Progression Of Eugenics

Historical Progression of Disability/Sexuality Rights Early in our history, the societal notion of eugenics in reference to disability, a theory that lends to the belief that persons with disabilities will only give birth to babies with disabilities, spawned the practice of involuntary sterilization (Harader, Fullwood, & Hawthorne, 2009). The aim of the eugenics movement in the United States during the first half of the twentieth century was to prevent the degeneration of the white race (Stubblefield, 2007). Forcibly, many individuals with disabilities were sterilized in residences of institutions. American eugenics refers inter alia to compulsory sterilization laws adopted by over 30 states that led to more than 60,000 sterilizations of disabled

The change from an institutional setting to a more community based setting shows a change in the attitude and believe about individuals with disabilities. Since their emancipation from institutions more than 40 years ago, the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities to participate in society have been increased with opportunities for full inclusion. The concept of inclusion encompasses both acceptance and respect. Children and adults are at risk of experiencing social exclusion and discrimination associated with their disability. While physical inclusion through accessibility change occurs, there is a lack of “feeling” a part of the community, which has some individuals with disabilities calling to action the need for social emotional inclusion. An important example of social emotional inclusion is the access individuals have to social and intimate relationships. The right to an intimate and/or sexual relationship is perceived as a basic right for most people. In the case of adults with an intellectual disability, however, this is a right that has not always been achieved. Advocacy and self-advocacy are both needed to establish

Many myths have governed the attitudes and treatment of individuals with disabilities specifically with regard to their sexuality such as negative eugenics previously discussed, asexuality, uncontrollable urges/perpetrators of sexual deviance, dependency/child like in need of protection, segregation/marriage inequality based on disability, and sexual problems are the direct result of their disabling condition. In the past people with an intellectual disability have been treated in two different ways. Some people see adults with an intellectual disability as people who need protecting from other members of the community. Other people are scared of adults with an intellectual disability and see other members of the community as needing to be protected. Baylis (1992) defined sexuality in the following way; sexuality is an integral part of what constitutes being a human being. It has many faces, but encompasses maleness and femaleness; self concept; self esteem; sensuality; the state of being sexual; as well as sexual expression, which may or may not include sexual intercourse. As such it cannot be separated from the total personality. Personality in turn is influenced by