More than 70 million Americans live with a disability.

That's roughly one in four adults, and anyone can join that number at any point in our lives,

through an injury, illness, or simply getting older.

Disabled people are one of the largest minorities in this country, yet there's one part of

their lives that almost never gets discussed.

Sex.

Today, that silence is being challenged by disabled people themselves, online and film and television,

in conversations happening in bedrooms and doctors' offices across the country.

In February, we brought you 1A's first sex week about sex across our lifespans, and you

told us you wanted more about sex and disability. How do we express our needs, especially when

the sex we want doesn't match common ideas of what sex and the people who have it can look like.

I'm Jen White. You're listening to the 1A podcast. Today, we'll hear about desire and intimacy

across a range of experiences, physical and developmental disability, chronic pain, chronic

illness, and everything in between. Stay with us. We'll be back with more after this break. Welcome back to the

1A podcast. We're talking about sex and disability. Let's get into our conversation and meet our

guests. Joining us from Ibsilani, Michigan is Shana Katz Katari. They're a professor of social work

and of women's and gender studies at the

University of Michigan. They're also the author of exploring sexuality and disability, a guide for

human service professionals. Shana, welcome to the program. Thank you so much for having me on. I'm glad to be here.

Also with us from Central Valley, California is Bianca Laureano.

She's a sexuality educator and curriculum writer.

She's also the founder of the online school, Antiopp, and the co-founder of the Women of Color Sexual Health Network.

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