Scope & Grey London Present the A to Z of Sex and Disability

This October, disability charity Scope is tackling one of the last taboos with a vibrant and racy illustrated A to Z of sex and disability.

From waking up next to a stranger and being unable to locate a limb to those whose impairments encourage them to push the boundaries of sexuality, the A to Z sees disabled people showcase their sex and dating stories to break down barriers and challenge assumptions around sex and disability.

Devised by creative agency Grey London and illustrated by London-based graphic artist Pâté, aka Paul Pateman, the A to Z includes: ‘H for Happy Endings, ‘M for Myths’, ‘T for Tinder’, ‘E for Experimenting’, ‘V for Vibrator’ and ‘O for Orgasm’.

The A to Z is the latest offering from Scope’s End the Awkward campaign, which aims to change attitudes by shining a light-hearted spotlight on the awkwardness people feel around disability. Scope hopes the campaign will help people feel comfortable when talking to – or dating – a disabled person.

Scope research shows that just 5% of people who aren’t disabled have ever asked out, or been on a date with, a disabled person. And less than one in five (16%) have invited a disabled person round to their house.

Rich content, including blogs, stories, films and images, lie behind each letter, including:

-A is for Amputee – Scope ambassador and star of Channel 4’s the Last Leg Alex Brooker shares an awkward morning –after story that anyone who wears a prosthetic limb will be able to sympathise with. “I cannot tell you the panic that goes through a person’s body when you cannot locate all of your limbs!” 

-E is for experimenting – “Becoming disabled has encouraged me to explore the boundaries of what sexuality, sex and sensuality looks like, and make that something that’s a lot more holistic,” Emily Swiatek, a disability employment consultant who is in her late 20s, talks about how her impairment has affected her sex life, how disabled sex encourages experimentation and why there’s a need to talk about the positive side of sex and disability.

-K is for Kama Sutra – Disabled comedian Romina Puma uses her stand-up set to discuss the ins and outs of the Kama Sutra for disabled people, she says: “I’m fascinated by all these positions, even non-disabled people would struggle with some of these.”

Letters A to H are released on Scope.org.uk/a-z today and the rest of the raunchy alphabet will follow throughout October.

Richard Lane, head of campaigns at Scope, says: “End the Awkward is all about challenging attitudes to disability in an open and light-hearted way. We hope our cheeky A to Z will be a conversation starter and will help end the stigma that still surrounds sex and disability.” 

Lex Down and Jamie Starbuck, creative directors at Grey London, add: “For too long the topic of sex and disability has been a taboo. With this campaign we hope to change that and get tongues wagging…in more ways than one (sorry, we couldn’t resist).”