza: or a husband.

338
00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:20.149
Andrew Gurza: and he paused, and he looked me dead in the eye, and in that moment we were both dead silent. I'm completely naked in my shower chair, unable to

339
00:37:20.310 --> 00:37:23.190
Andrew Gurza: know what to do next, I thought. Is he going to

340
00:37:23.310 --> 00:37:29.500
Andrew Gurza: leave the room? If you get a free? Yeah, what's gonna happen? He was like dead in the face and he stopped. He went. Oh.

341
00:37:29.610 --> 00:37:34.349
Andrew Gurza: okay, no problem. We'll find you a husband then. And it was fine.

342
00:37:34.360 --> 00:37:37.159
Andrew Gurza: But at that moment I was like, What do I? How do?

343
00:37:37.190 --> 00:37:50.370
Andrew Gurza: How do we have this conversation. How do I bring up my queerness so that you feel safe, and I feel supported, and it was very, very uncomfortable. And like, after that we? We got along fine, and he since left the agency. He was a great man.

344
00:37:50.590 --> 00:37:53.040
Andrew Gurza: but it was very

345
00:37:53.060 --> 00:37:55.190
Andrew Gurza: it. It highlights that

346
00:37:55.480 --> 00:38:01.949
Andrew Gurza: there is no conversation. The agencies don't do that... Where I live they're a great agency.

347
00:38:02.090 --> 00:38:03.290
Andrew Gurza: They have them

348
00:38:03.850 --> 00:38:09.079
Andrew Gurza: issues, but when it comes to sexuality there is no discussion. There is no

349
00:38:09.190 --> 00:38:11.930
Andrew Gurza: Andrew wants to have sex. How are you going to support him?

350
00:38:11.940 --> 00:38:15.720
Andrew Gurza: I think, in their policies it says you can help them with.

351
00:38:15.900 --> 00:38:24.250
Andrew Gurza: You can help somebody putting on a condom, I think possibly. I I don't know the the full extent, but I'm I know that these conversations aren't happening

352
00:38:24.550 --> 00:38:36.140
Andrew Gurza: the way they should. And if so, another very quickly a funnier story that highlights. This, too, is that for my 35th birthday, 5 years ago I decided to have a threesome.

353
00:38:36.450 --> 00:38:45.559
Andrew Gurza: I was like, okay, I'm gonna have a threesome. I'm gonna hire my 2 favorite sex workers out of Toronto. I'm gonna do all this great. So I did all that, and I told all my workers from

354
00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:53.829
Andrew Gurza: one to like 3. Don't come in my house. I'm entertaining. Don't come in. Thank you so much like, and it was my laundry day. But I said, Don't

355
00:38:53.850 --> 00:39:03.630
Andrew Gurza: come in. It's my birthday. I'm doing something special. I didn't say I'm having a reason. I just said I have people over. Please don't come in. So I told like 4 people.

356
00:39:04.010 --> 00:39:05.449
Andrew Gurza: and because of the

357
00:39:05.500 --> 00:39:07.559
Andrew Gurza: the busyness of

358
00:39:07.610 --> 00:39:22.040
Andrew Gurza: care, and how messages don't often get received, and they're always running around. How? But here, in in where I live, we help 19 people a day, so they're very, very busy, and I guess somebody forgot. So in the middle of me, with my sex workers trying to have a birthday treat for myself.

359
00:39:22.530 --> 00:39:34.410
Andrew Gurza: My attendant care worker walked in and said, Hi, sondree! And she just saunded in like it was nothing, and I have never seen 2 men jump up so fast from a bed so embarrassed, and I started laughing because

360
00:39:34.470 --> 00:39:48.190
Andrew Gurza: there's nothing I could do. And these poor sex workers were like, what do we do. And I was like, Oh, it's okay. Don't worry. It's fine, but I mean, it's a funnier story. And they were very. My workers were very like, oh, my God, we're so sorry we'll leave. Thank you. Sorry, but

361
00:39:48.820 --> 00:39:51.089
Andrew Gurza: it was. It again. Shows like

362
00:39:51.580 --> 00:39:55.330
Andrew Gurza: we don't really have a lot of us with disabilities don't have.

363
00:39:55.440 --> 00:40:00.490
Andrew Gurza: and expectation of privacy. You need care if we need care. We have to

364
00:40:00.670 --> 00:40:10.880
Andrew Gurza: let somebody into our home when we don't want to. There's no real space when you provide care. Sometimes, at least in my experience, where this is my time.

365
00:40:10.930 --> 00:40:19.000
Andrew Gurza: this is my time to be sexual without care, especially if you need care. So it's like, I share that story because it was funny. And it

366
00:40:19.070 --> 00:40:21.510
Andrew Gurza: it's something that I really am.

367
00:40:21.670 --> 00:40:28.550
Andrew Gurza: I'm so thankful that happened actually, because it it sparked a conversation with me. And that caregiver about, how do we talk about sex?

368
00:40:28.570 --> 00:40:34.909
Andrew Gurza: How do we talk about when Andrew wants to have a sexual experience. How do we bring that forward? And it's

369
00:40:35.570 --> 00:40:36.859
Andrew Gurza: I love what

370
00:40:37.040 --> 00:40:40.030
Andrew Gurza: Melanie and Wallace are doing. But I am

371
00:40:40.110 --> 00:40:41.900
Andrew Gurza: concern that we're in

372
00:40:42.050 --> 00:40:43.530
Andrew Gurza: 2024,

373
00:40:43.670 --> 00:40:45.950
Andrew Gurza: almost the latter half of that

374
00:40:46.120 --> 00:40:56.299
Andrew Gurza: almost 2025, and in Ontario, where we all are right now, you know, like next year the whole province is meant to be accessible. Well, what about access to sex?

375
00:40:56.550 --> 00:40:58.200
Andrew Gurza: Where that

376
00:40:58.240 --> 00:41:12.349
Andrew Gurza: when we talk about accessibility? I mean, obviously, the aoda is not gonna put a sexuality clause in there. But we need some kind of acknowledgement that we're still having the same conversations that Fran and Corey and all the original

377
00:41:12.350 --> 00:41:35.119
Andrew Gurza: beginners of this project. We're having 2,011 and years before that, I mean, I'm sure we all know the ultimate guide to sex, and disability is now 21 years old, and these conversations are still just burgeoning and just beginning. And I'm so thankful we're having them here. But I'm also really concerned that we're still having the same conversations, and nothing is

378
00:41:35.360 --> 00:41:42.909
Andrew Gurza: nothing is moving forward at a rate. I think that's acceptable for disabled people to truly have sexual agency. And it.

379
00:41:43.290 --> 00:41:50.750
Andrew Gurza: I'm so thankful to be a part of this. But I'm also very, very concerned as somebody who's been working in the sexuality space for

380
00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:57.760
Andrew Gurza: almost 15 years. I still have the same conversations daily about my right to sexuality, and that's

381
00:41:57.960 --> 00:42:08.080
Andrew Gurza: I'm really glad, because I'll never run out of work. But I'm also. Really, I wish I would run out of work, so that, like we could actually move the conversation forward. And I hope those 2 stories

382
00:42:08.110 --> 00:42:09.439
Andrew Gurza: kind of illustrate

383
00:42:09.530 --> 00:42:14.699
Andrew Gurza: both the comedy, but also the need for a deeper conversation. And I am just really

384
00:42:15.190 --> 00:42:17.160
Andrew Gurza: happy to be here and be a part of that

385
00:42:18.750 --> 00:42:19.450
Andrew Gurza: sexuality.

386
00:42:19.450 --> 00:42:45.740
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you so much, Andrew, for for sharing your stories with us. You've illustrated such complex points about being queer across multiple dimensions, needing privacy as a person in the world, or wanting privacy, like other folks in your sexuality. And I really appreciate you bringing in that vulnerability and humor. Thank you so much for illustrating it so so well for us.

387
00:42:45.740 --> 00:42:47.029
Andrew Gurza: Thank you so much for having me.

388
00:42:47.280 --> 00:42:47.910
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Yeah.

389
00:42:48.210 --> 00:43:13.179
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: okay? And with that, I'm gonna turn it over to our final 2 speakers before we go to the QA session so we're gonna jump over to having some details on the current consultations. The current research and just kind of giving some information on the University of Guelph partnership side of things. So I'm gonna ask Dr. Adam Davies to give us a quick intro on the University of

390
00:43:13.180 --> 00:43:18.419
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Guelph and CESI partnership with SHORE, with t6talk and others.

391
00:43:19.890 --> 00:43:31.679
Adam Davies (they/them): Great. Thank you so much, Lindsay, and thank you. Everyone for being here today. This is such an important research project. It's you know, like, Andrew was saying, we're having these same

392
00:43:31.680 --> 00:43:56.410
Adam Davies (they/them): conversations, but I also feel like that. This conversation is is very different. I'm so lucky to be having it with with you folks in in, in different, in the sense that I mean. The community that we fostered is is so special here. And and I feel so again. Thankful to be a part of it, and and hopeful and simultaneously also, just really

393
00:43:56.410 --> 00:44:21.039
Adam Davies (they/them): hearing the need for this work in an ongoing basis. So from the university side of things I'm the assistant professor here at Guelph. I just fell instantly in community with everyone here as soon as soon as I was invited to to join this this project. You know, and Melan Wallace have just been so generous with their time and and commit.

394
00:44:21.040 --> 00:44:43.459
Adam Davies (they/them): And, Lindsey, I cannot say enough amazing things about in terms of how wonderful you've been. And you know, just as a human someone that I think it just models brilliance in your day to day life. So as a faculty member, I've just really been lucky to be involved in creating the partnership between

395
00:44:43.869 --> 00:45:05.989
Adam Davies (they/them): the various organizations here and the university side of things. And I think one thing that I also been left really that leaves me feeling hopeful about this project is the importance of producing knowledge from a real community vantage point, because often in higher education in the Academy knowledge is produced without

396
00:45:05.990 --> 00:45:30.340
Adam Davies (they/them): relationships with communities who are involved. So in my students, when we talk about disability, I hear so much about this notion of writing for disability and and disabled folks, or writing about disability. You know I hear that word all the time writing about disability, and I don't often as frequently hear the notion with. And and so

397
00:45:30.825 --> 00:45:41.524
Adam Davies (they/them): you know, as someone who identifies myself with the disability community through you know several mental health disabilities and developmental disabilities.

398
00:45:42.080 --> 00:46:00.589
Adam Davies (they/them): I I feel very lucky. To be in partnership with communities that I that I also see myself as a part of and also to see that notion of of producing knowledge with and in relation with community. And that's what I love about the community based work

399
00:46:00.590 --> 00:46:24.050
Adam Davies (they/them): that CESI does just in terms of again, this real ethics and affirmative of way of producing knowledge and thinking about producing knowledge with communities that will, the knowledge will also benefit or hopefully benefit the communities as well. And as a faculty member. I've just learned so much as well

400
00:46:24.050 --> 00:46:48.880
Adam Davies (they/them): well on this journey and you know, I'd like to think that we're in higher education, cause we we wanna continue to learn and so I'm so thankful for the the folks that I am connected with in this in this journey, because I know I individually have learned a lot and I also have grown great affirming relations that I'm so thankful for and I and I think that that's also part of the beauty

401
00:46:48.880 --> 00:46:56.337
Adam Davies (they/them): of this kind of work in universities to this community based work because it makes those networks of support.

402
00:46:56.710 --> 00:46:57.410
Liz Jackson: That's.

403
00:46:57.410 --> 00:47:20.410
Adam Davies (they/them): So. Yes, you know, we're having these conversations, and we're hoping that maybe this time that the conversation will be different. And I I really feel, you know, through the network we've created here, that yes, this conversation will be different. And we'll hopefully make that impact that we wanna make and keep that conversation going. And so, you know, to be able to be

404
00:47:20.720 --> 00:47:30.113
Adam Davies (they/them): a facilitator between the university and the organizations involved has just been such a joy for me. And and it's really

405
00:47:30.610 --> 00:47:50.440
Adam Davies (they/them): yeah, just added so much to my life. So I'm on an individual level, very thankful and hopeful, and also hopeful that institutionally we can continue to support partnerships like this and make the good work that needs to happen take place in this relational way. So thank you. Thank you all so much for being here.

406
00:47:52.170 --> 00:48:06.269
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you so much, Adam, for that. That was great. And yeah, I think I speak for all of us on the team. But I will say we could not have found a better faculty member personally, professionally, and everything else. So thank you so much for all that you do for the project

407
00:48:06.350 --> 00:48:08.420
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: and continue to do. Yeah.

408
00:48:08.900 --> 00:48:32.249
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: okay? And with that I'm going to call in our final speaker, who is Ashley Cole, who has been an amazing student that's worked with us on the project. I'll let Ashley introduce herself, but I'll give her a chance to get her slides up and going, and so Ashley's going to present some of the findings that we have from our consultation phase, which.

409
00:48:32.587 --> 00:48:55.522
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: consisted of online surveys for folks who use attendant care services as well as those service providers who offer them. So we did the online surveys. And then we have about 6 interviews that we've conducted with folks who use attendant care services. So we're trying to build on the research that's been done by Fran Odette and team previously in 2011. As many have

410
00:48:55.860 --> 00:49:18.140
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: noted. Many of these conversations are ongoing. So part of where we're going with the research is not just to kind of repeat. Unfortunately, what is still happening. But to kind of see where we can grow and go from here together. So with that Ashley's got our slides coming up, and I will turn it over to you, Ashley, if you're if you're set.

411
00:49:19.590 --> 00:49:21.309
Ashley Cole (she/her): Yes, thank you, Lindsay.

412
00:49:22.640 --> 00:49:39.430
Ashley Cole (she/her): All right. Hello, everyone. My name is Ashley. I'm a Phd. Candidate in industrial organizational psychology at the University of Guelph and a researcher at the research shop which is embedded within the Community engaged Scholarship Institute or CESI.

413
00:49:39.869 --> 00:49:53.530
Ashley Cole (she/her): As part of my role. There we partner with community organizations to conduct community engaged research. I am so excited to be here today to present the results from the Sexuality and Access Project 2023

414
00:49:54.350 --> 00:50:05.329
Ashley Cole (she/her): as introduced by Melanie and Wallace. This project aimed to understand the needs and experiences of attendant service providers and users in accessing sexuality and sexual supports.

415
00:50:05.330 --> 00:50:28.610
Ashley Cole (she/her): Before I get into the findings, though I do want to define sexual supports. As this definition helped guide us with our research, so we define sexual supports as any active service which acknowledges that sex or sexuality is a part of the service user's life. This can cover a range of supports such as helping to prepare for a date asking sexuality, related questions.

416
00:50:28.610 --> 00:50:31.929
Ashley Cole (she/her): and helping with positioning during intimate acts.

417
00:50:33.080 --> 00:50:57.819
Ashley Cole (she/her): So, to give a brief recap of our project. This project came out from the 2011 sexuality access project by Corey, Silverberg, and fan of debt which surveyed over 400 attendant service users and providers about relationships, sexuality and access. One of their key conclusions was that everyone wants to talk, but no one knows how to start the conversation.

418
00:50:57.900 --> 00:51:24.690
Ashley Cole (she/her): So then, in 2021, that's when Wallace and Melanie recognized that this conclusion remained unchanged and sought to be part of a solution. They partnered with Shore Center, the University, Guelph and CESI to build on the previous findings of the 2011 survey to help understand the evolving needs and experiences of individuals accessing sexual supports within the attendant care dynamic.

419
00:51:24.690 --> 00:51:49.870
Ashley Cole (she/her): In January 2023, is when we 1st distributed surveys to both service providers and users to further understand perspectives on sexual support, provision, and negotiation, and then in the fall. 2023 is when we begin interviews with service users to really get a deeper understanding of folks experiences accessing their own sexual health and sexuality, including in the attendant provider context.

420
00:51:50.830 --> 00:52:05.499
Ashley Cole (she/her): And so, when surveying service providers, we found that over half of service providers have discussed sexuality and sexual supports with a client, yet only a quarter reported that assistance with sexuality or sexual support had been a part of their service agreements.

421
00:52:05.530 --> 00:52:12.319
Ashley Cole (she/her): meaning that if discussions around sexuality and sexual supports were happening, they were often informal.

422
00:52:12.910 --> 00:52:19.659
Ashley Cole (she/her): And why this matters is that navigating these conversations for both parties has the potential for harm.

423
00:52:19.870 --> 00:52:38.409
Ashley Cole (she/her): For example, when surveying service users over half reported, experiencing conflict or disagreement with an attendant in a situation over sexuality or sexual supports, while about a 3rd has felt unsafe, unsure, or in danger when trying to negotiate with an attendant for sexual supports.

424
00:52:38.490 --> 00:53:00.620
Ashley Cole (she/her): Ultimately this demonstrates the need to promote conversation around sexual health support within the intended care service, dynamic for both service users and providers, and to encourage conversations, we look at some of our interview findings that help highlight the various barriers in facilitator folks' shared, experiencing when accessing their sexual health and sexuality.

425
00:53:02.080 --> 00:53:24.440
Ashley Cole (she/her): So when examining barriers, participants overwhelmingly shared their experience with ableism within the attendant-provider relationship and healthcare context, such as when inquiring about testing S-t-i's participants also shared that at the center of these experiences was the perception that individuals with disabilities are seen as asexual.

426
00:53:24.500 --> 00:53:30.950
Ashley Cole (she/her): This misconception acted as an attitudinal barrier for participants when accessing their sexual health

427
00:53:31.390 --> 00:53:36.289
Ashley Cole (she/her): participants shared that this misconception also transcended the healthcare context as well.

428
00:53:36.410 --> 00:53:53.869
Ashley Cole (she/her): For example, participants shared similar experiences, challenging the attitudes of their peers as well as their potential sexual partners, including those with disabilities one participant shared. It's exhausting to constantly have to prove to you that I'm also a sexual person. It's really tiring.

429
00:53:53.870 --> 00:54:17.400
Ashley Cole (she/her): You constantly have to put on this air of Oh, no, it's okay. Your ableism is totally fine doesn't bother me one bit, and then they leave and you break down because you're safe to do that. But when they're here. You have to pretend like it's no problem. It's no big deal as demonstrated by this quote. Navigating stigma does not only cause accessing one's own physical and sexual well-being, but also their emotional well-being as well.

430
00:54:18.900 --> 00:54:29.699
Ashley Cole (she/her): Participants also shared that there is little to no discourse and education around disability, sex and sexuality with curricula, often being heteronormative and risk-based.

431
00:54:29.870 --> 00:54:34.749
Ashley Cole (she/her): and that this gap left individuals wondering about sex in the context of their disability.

432
00:54:34.850 --> 00:54:52.209
Ashley Cole (she/her): Many shared. They were dismissed from or left out of sex education altogether potentially due to these prevailing myths that individuals with disabilities being asexual, one participant shared. There's like normal like high school health class thing, but even that it was weird.

433
00:54:52.300 --> 00:54:54.200
Ashley Cole (she/her): I don't know this is true.

434
00:54:54.220 --> 00:55:01.660
Ashley Cole (she/her): but to my recollection it was almost like, well, you don't need to do this. You don't need to know this, so you don't have to be in this class.

435
00:55:02.460 --> 00:55:28.689
Ashley Cole (she/her): This exclusion left folks at risk for s-t-i's and sexual abuse, additionally physical and attitudinal barriers often prevented folks from accessing spaces that encouraged discourse on sex and sexuality. And while the Internet social media and pornography served as sources for learning about intimacy and sexuality. Disabled bodies were either invisible in such spaces, or when visible misinformation was rampant.

436
00:55:30.990 --> 00:55:54.020
Ashley Cole (she/her): Discussing sex and sexuality can be risky, particularly for those with disabilities who may rely on service providers to access their own sexual health and sexuality. One participant shared, you know, that's a dicey subject that a lot of people are seemingly uncomfortable with, and then you add, on top of that, like having a disability and like discussing any sort of assistance. I think that's really a lot going on.

437
00:55:54.480 --> 00:56:19.769
Ashley Cole (she/her): Participants shared various experiences demonstrating these risks. For instance, some refrained from requesting sexual support from their providers, out of fear that the request may be misconstrued, potentially impacting their future care. Conversely, others who had agency over hiring their service providers felt more comfortable broaching these topics as they could hire. Like minded individuals, they trusted to help minimize their risk.

438
00:56:19.770 --> 00:56:35.649
Ashley Cole (she/her): and beyond the context of service provision participants shared, relying on sexual support, sexual partners for support, sometimes because it was too risky to ask their service providers. However, this reliance could leave some folks vulnerable to potential abuse

439
00:56:35.960 --> 00:56:50.709
Ashley Cole (she/her): for those in long-term relationships, and having already established trust with their partners, while participants, appreciated their partners, reassurance and support, they also expressed concerns or doubts, relying on partners for physical assistance.

440
00:56:52.010 --> 00:56:55.919
Ashley Cole (she/her): With these berries in mind we move on to some facilitators.

441
00:56:57.350 --> 00:57:06.919
Ashley Cole (she/her): So initiating discussions around disability, sex and sexuality can be scary for both service providers and users and humor can be used as a tool to help break the ice.

442
00:57:07.090 --> 00:57:14.729
Ashley Cole (she/her): Initial discussions can also be awkward, but once that ice is broken, it helps relieve some of the awkwardness and get the ball rolling

443
00:57:15.080 --> 00:57:24.369
Ashley Cole (she/her): discourse around disability, sex and sexuality can be seen as heavy and serious, and so humor can be used as a way to make the conversations more fun to engage in

444
00:57:24.990 --> 00:57:47.880
Ashley Cole (she/her): one participant shared, and once you broach that fear and make a joke and play with it a little bit, then it becomes less scary. That's not always easy to do, but I think it's so heavy. This discussion of sex and disabilities so like intense all the time, and it needs to be a little bit lighter, and if anything, we need to find avenues to make it fun. I think when people think about sex and disability, they don't think fun, they think it's work.

445
00:57:48.020 --> 00:57:58.149
Ashley Cole (she/her): As mentioned in the quote. Some of this perception is due to misconceptions of what sex looks like when you're disabled. And to dispel this, we can find avenues to make discourse more fun

446
00:57:59.890 --> 00:58:13.300
Ashley Cole (she/her): participants also highlighted the unique nature of the attendant-provider relationship, such that is intimate in nature, involving care for daily living activities. Yet folks acknowledge how sexual health support is often excluded from this care.

447
00:58:13.390 --> 00:58:42.690
Ashley Cole (she/her): Despite this, the absence of sexual supports can create barriers when accessing one's sexual health. One participant shared. But I think the fear of again the abuse it'd be on both sides is too scary for them to even broach, so they don't even bother touching it, because it's too they're just there to provide care. That's it, nothing else. Goodbye. And so I get it. I understand where that comes from, but it leaves the client at a loss for support when they really want to access their own body and their own sexuality.

448
00:58:42.690 --> 00:58:56.840
Ashley Cole (she/her): Participants share the challenge of incorporating sexual supports within their care, noting that sexual supports are often misunderstood. It was emphasized, for example, that sexual supports can exist on a continuum and not are an either or situation.

449
00:58:57.020 --> 00:59:19.400
Ashley Cole (she/her): Ultimately both service providers and users need to collaborate, to define what care includes, openly discussing their comfort and boundaries around, providing sexual supports and offering trainings and certifications, as well as formally integrating conversations within the intake process can help foster the safe space for both parties when negotiating sexual supports.

450
00:59:21.450 --> 00:59:38.719
Ashley Cole (she/her): Participants also emphasized the dangers of excluding folks with disabilities from discourse around disability, for instance, having non-disabled individuals at the forefront of policymaking often resulted in unfulfilled promises and lack of meaningful change.

451
00:59:38.780 --> 01:00:00.259
Ashley Cole (she/her): there is a need for shared understanding, particularly within provision contexts, and having liaisons who also have disabilities, ensures that needs feelings and concerns, are generally understood. One participant shared where I live right now. There are a lovely bunch of folks, but there's not one person in that office that has a disability that I know of.

452
01:00:00.260 --> 01:00:20.780
Ashley Cole (she/her): They might, but I'm pretty sure they don't. And so, because I don't see myself represented there. When I have an issue with my care, I think you have no idea what I need. You have no idea what that feels like. You have no idea what it is to need that. So the care needs a liaison between the disabled client and the care working team, someone who can be like, okay, I'm disabled. I understand

453
01:00:21.640 --> 01:00:40.719
Ashley Cole (she/her): the benefits of centering diverse voices and conversations about disability, sex and sexuality were highlighted in our discussions. Accessible discussions within service, provision as well as educational institutions and medical salaries allowed folks to see themselves represented fostering a sense of inclusion

454
01:00:40.780 --> 01:00:52.090
Ashley Cole (she/her): and centering individuals with disabilities in these conversations offered a nonclinical humanistic perspective that helped counter the frequent medicalization of disabled bodies.

455
01:00:53.120 --> 01:01:13.620
Ashley Cole (she/her): Ultimately representation benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities. It helps normalize the experience of disabled individuals and educate others, promoting dignity and respect. However, it is crucial to ensure that this representation does not tokenize nor exploit individuals for their free or cheap labor.

456
01:01:14.630 --> 01:01:41.160
Ashley Cole (she/her): So this leads us to our next phase. As mentioned phase 2 will be focused on developing a training program to address some of the needs identified in phase one. However, before this, we do need to contextualize some of our research findings, including that our project happened following the Covid pandemic, which led to a much smaller sample size than the 2011 study, and that interviewees were largely from a white European background.

457
01:01:41.160 --> 01:02:00.119
Ashley Cole (she/her): Men and cisgender ultimately missing diverse perspectives is important as we may be missing the experiences and needs that are unique to the intersection of gender race and disability. So to encourage divergent thinking, that is why we are forming an advisory committee to review our work and provide. Input

458
01:02:00.120 --> 01:02:09.699
Ashley Cole (she/her): our team will be seeking folks with lived experience across disability and across Canada for this advisory committee. Thank you so much.

459
01:02:15.380 --> 01:02:23.249
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you so much, Ashley, for that wonderful overview of some of the key findings that have come from the current project. That's wonderful.

460
01:02:23.630 --> 01:02:50.300
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Okay. So if folks want to take a minute, we are gonna move on to the question and answer period so that's where you all can have a chance to ask questions of our speakers. We'd love to know what resonated with you. For our conversation today. Anything you'd like to add to the conversation. We're happy to open it up to any comments you have to.

461
01:02:51.090 --> 01:02:54.710
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: and anything about where to go from here would be amazing.

462
01:02:56.340 --> 01:03:05.397
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: I'll give folks a minute and yeah, you can feel free to write in the chat. If you prefer to speak. You can also unmute your microphone.

463
01:03:05.730 --> 01:03:33.759
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: yeah, I guess I'll just say, like all of our speakers were amazing today. Thank you so much. Everybody, for sharing some of your own stories, your own passions for being involved in the realm of sexuality and disability. I learned so much throughout this research project and continue to learn it as we go and dig deeper into the findings, and I see a hand here from Sherry. Please go ahead.

464
01:03:34.140 --> 01:03:42.114
Sheri Upper: I thank you so much for taking my question, and I should just be sure anybody. I've not been driving this whole time. I've been sitting in a parking lot.

465
01:03:42.380 --> 01:03:43.153
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: All good.

466
01:03:43.750 --> 01:04:08.780
Sheri Upper: Yeah, no. Just actually made me think I work for spinal cord injury, Ontario and the front line and supporting clients and accessing services and support, and we we spend a fair amount of time doing outreach attendant care applications, but also supporting them with direct funding, because I think that might be another piece to include advocacy, because, you know, direct funding doesn't. If you read the book, anyhow, what they assist with it doesn't include any activities related to

467
01:04:08.780 --> 01:04:14.089
Sheri Upper: sexuality and sexual expression, so that might be another piece to incorporate. As we move forward.

468
01:04:15.340 --> 01:04:28.659
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Absolutely. Thank you so much Sherry, for that comment, and taking us over to the, you know the aspect of funding. I think that's really important. I don't know if any of our speakers wanted to comment on Sherry's question or comment.

469
01:04:31.490 --> 01:04:50.629
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): I I wasn't aware of that with the direct funding that there wasn't something specific to that. So that is, that's news to me I mean, I mean the people that we've talked to there. There's, I guess maybe there's also different ways of direct funding, isn't there? Because we've also talked to people who

470
01:04:51.326 --> 01:05:10.400
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): hire. They don't necessarily hire through an organization they will post on like Kijiji and find people who maybe aren't PSWs. They're looking for people who, looking for the right fit, and then they can train and direct their own care. So maybe within those less formal

471
01:05:10.914 --> 01:05:31.870
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): you know ways. And I think, too, that there's there's there's a lot of difficulty, maybe uptick with care workers coming in again, just because of how uncomfortable and just not having that proper training. So is that what's keeping keeping it from being a part of of the care that's offered because

472
01:05:32.510 --> 01:05:51.090
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): it it's like that feels like a minefield. So perhaps this is what we're doing is going to maybe start to fill some of those gaps. And maybe this could be something where it's an elective for students who are maybe doing PSW work. Or, you know, like we could see the potential for how this could

473
01:05:51.090 --> 01:06:10.349
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): really be helpful for that. And I just wanted to take a moment to thank everybody for what they've said so far today. Amazing. My heart is so full. I know Wallace's is, too, that there are so many things in our lives that take away our energy, that remove our spoons

474
01:06:10.350 --> 01:06:30.369
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): and and working with this group and and and being able to connect with everybody who is participating by being here today just fills us out. So it's just overwhelmingly just wonderful. So just a big thank you to everybody before you know we. I know that Dan has his hand up there, too. So thank you so much.

475
01:06:31.290 --> 01:06:34.769
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thanks very much, Melanie, for that. And Dan, yeah, over to you.

476
01:06:36.275 --> 01:06:40.579
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Yeah, I mean just to follow up with. I guess some of the comments that Molly made. I mean.

477
01:06:40.690 --> 01:06:44.400
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I think that you know there isn't something expressly written

478
01:06:44.450 --> 01:06:56.190
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: that promotes assistance with sexual expression in dread funding. So I am a self manager myself. I also am the manager of the dread funding program for Southwest Ontario.

479
01:06:56.240 --> 01:07:04.719
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: I think that, you know, like many attendant service providers, it's that unspoken piece, right? Which is sort of why we're here today.

480
01:07:04.760 --> 01:07:07.730
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: right? I think a lot of individuals will.

481
01:07:07.760 --> 01:07:14.300
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: you know, privately, quietly admit that it is a part of the reality of life, and that it's an accepted part of of

482
01:07:14.380 --> 01:07:16.519
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: providing care. The problem is.

483
01:07:16.640 --> 01:07:17.789
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: how do you?

484
01:07:18.750 --> 01:07:24.089
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: How do you make that a part of the conversation? Because, as an individual, for example, at least myself

485
01:07:24.150 --> 01:07:39.509
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: as an individual. How do I have those conversations with Staff? And I'm a fairly well spoken individual with years of experience, I mean. Imagine somebody who's new to the game and really shy about it, and doesn't really know how to broach the subject right? Or an attendant, maybe, who has never had this conversation before

486
01:07:39.580 --> 01:07:45.380
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: with somebody, and doesn't know what their rights and responsibilities are. So I think again, that's

487
01:07:45.490 --> 01:07:54.429
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: you know, the crux of the work that we're doing here, and and the crux of the work in 2,011 is, you know, how how do we make this part of the conversation where

488
01:07:54.954 --> 01:07:58.509
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: sexual health is is synonymous with... Rights.

489
01:08:01.400 --> 01:08:03.890
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you very much for that, Dan. Thank you.

490
01:08:04.230 --> 01:08:24.190
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: I'm going to jump over to the chat with a really important comment from an attendee, Rochelle, they say, thank you so much to all the speakers today this has been a great session, not so much a question, but a comment. I just wanted to name that asexuality is a valid and important sexual identity for a lot of people, including disabled people.

491
01:08:24.189 --> 01:08:37.600
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: There's been a couple times in this Town Hall, where asexual seems to be used in place of desexualized or non-sexual, but using the term asexual in these contexts, erases disabled asexual and aromantic folks from these conversations.

492
01:08:37.600 --> 01:09:05.359
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: If we're trying to move forward with better understandings around disabled sexuality and recognize intersectionality, we really have to change our language around this. Thank you so much, Rochelle, for making those distinctions between asexual, non-sexual, dsexualized because you're absolutely correct, like asexuality is a fully valid sexual identity for folks with disabilities whatever that may look like and without disabilities to use. And I think you're right. What we

493
01:09:05.359 --> 01:09:23.159
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: did intend to say is desexualized or non-sexual, and having a sexuality taken away or assumed to not be present, which is not asexuality. Asexuality is still a dimension of human sexuality. So thank you so much for for that comment. And I am. I have definitely taken that in.

494
01:09:23.229 --> 01:09:24.240
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you.

495
01:09:27.450 --> 01:09:29.530
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: she says, thanks in the chat. Thank you.

496
01:09:30.030 --> 01:09:58.959
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Okay, I I think. Yeah. Melanie and and Wallace had some really good comments. Dan, thank you for for taking it from there. My question to everyone that I'm super curious about is, where do we go from here? So we know that these conversations have all been happening for quite some time, even before the 2,011 project. Obviously, disability communities are so overlapping with queer communities and beyond. And

497
01:09:59.190 --> 01:10:28.150
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: there's a lot of complexities in this work and also a lot of potential for change and moving forward together. So from our varied positions, what can we do, and what do you all need in your own lives? And as a collective movement or set of movements to move forward. I know that's a big question, but we have such wisdom in the room. And, as Adam was saying when they were speaking.

498
01:10:28.150 --> 01:10:44.919
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: It's not always that universities produce knowledge while engaging broadly with communities. And that's something that Sessi has at the core of our work. And you can see how important that is in this work. So, Melanie, I see you unmuted. So I'm going to go to you.

499
01:10:44.920 --> 01:10:47.959
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): I actually, I think Andrew had their hand up, so I wondered.

500
01:10:47.960 --> 01:10:52.539
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Apologies. I have only some folks on my on my screen. So, Andrew, please please go ahead. Thank you.

501
01:10:56.330 --> 01:11:01.740
Andrew Gurza: Thank you. Thank you. I think that where we go from here I think we have to

502
01:11:01.860 --> 01:11:08.760
Andrew Gurza: to step back from the sexuality piece before we even start going to. I think we need to sit with care providers

503
01:11:09.020 --> 01:11:13.969
Andrew Gurza: and care managers and have them address

504
01:11:14.540 --> 01:11:19.889
Andrew Gurza: without shaming them and naming them, saying like, Hey, what about disability? Scares you?

505
01:11:19.970 --> 01:11:28.170
Andrew Gurza: What about that whole context scares the shit out of you? Let's talk about that openly, because I think a lot of this stems from

506
01:11:28.190 --> 01:11:32.920
Andrew Gurza: not even just sexuality, but as a care provider for them.

507
01:11:33.150 --> 01:11:56.209
Andrew Gurza: Disability is scary. They know they have to provide care. They know they have to enter into a disabled person's home. That's really scary for a lot of people, and I've dealt with a lot of care providers that are great, but when they 1st start they're terrified to say the wrong thing. Do the wrong thing. They often say the wrong thing and do the wrong thing and attempt to do the right thing, and I think we need to sit down with them

508
01:11:56.370 --> 01:12:02.119
Andrew Gurza: and say and give them a space to be like. You know what Andrew's disability is scary because.

509
01:12:02.340 --> 01:12:12.359
Andrew Gurza: blah! Blah! I'm scared of this. I'm afraid of this. I have ableist feelings around sex and disability because of this without making them feel like

510
01:12:13.310 --> 01:12:17.799
Andrew Gurza: they're feeling around. This is wrong, giving them a space to express that

511
01:12:18.050 --> 01:12:19.719
Andrew Gurza: where they feel safe.

512
01:12:19.780 --> 01:12:23.100
Andrew Gurza: And then saying, Okay, how do we unpack that

513
01:12:23.400 --> 01:12:24.929
Andrew Gurza: so that we can

514
01:12:25.380 --> 01:12:30.120
Andrew Gurza: honor what you're saying, but also teach you that what you're saying? Maybe a little bit ableist

515
01:12:30.290 --> 01:12:37.039
Andrew Gurza: in the nicest, most comfy way. And how do we move you forward so that you can do this work without feeling

516
01:12:37.320 --> 01:12:42.599
Andrew Gurza: scared or having any of those thoughts really getting them to remove themselves from....

518
01:12:44.380 --> 01:12:46.759
Andrew Gurza: your client, and more like

519
01:12:46.970 --> 01:12:49.760
Andrew Gurza: I'm a person who maybe has ableist thoughts around

520
01:12:49.780 --> 01:12:58.910
Andrew Gurza: sex and disability. And I need to express them in order to change them. I think a lot of people don't talk about this stuff in these care spaces because

521
01:12:59.280 --> 01:13:01.340
Andrew Gurza: it may not be appropriate.

522
01:13:01.820 --> 01:13:07.500
Andrew Gurza: and you know they don't want to hurt. They obviously don't want to offend the client. But the problem is, they have all these feelings.

523
01:13:07.540 --> 01:13:13.160
Andrew Gurza: but they have no space to get it out, and no one to mediate that to be like. How do we make?

524
01:13:13.190 --> 01:13:17.730
Andrew Gurza: How do we help you change your worldview without making you feel less than.

525
01:13:20.580 --> 01:13:29.529
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: That's great. Thank you so much for that, Andrew. So that kind of education and genuine engagement piece with care providers, and acknowledging that

526
01:13:29.530 --> 01:13:51.709
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: ableism runs deep in our society or communities, and it's something that we can work through together, as you mentioned, without shaming folks and acknowledging that disability communities are diverse. There are gaps in my knowledge from my side of things. There's things that we all have to learn from each other. I think that was really important. Thank you.

527
01:13:51.710 --> 01:13:52.530
Andrew Gurza: Thank you.

528
01:13:52.530 --> 01:14:01.709
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: And it. Thank you. And I see there's a comment in the chat and a hand raised, so maybe I'm trish. I'll go to you first, and then I'll go to the comment in the chat.

529
01:14:08.520 --> 01:14:11.237
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Oh, I think you're still muted. There you go.

530
01:14:12.100 --> 01:14:25.789
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: I was muted sorry about that. I want to say thank you very much. This has been really enlightening. I'm out in Vancouver, and I run a little company called Central Solutions, and we've been in business since 2011,

531
01:14:25.850 --> 01:14:29.350
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: and what we do is we work with

532
01:14:29.390 --> 01:14:33.950
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: anyone in the disabled community, including care, aides, and parents

533
01:14:34.000 --> 01:14:56.709
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: who would like more information on how to have these conversations, and how to gain access to sexual activity for their loved one with a physical disability. And we've seen a real increase on people who are calling in, especially parents of adult children.

534
01:14:57.043 --> 01:15:10.066
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: And they're asking for the same things like, where do we go to get if we want financial support for this option? And and how do we work around the current laws in Canada if if this

535
01:15:11.060 --> 01:15:16.110
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: if this money is granted for researching sexual expression.

536
01:15:16.170 --> 01:15:39.709
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: But we've had great impact out here. We've had one of our clients who's had a child, and so we are hoping to expand across the country. We do have some intimacy. Coaches, we call them. We have 2 in Toronto and one in Ottawa. But I just wanted to mention that. And I'd love to be part of the Advisory Committee, because I think it's really important

537
01:15:39.710 --> 01:15:54.329
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: that these action steps. There's going to have to be some activism, for sure, because I don't think we're going to be able to do it on our own. I think activism is towards our government is what we really need to work on. And that's all I want to say. Thank you. Everyone.

538
01:15:55.720 --> 01:16:07.689
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Chris, thank you so much for that. I'm so happy to learn of your organization, intimacy, coaches, and all the work you're doing. I think I can speak for a team when we'll definitely reach out and connect with you. Yeah.

539
01:16:07.900 --> 01:16:09.210
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: thank you so much.

540
01:16:10.097 --> 01:16:35.150
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Okay. And with that we have about 10 min left so I'm gonna jump over to the chat with a question from Natalia. She says. Hi, Wallace, Melanie, and team, I would anticipate that these findings might be tampered or not fully actualized, out of a fear of exposing vulnerable people to sexual assault, which is a legitimate fear in some contexts and circumstances. Are there any counter arguments?

541
01:16:38.990 --> 01:16:41.439
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: So? I know. I

542
01:16:41.650 --> 01:16:46.240
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: this is something I'm happy to speak to, but I'd love to open it up to speakers first.st

543
01:16:47.680 --> 01:16:56.239
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: If anyone wants to jump in, if you have your hand up. Sorry. I probably can't see it, because only some folks are on the screen, so feel free to just unmute and jump in. If you would like to.

544
01:16:57.290 --> 01:17:03.529
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): If you wanted to start Lindsay. I think that is because sometimes it takes a while to mold something around.

545
01:17:03.670 --> 01:17:27.920
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Yeah, sure. Sure. I can start, and sure, so I'll I'll just quickly say, I know that concern and and some of the anxieties that are raised by research into sexuality supports might prompt folks to jump into thoughts of risk which we don't mean to erase at all in these discussions. I think.

546
01:17:28.296 --> 01:17:56.189
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: You know our team knows that. Rates of sexual assault and other dangers are often disproportionately experienced by folks with disabilities, and I'll say for myself. One of my ways into this project is that I'm a late diagnosed, autistic, queer woman and anytime themes of sexual assault and other violence come up. I completely understand why they do from my own lived experience

547
01:17:56.190 --> 01:17:59.110
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: and and from, you know, research that I'm familiar with

548
01:17:59.576 --> 01:18:04.240
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: I will say that I hope that having such

549
01:18:04.430 --> 01:18:18.606
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: an amazing group here today, and even more amazing folks out there that can help move these conversations forward. Not to erase, risk, or brush it aside, but to say that I think that folks with disabilities across.

550
01:18:18.970 --> 01:18:43.940
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: You know the the broad range of diversity that folks bring to the table folks who might not be disabled. I I think we can all benefit, and I think disproportionately. Folks with disabilities can benefit in their safety, in their agency. And in understanding what sex and sexuality for them. Looks like that feels true to them to support folks and negotiate

551
01:18:43.940 --> 01:19:01.209
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: associating those relationships with others. In the context of care services and beyond is important. So I would hope that our conversation here today, this research will bring folks to the table in the spirit of this is complex stuff.

552
01:19:01.260 --> 01:19:08.269
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: and folks may be at risk. But I, in my in my view, I think we can only

553
01:19:09.090 --> 01:19:29.160
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: acknowledge the risk along with the benefits that these conversations bring and changes to these practices. Can, in fact, I think, help keep us all safer and help each other. Keep each other safe in this. So that's where I would go. And oh, I see some other hands. Excellent! TK, I would love to go over to you.

554
01:19:30.470 --> 01:19:33.340
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): No, thanks, Lindsay, and thanks for the question.

555
01:19:34.130 --> 01:19:43.040
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): so one. So my background is primarily in sexual health. But and as well as in sexual violence prevention. So these are the 2 spaces that I've existed the most and

556
01:19:43.663 --> 01:19:57.070
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): and the kind of main response that I say, when a folks suggest that this kind of information would increase. The likelihood of sexual violence is that that's statistically very untrue across all identities, and experiences

557
01:19:57.483 --> 01:20:06.540
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): Yes, people, particularly women and queer folks with disabilities, are at a much higher rate of experiencing sexual violence. That is statistically true.

558
01:20:06.870 --> 01:20:07.690
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): I've

559
01:20:07.830 --> 01:20:10.510
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): but, like the vast majority of sexual violence.

560
01:20:10.550 --> 01:20:18.270
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): You see it at the hands of people that they already know. And so people are most likely to experience sexual harm

561
01:20:18.330 --> 01:20:27.879
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): by someone in their family by someone like a friend, a support worker like someone who's they already know, and that is already happening.

562
01:20:28.270 --> 01:20:29.310
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): And

563
01:20:29.380 --> 01:20:41.789
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): what we see in the vast majority of sexual education and sexual violence. Prevention is that when you give people more information, more tools, more resources, more comfort in talking about sexual violence

564
01:20:42.169 --> 01:20:46.639
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): or sorry talking about sex. You actually see reductions in sexual violence. And so.

565
01:20:47.300 --> 01:20:51.800
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): to be very clear, the only thing that can prevent sexual violence is

566
01:20:51.980 --> 01:20:55.060
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): the people who are perpetrating it, not perpetrating it.

567
01:20:56.080 --> 01:20:59.689
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): But that being said, you also see that more folks.

568
01:21:00.070 --> 01:21:07.640
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): when they have the information, are able to identify situations which are unsafe or harmful, seek help when they need it.

569
01:21:08.200 --> 01:21:09.159
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): And so

570
01:21:09.190 --> 01:21:10.790
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): across the board.

571
01:21:10.800 --> 01:21:19.210
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): giving information, giving resources, increasing comfort. These conversations are actually a necessary tool in reducing sexual violence. If that's someone's goal

572
01:21:19.400 --> 01:21:25.146
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): moving away from that as well, that when we focus specifically on people with disabilities,

573
01:21:25.900 --> 01:21:31.040
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): and that protection idea, saying that, you know for disabled folks.

574
01:21:31.370 --> 01:21:45.810
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): there's a different risk in when you're giving this information. It also contributes to that infantilizing that we do, and this idea that you must be surrounded, and that you. This information would be too much

575
01:21:46.190 --> 01:21:49.700
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): but regardless of the disability space that I've been in.

576
01:21:49.910 --> 01:21:51.899
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): The consistent argument is.

577
01:21:52.010 --> 01:21:57.739
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): you give all of the information, and people will take from that what they need. And that's true of non-disabled people as well

578
01:21:58.194 --> 01:22:04.179
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): and that all of that information ends up being so much more supportive and contributing to

579
01:22:04.330 --> 01:22:12.749
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): getting help when it's needed, and also having really great sex lives. If it's wanted. Then the idea of keeping that information or

580
01:22:12.990 --> 01:22:16.570
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): protecting people or keeping them in the dark that that's

581
01:22:16.580 --> 01:22:20.379
TK (they/them/iel) + Thyra (they/she): that is actually one of the things that breeds sexual violence.

582
01:22:23.100 --> 01:22:37.250
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you so much for that. Tk, that that perfectly summed up why projects like this are so important, and how that lack of information can actually contribute to cycles of sexual violence. Thank you. Thank you for that.

583
01:22:38.306 --> 01:22:42.019
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Trish, I see you still have your hand up. Is that an old hand or a new hand.

584
01:22:46.350 --> 01:22:47.569
Trish St John - Sensual Solutions: It's an old hand. Sorry.

585
01:22:47.570 --> 01:22:51.109
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Okay, no worries, no, no. Just wanted to check in. Just wanted to check in.

586
01:22:52.170 --> 01:22:58.290
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Okay, I thank you, Natalia, for that question. I hope that helps you. Address the counter arguments. Piece.

587
01:22:58.520 --> 01:22:59.310
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Yeah.

588
01:22:59.590 --> 01:23:24.720
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: okay? And I'll read out just a comment in the chat here from Megan. Not a question. Just wanted to thank everyone for the session. I currently work with my organization to create an educational program for our staff on the topic of sexual health rights for those we work with. I've written down lots of the points that were brought up today, and I'll definitely be utilizing the information brought forward when creating a curriculum. Amazing. Thank you for that, Megan. So much.

589
01:23:25.035 --> 01:23:37.660
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Okay, we have about 4 min left. Are there any burning questions that anyone hasn't had a chance to jump in, or comments that that folks haven't had a chance to say yet. They would like to share.

590
01:23:39.030 --> 01:24:03.089
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): I just wanna just quickly jump into saying we're sorry we keep losing power. So our Internet keeps going down. So it may happen again any second. And so we miss. I'm so glad it's recorded, because we miss like the last 10 min. So I know Wallace had something to talk about with regards to the Advisory Committee

591
01:24:03.490 --> 01:24:11.469
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): address some of what he had to say, too. But this is why we want, and sorry if this is redundant, based on information we missed in the past.

592
01:24:11.470 --> 01:24:12.700
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Not at all. No, no, no.

593
01:24:12.700 --> 01:24:38.749
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): But our Advisory Committee is a big piece of what we want to do next, and and we want to try to ensure that this committee is represented of of it's cross representation, which includes attendance which includes care companies if if they're interested. But it's across the board. So we really want to have a very full rich

594
01:24:39.133 --> 01:24:56.110
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): cross disability inclusive of those that that provide service. To all be a part of this advisory committee. And so as a byproduct of that, we're also hoping that it's not just going to advise how we're gonna move forward with our.

595
01:24:56.110 --> 01:25:21.689
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): with our, our, our curriculum, or whatever it is that we wanna offer next. But it's also just gonna provide information like TK said, when you get a group of people together that are sharing their knowledge that are sharing their expertise. You know, those with lived experience are gonna be a huge part of what we're doing. And so a lot of that information gathering we're hoping is going to come as a product of

596
01:25:21.690 --> 01:25:36.199
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): having our advisory committee sit down and talk about how this next phase is going to unfold. And I think really, really important. What Andrew brought up to. That's absolutely a absolutely right that if if people

597
01:25:37.220 --> 01:25:59.580
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): are, don't have any place to ask their questions openly without fear of judgment, then you know, we need to be able to allow people a a safe space to be having these conversations. So we can get over our biased ableist views, or even the internal internalized ableism that we might carry in order to move this forward.

598
01:25:59.720 --> 01:26:00.490
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): Yep.

599
01:26:01.530 --> 01:26:25.430
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you so much for that, Melanie Wallace, and I'm glad you made it back on yeah, I thank you for that. And yeah, I guess just as we wrap up. And I see we have 1 min left. I'll just say that. We're happy to send a follow up email to folks who want more information. About the advisory committee and the next phase of creating programming curriculum whatever people

600
01:26:25.430 --> 01:26:39.149
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: would want and need to be able to move forward together from here. So this is definitely not the last time you'll be hearing from us. We so appreciate everybody taking the time to join today. Share your stories.

601
01:26:39.150 --> 01:27:02.649
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: share your thoughts, your comments, your questions. Thank you so much again, to all of our wonderful speakers today. Many of which are ongoing partners that I've had the privilege to work with on the sexual and access project, who are amazing, and many folks that I've connected with for the 1st time virtually today. So thank you so so much, everybody for being here. You will hear from us very shortly.

602
01:27:02.650 --> 01:27:19.123
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): And I just wanted. We wanted Wallace, and I wanted to take a moment, Lindsey, to acknowledge you and what you have done not like ongoing, but certainly today it's hurting caps. And you keeping us all within our time.

603
01:27:19.490 --> 01:27:21.259
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: And easy. I can't leave it either. You made it easy.

604
01:27:21.260 --> 01:27:34.936
t6talk: Wallace (he/they) and Melanie (she/they): Allowed ever like it allowed us to just totally relax and really just enjoy the conversation. So thank you so much for what you do the whole team is amazing. But I just wanted to acknowledge you today, Lindsay. Thank you so much.

605
01:27:35.240 --> 01:27:48.600
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: Thank you. Thank you so much, everybody, and and thank you also to Dr. Liz Jackson, Sessie's director. She has been very supportive of this project all the way through, and just sent a nice message saying, Beautiful work, everyone, gratitude and congratulations. So, yeah.

606
01:27:48.670 --> 01:27:57.510
Community Engaged Scholarship Institute: okay, thank you so much. Everybody with that we will sign off for now, and we'll have more information about the recording and next stages very soon, for you all. Take care.

607
01:27:58.090 --> 01:27:59.000
Dan Lajoie - ILWR: Take care!