In this episode of the Disability and Sexuality Lab Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Patsie Frawley, Associate Professor at the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at the University of New South Wales and one of the leading voices in inclusive, rights-based sexuality education. With nearly four decades of experience, Dr. Frawley reflects on her journey from developing grassroots sexuality programs to shaping international research collaborations focused on violence prevention, peer-led education, and reproductive justice.
We talk about the enduring challenges of control and protectionism in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, and why reframing vulnerability as a structural issue—rather than an individual trait—is critical for justice. Dr. Frawley highlights the wins, from grant programs requiring partnerships with disabled people, to the sustained success of initiatives like Sexual Lives and Respectful Relationships and the emerging work of Rainbow Rights and peer educators in Australia and Sweden.
This conversation is full of practical wisdom: from strategies for working with caregivers and parents, to the urgent need for hubs that bring together scattered resources, campaigns, and sex ed programs. Dr. Frawley also challenges the limits of awareness campaigns and tokenistic inclusion, advocating instead for systemic shifts that recognize disabled people as full, complex sexual beings—not exceptions, but part of the expected fabric of everyday life.
Tune in for a powerful episode on listening, learning, and undoing the systems that continue to sideline disabled people’s sexual rights and desires.
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