Meet Sue and Francis

They are a married couple in their 50’s and both have cerebral palsy

Image featuring Sue and Francis, a couple with cerebral palsy in their 50s. They are sitting in their power wheelchairs turned towards each other and their hands are touching as they rest on a small table. They both look sad. Sue has red hair and is wearing purple pants and a matching leisure wear top. Rob has brown hair and is wearing an orange tee shirt and blue jeans.

Sue and Francis both have intensive daily support needs and use power wheelchairs to move around and communication devices to speak. Their physical needs aren’t psychological problems… but ignoring physical needs does lead to psychological problems.

Physical intimacy is a Human Right, not an ‘extra’

The UN and WHO both agree that basic human rights of persons with disabilities INCLUDE the ability to marry and start a family.

This couple have been stripped of support for their conjugal rights, previously funded by their State Government and the NDIS – until the NDIS revoked it in 2017.

The Physical Reality

Francis and Sue need support for physical maneuvering and positioning. The NDIS has offered “counseling” or “sex therapy,” as an “insulting” substitute for the hands on support they require.

NDIS Undermining of Marital Identity and Dignity

Sue is distraught because the NDIS provides assistance for basic tasks “like wiping my nose” yet denies her the “essential support” that is vital for the intimacy that every marriage deserves. Sue and Francis stress that “physical intimacy is the core distinction between a friendship and a marriage.”

Valuing Every Body: Sexual Justice for All Australians

The denial of sexual needs has caused avoidable suffering, health decline and induced physical pain.

Induced physical pain:
Avoidable pelvic pain and severe muscle spasms.

Secondary Health Risks:
Sue now experiences severe pelvic floor spasms and urinary incontinence. Both Francis and Sue experience sexual dysfunction as a direct result of NDIS policy.

Physical torment:
Occupational Therapist’s (OT) reports highlight the “torment” of living in bodies that are physically denied essential release and physical connection.

Mental health decline:
Psychosexual Therapist reports the physical deprivation has directly triggered depression, reduced quality of life and a loss of personal dignity.

Medical necessity ignored:
Sexual supports provided by sex workers are a “functional remedy” for physical health, not just a lifestyle choice.

Sue and Francis are in the 50's and both have cerebral palsy. They are sitting in their wheelchairs with their hands touching, looking sad. There is a shared thought bubble above them showing them happy in bed together , with a young woman supporting Sue's position with her hands on Sue's shoulders.

The full case study of Sue and Francis

This PDF provides a detailed view of how Sue and Francis’ marital conjugal rights and needs were initially supported, but then stripped from them. It is a disturbing story of institutional neglect and abuse.

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