Episode 11 - From Silos to Synergy: Dr. Amy McPherson on Breaking Barriers in Disability and Sexual Health

In this episode of the Disability and Sexuality Lab Podcast, we welcome Dr. Amy McPherson—senior scientist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and associate professor at the University of Toronto. With a background spanning taboo health topics, psychotherapy, and participatory research, Amy brings a refreshingly practical, inclusive, and justice-oriented lens to conversations about disability and sexuality.

We explore the birth of the Let’s Talk Disability and Sex hub, the importance of collaborative and culturally responsive resource development, and how participatory methods—like photovoice and arts-based exhibits—create space for disabled youth to reclaim their sexual identities on their own terms. Amy also discusses knowledge mobilization that works, including her work with the ProFILE lab and her belief in starting with people’s lived realities—not researcher assumptions.

From DIY sex toy adaptation workshops to the growing backlash against inclusive sex ed, Amy reflects on how ableism and stigma remain barriers to sexual expression, and why representation, intersectionality, and humor matter. With humility and care, she emphasizes the value of asking questions, centering disabled voices, and creating research that serves real-world needs.

This episode is a thoughtful, hopeful look at what it means to build a world where pleasure, intimacy, and sexual health belong to everyone.