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Ordinary Women: Issues for Women with Learning Disabilities
Author(s) -
Brown Hilary
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
british journal of learning disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1468-3156
pISSN - 1354-4187
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3156.1996.tb00201.x
Subject(s) - human sexuality , learning disability , psychology , sexual abuse , domestic violence , reproductive rights , gender studies , developmental psychology , medicine , reproductive health , sociology , poison control , population , human factors and ergonomics , environmental health
This paper reviews some key issues for women with learning disabilities and those who work with them arguing that many of these are ‘ordinary’ women's issues which are exacerbated because they often remain unacknowledged. Services ignore gender more than sexuality leading to very atypical lifestyles for women with learning disabilities. The paper explores how women's needs around fitness and appearance, sexuality and sexual abuse, reproductive rights and experiences of motherhood and caring for others could be supported by services which were more willing to acknowledge that women with learning disabilities are ‘women first’.