Supported by the Clinton Global Initiative, the project aims to lift the taboo surrounding the sexuality of disabled people and stereotypes that depict them as asexual or unattractive.

High abuse rates for people with IDD

Contino became passionate about IDD and sexuality issues after spending two summers in Guatemala as a special needs teacher while still in high school.

During this time, she realized that many students with IDD were clearly facing sexual abuse.

“We found that the problem is that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities are sexually abused at a rate that’s anywhere from three to 10 times more than the general population,” Contino said during an interview with DU Clarion.

People with intellectual disabilities are less likely to report sexual abuse due to the vulnerability implied by the disability itself, she added.

Contino’s dedication to the rights of people with IDD started long before the beginnings of the project.

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities are sexually abused at a rate that’s anywhere from three to 10 times more than the general population.

Her brother has Sotos syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes delays in a child’s development.

For this reason, Contino participated in Best Buddies, Respite Care, and other programs that connected neurotypical students with young people with IDDs since middle school.

Why an online safety and sexuality game

The idea of creating a game derived from the need of presenting information in a concrete way, so it could be accessible to young folks with IDD.

“Saying something like, ‘When two people love each other very much, they can have private time.’ They’re [students with IDD] like, ‘Wait, what does that even mean?’ What does it mean that somebody loves another very much? What is private time? Private time could be the two of us right now doing this interview,” Contino said

Contino says sex ed curriculums currently available for students with IDD are outdated because they don’t tackle contemporary topics such as online pornography and gender identity.

To help make up for this lack of resources, the grad student clearly outlines the objectives and educational contents of the game.

They include modules that will teach students with IDD how to distinguish between safe and unsafe websites, the risks connected to online pornography, and how to share sex-related content on the Internet in an appropriate way.

Currently, Contino is looking for computer science students who would be able to implement said educational content in a real video game.

Her mentor on the project is Ritu Gwani, an Indian disability activist on a mission to help disabled women find work and start their own businesses. Gwani was assigned to the project by the Global Clinton Initiative.

Image sources: Rosie Contino