Why is Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) important for Disabled people?

30 September 2025

*Content Warning: this article discusses sensitive topics, such as eugenics, domestic abuse and sexual assault* 

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) aims to equip Young People with the tools to make future informed decisions around relationships and sexual health. This includes things like identifying healthy and unhealthy relationships, learning about your mental wellbeing and self-care, understanding boundaries and consent, as well as learning about contraception and safe sex practices. 

RSE can be difficult for Young People to access for many reasons, such as religious beliefs and parental concerns around maturity. When you add topics such as Disability and LGBTQ+ representation, it can be even harder for pupils to access appropriate and beneficial RSE. 

In an attempt to improve RSE to keep children and Young people ‘safe and healthy’, the Department for Education (DfE) produced statutory guidance on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. It is clearly stated that RSE “must be accessible for all pupils.” However, there is no specification on what elements must be made accessible for Disabled pupils and is instead left up to the school to decide what is appropriate for each student. As I have been writing this article, the government have produced updated guidance on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education that comes into effect in 2026.  

While the July 2025 edition does appear to make an attempt at a more inclusive approach to RSE, it fails to improve representation of Disabled people and their experiences. They make a point of including guidance for inclusion on diverse family structure such as same-sex parents, families headed by grandparents and Young carers, yet there is no mention of Disabled parents. There has at least been one positive inclusion for Disabled pupils, as they acknowledge that Disabled people are more likely to be vulnerable to exploitation and assault while highlighting the importance of them receiving RSE. Unfortunately, though, there has been no update on the guidance of what Disabled students are entitled to learn, and it is still left up to the school to decide. This creates barriers as biases will continue to dictate what is seen as appropriate for Disabled pupils. 

Disabled people have been desexualised and infantilised for millennia, and the eugenics movement furthered the stigma around Disabled people having children. Disabled People’s Movement have always  fought against this narrative, UK Disability History Month produced the resource, ‘Research on sex and relationships for Disabled people’, to highlight some of the key research and documentation over the years. It can be seen that some progress has been made, such as Article 23 of the UNCRPD, which states Disabled people should not face discrimination relating to “marriage, family, parenthood and relationships, on an equal basis with others”. However, it also makes it clear that many concerns and barriers that are still ongoing have been ignored. 

Due to the bias and stigma we still hold around Disability and sexuality, Young Disabled People are often seen as not needing as in-depth RSE as other students, causing them to be excluded from important education unnecessarily.  In some cases, even when Disabled pupils are included within RSE lessons, the material has not been tailored in a way that the Young Person can easily understand or relate to. According to a research brief from DfE, Experiences of relationships and sex education (RSE) and sexual risk taking, “24% [of Young people] who had a long-term disability felt that their RSE was ‘not at all useful’.” 

To try and combat the lack of inclusive and representative education, organisations like York People First have produced resources to support Disabled people. Despite the best-efforts organisations and activists’, statistics reveal that only 3% of people with a learning difficulty live as a couple, compared to 70% of the general adult population. These statistics clearly show the curriculum bias within schools that excludes representation of those with diverse impairments is failing and causing large disparities in relationship equality. 

Just having access to the same RSE as non-Disabled people is not enough. Without tailored education that focuses on the lived experience of Disabled people, crucial information is missed. For example, contraception is usually taught by allowing Young People to practice using a condom. This style of education is of little benefit to a Disabled person if they are physically unable to open and apply a condom themselves. Instead, they should receive relevant advice, such as how to ask a partner to help them and what that should look like. Without this tailored education, Disabled people may feel scared to ask partners to help them practice safe sex, leading to higher risks of STIs and unwanted pregnancies.  

Statistically, Disabled people are more likely to experience abuse and be taken advantage of than those who are non-Disabled. Disability and Crime, UK: 2019, a publication by the Office for National Statistics, states that around 14.1% of Disabled adults experienced domestic abuse compared to 5.4% of non-Disabled adults. The publication also reports that 3.7% of Disabled adults reported experiencing sexual assault compared with 1.9% of non-Disabled adults. By failing to create inclusive lessons for Disabled pupils, we are failing to properly equip Disabled Young People with the tools to combat unhealthy and unsafe situations. 

The lack of inclusive RSE also impacts Young Disabled People’s ability to express and understand their sexuality, as they may miss out on LGBTQ+ education. Disabled people are so often viewed as innocent and asexual, the thought that Disabled students might not be heterosexual doesn’t occur. Although according to Parapride, a charity for LGBTQ+ Disabled people, “as many as 40% of LGBTQ+ people are Disabled.” The only way Disabled Young people can truly explore their sexuality and identity is through the Disabled LGBTQ+ community themselves. 

Lucy Webster, a Disabled advocate, created ‘Every Body Queer’ an events and community initiative by and for queer Disabled people. I recently attended one of their panels that brought together a passionate group of Queer, Disabled activists to discuss sex education, their experiences and what they wish they had been taught earlier. The panel mostly felt they had to discover what safe sex and healthy relationships looked like for them through trial and error, as they didn’t have any relevant education at school. This ultimately led them to be in some unsafe situations and often caused them to question their worth.  

This event was empowering and educational. It created a safe space where the Disabled community could support each other and share advice on relationships and sex, something that isn’t often facilitated. It shouldn’t just be down to the Disabled and LGBTQ+ communities to educate. Schools should be listening to the lived experience of Disabled people and utilising it within RSE. 

The idea that Young  People need to be given the right tools to make future informed decisions around relationships and sexual health is still a subject that people find uncomfortable. It is a topic many are scared to talk about as they fear Disabled people are too innocent to understand, but by avoiding important education Disabled people are at a disadvantage and lack crucial information to help keep themselves safe. If the DfE are serious about wanting to improve RSE and keep children ‘safe and healthy’, they need to start challenging these biases and include relevant and appropriate Disabled people-led RSE. 

What can you do to help? Let’s remove the stigma around Disabled people having relationships and sex. Start openly talking about the importance of relevant Relationships and Sex Education for Young Disabled People.