COVID-19 has isolated disabled people from family, love, sex

For the millions of disabled people living in Canada, COVID-19 containment measures have posed unique challenges to their health and well-being. Those challenges have included increased social isolation, loss of personal support workers, disruption of vital health services and difficulties accessing basic necessities and information. Many disabled people are also facing difficulties maintaining and forming intimate relationships during COVID-19. It’s been well-documented that disabled people encounter more complex barriers and constraints to exercising their rights to “intimate citizenship,” which refers to our rights to access family, friends, sex and sexuality, and to parent. These rights are enshrined in the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Canada signed and ratified.