1. Sexuality and Mobility Disability: The Road to Sexual Pleasure
​The Purpose:
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The purpose of this study is to understand how queer people with mobility disabilities experience and redefine sexual pleasure, so their voices can be heard, and sexual health discussions can be more inclusive.
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If you are interested in participating, please click "Get Started" to register!
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The Basics:
1. Sexual Expression & Sexual Health:
For queer and disabled individuals, sexual expression is frequently policed or erased, directly impacting sexual health outcomes. Medical and social narratives often assume we cannot have sex or do not want sex.
For example:
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Barriers in Sexual Healthcare: Disabled LGBTQIA+ individuals report higher rates of dismissive medical encounters, where providers assume they are non-sexual or focus solely on functional limitations rather than pleasure.
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Lack of Inclusive Education: Sex education rarely addresses queer-disabled experiences, leaving many without knowledge of adaptive sexual practices, safe sex for diverse bodies, or consent models.
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Mental Health Impacts: Repression or denial of sexual expression due to stigma relates to higher rates of depression and anxiety in queer-disabled populations.
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2. Sexual Expression & Sexual Pleasure:
Society often tells people there’s a right way to be sexual, like only certain bodies, relationships, or desires being normal. Although, for many people, especially queer, disabled, or other marginalized groups, these norms can feel limiting or unfair.​ Sexual pleasure is the enjoyment people feel from their sexuality, whether alone or with others. Sexual Pleasure is an experience that can manifest in physical sensations, psychological states, and emotional connections.
Some examples of the forms pleasure can take:
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Physical Pleasure
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Touch: Stimulation of erogenous zones (like genitals, nipples, skin).
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Sexual acts: Oral sex, intercourse, masturbation, grinding, etc.
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Full-body sensations: Massage, temperature play (ice/warmth), vibration.
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Kink/BDSM: Consensual power play, bondage, sensory experiences.
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Emotional & Mental Pleasure
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Intimacy: Feeling deeply connected to a partner (eye contact, cuddling, whispered words).
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Fantasy: Imagining scenarios or using erotica/porn (if it feels good).
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Being desired: Feeling wanted or admired by yourself or others.
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Non-Traditional or Adaptive Pleasure
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Solo pleasure: Masturbation, using toys, or just enjoying your own body.
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Non-genital pleasure: Enjoying sensations in other body parts (neck, feet, scalp).
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Spiritual & Creative Pleasure
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Tantra/sacred sexuality: Using breath, meditation, or movement for pleasure.
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Art & expression: Dancing, writing, or creating art that feels sexy or freeing.
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Key Idea: Pleasure doesn’t have to fit normal expectations, as it’s about what feels good to you! Some people love intense physical sensations, while others prefer emotional closeness or simply just the freedom to explore.
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Therefore, We Are Reclaiming Desire Beyond Norms, which means:
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Choosing what feels good for you, not just what others expect.
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Celebrating all kinds of bodies, desires, and ways of experiencing pleasure.
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Fighting shame or stereotypes that say some pleasures are wrong.
Participants:
​So, if you would like to participate in our study, please consider pressing the "Get Started" button here. After you complete the form, I will email you first to set up a call (10-15 minutes) where I can introduce myself, discuss the study and access needs, and schedule a Zoom interview if you qualify!
You qualify if:
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1. You Identify as Having a Mobility Disability:
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Such as Amputation(s), Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Musculoskeletal disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Bifida, or something else affecting mobility.
2. Have had multiple sexual experiences, of any kind, within the last 6 months.
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Such as the mind and body,
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Sexual experiences alone or with partner(s)
3. Identify as LGBTQ+ or Queer
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4. You are in the USA
5. You are 18 years of age or older.
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Further questions, please email:
Danielle Napoli, LMHC, LPC, NCC
Doctoral Candidate
napolid1@montclair.edu
Brad van Eeden-Moorefield, MSW, PhD, CFLE
vaneedenmobr@montclair.edu
IRB Study #: FY24-25-4732
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DISCLAIMER: Just like the word queer, the term cripple was once used as an insult against disabled people (McRuer, 2006). Over time, just as the LGBTQ+ community reclaimed queer, many disabled activists have taken back the word Crip as a shorter, prouder way to describe themselves.
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Using Crip is a way to push back against society’s narrow ideas about disability and to celebrate differences instead of hiding them. Queer Crips (people who are both LGBTQ+ and disabled) challenge stereotypes and demand that society recognize all kinds of bodies and sexualities.
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This means fighting for a world where everyone, no matter their body or who they love, is accepted and valued.
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Kafer, A. (2013). Feminist, Queer, Crip. Indiana University Press.
McRuer, R. (2006). Crip Theory: Cultural Signs of Queerness and Disability. NYU Press.
My Academic Approach:
This study employs a critical phenomenology approach grounded in crip theory to explore how queer individuals with mobility disabilities experience sexual pleasure, challenging the binary structures of able-bodiedness and normative sexuality. Sexual pleasure is the good feelings, such as physical, like touch, mental, like dreams, and emotional, that come from sexual experiences. This can happen alone or with others and can include thoughts, fantasies, or touching yourself. Through Iterative Thematic Inquiry (ITI), the research investigates the multifaceted dimensions of sexual pleasure, including emotional, intellectual, and sensory aspects, as well as how participants navigate cultural norms such as compulsory able-bodiedness and heteronormativity.
The study partners with the United Spinal Association for recruitment, centering the voices of queer disabled individuals and prioritizing their lived experiences. The findings aim to disrupt dominant narratives about disability and sexuality, offering new insights into how sexual pleasure is reimagined and pursued within marginalized communities. This work contributes to broader conversations about sexual health, pleasure, and the intersection of queerness and disability, advocating for more inclusive understandings of intimacy and pleasure.