81 - Dating Empowerment Through Happiness and Safety

Dating skills are so important for all people, but especially people with disabilities.

 That's why RADIANT ABILITIES IS COMMITTED TO HELPING PEOPLE, BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES, TO MAKE DATING AND DEVELOPING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS EASIER.

When addressing issues surrounding dating and relationships with parents and support staff, collaboration can be difficult and challenging.  Some parents or support staff may feel uncomfortable addressing dating and relationships due to a variety of reasons:  safety concerns, discomfort, lack of resources, or general unfamiliarity with dating and relationships. 

 AND IT’S ALL OKAY, BECAUSE IT’S A PROCESS.

We need to ACKNOWLEDGE STIGMA SURROUNDING DISABILITY, INTIMACY, AND RELATIONSHIPS.

Stigma can create barriers and challenges for people with disabilities in relationships due to potential barriers due to lack of education/resources on healthy relationships and lack of support, not promoting dating and relationships for PWDs can result in issues/conflict, abuse/assault, unhealthy relationships, and safety issues.

We need to educate parents/staff on the stigma surrounding disability and intimacy and how it can create barriers for people with disabilities and increase the likelihood of abuse/assault if not addressed. 

The main goal in supporting people with disabilities in dating and relationships is to help them develop a healthy support network by…TEACHING DATING AND RELATIONSHIP SKILLS.

Importance of self  esteem and confidence as key tools for happy and safe dating through developing positive core beliefs about oneself. A core belief is a thought you have about yourself that shapes most of your words, actions, thoughts, and feelings. Developing healthy, positive core beliefs about yourself builds a solid foundation that leads to successful dating and relationships.

Why Confidence is So Important

People with disabilities can often feel like they’re not attractive enough due to the differences caused by their disability.

Your sense of attraction is another core belief about yourself.

You attract others because of much more than your looks.

You attract people to you because of your inner qualities - your personality, how you treat others, your perspective on the world, etc.

Self Esteem and Confidence

Help a person develop a strong sense of boundaries and understanding of personal values.

A foundation to success in dating and relationships is being safe and feeling empowered in all your interactions. This includes not being taken advantage of physically, emotionally, sexually, or financially.

Next week we'll address safety skills.

 Resources
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL DATING

Check out our Dating Memberships:

Dating Made Easier (for all people wanting to date) - is a monthly membership for anyone (with or without disabilities) who wants support and guidance in dating skills and getting the RESULTS you want in dating and relationships. Click here to learn more.

Supporting Dating and Relationships membership (for special educators and professionals in disability services) - is for professionals in the disability field who are looking for training and resources to effectively help students/people with disabilities in developing dating and relationship skills. Click here to learn more.

Music by Successful Motivation |
Artwork photo by Elevate