Addressing LGBT+ issues in comprehensive sexuality education for learners with visual impairment: guidance from disability professionals

ABSTRACT

Despite public outcry, South Africa has decided to roll out comprehensive sexuality education in schools. Currently, however, there are no scripted lesson plans for teachers of learners with visual impairment. Local literature suggests that the current sexuality education curriculum fails to engage with sexuality diversity and is imbued with notions of compulsory heterosexuality and able-bodiedness, perpetuating homophobia, transphobia and ableism in schools and broader communities. The paper sought guidance from disability professionals on how to best address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexualities’ (LGBT+) issues as part of comprehensive sexuality education for learners with visual impairment. Bourdieu’s work on doxa, orthodoxy and heterodoxy underpinned the study. Three professionals working with learners with visual impairment were interviewed in a focus group, and one school principal working in a school for learners with visual impairment was interviewed individually. Data were thematically analysed. Pre- and in-service teachers are encouraged not to see comprehensive sexuality education offered to learners with visual impairment as different from that provided to their sighted peers. Professionals urged teachers to accept LGBT+ learners with visual impairment in their dress, expression and embodiment. However, teachers need to be aware of learners’ cultural and religious differences. Current lesson plans need to be revisited to safeguard against compulsory heterosexuality and able-bodiedness.

KEYWORDS:

• Bourdieu
• comprehensive sexuality education
• compulsory able-bodiedness
• compulsory heterosexuality
• learners with visual impairment
• lgbt+

Disclosure statement

The author of this paper declares no potential conflict of interest. The views expressed here are those of the author alone and should not be taken to imply the views of the funders.

Notes

1. LGBT+, in other writings LGBTIQA(2S)+, refers to a broad category for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer (or questioning), asexual (or ally) and others. I concur with Hunt and Holmes (2015, 170) that ‘Although commonly used, we recognise that [LGBTIQA(2S)+] can have a homogenising effect blurring differences between identity and sexual orientation, and erasing the specificities of power, marginalisation, and/or privilege based on gender, race, class, ability, and other forms of social location and identity.’

2. Learners with visual impairment is an inclusive term that includes a variety of forms of vision loss including low vision, colour-blindness, partial blindness, and complete blindness (Kapperman and Kelly 2013).

3. The right to sexuality education is underpinned in the SA Constitution under the right to innocence, bodily and psychological integrity, education, access to reproductive information and healthcare services in Section 12(2)(a-c) and 27(1), 28, 29, 32 of Chapter 2 of the Bill of Rights (Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996). In Chapter 2, Section 38 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005, access to sexuality education for learners with visual impairment is acknowledged under the section dealing with children’s right to information around sexuality and reproduction.

4. Bourdieu (1977, 1984, 1990) provides a complex theory of practice that has been summarised here. Navarro (2006) provides a more elaborate introduction to Bourdieu’s theoretical terminology and its wider application.

5. An Afrikaner white man

Additional information

Funding

Research for this publication was financially supported by the European Union (EU) and South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) as part of the Development of an Advanced Diploma in Education in Visual Impairment Studies project conducted between 2016-2021. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and should in no way be taken to reflect the views or policy positions of the EU.