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This report explores the lived experiences of disabled people regarding relationships, loneliness, and connectedness in the UK.

It builds on the findings from the systematic literature review conducted by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds, and Disability Rights UK.

The aim of this qualitative literature review was to:

• identify disabled people’s preferences in forming social networks and relationships
• understand any barriers they may face and the impact of them
• review any improvements to schemes, designs, adaptations and services

The findings highlight that disabled people:

• often have smaller networks than non-disabled people and are more dependent on these networks, which can lead to alternate definitions of friendship
• face an increasing dependency on their network – outside of family and service workers, these networks often include relationships with people similar to themselves
• are regularly made to feel as an ‘other’ by social perceptions and therefore do not feel they fit in – as a result, disabled people can internalise negative societal perceptions and self-isolate
• experience disparities in perceptions, such as for people who acquired their impairment compared with other disabled people
• navigate additional barriers in relationships regarding roles, often balancing ‘traditional’ non-disabled roles with aspects of caregiving and increased dependency, especially for partner and parent/child relationships
• value sexual identity as much as their non-disabled peers, but face stigma about their sexual expression – they can face heightened stigma if they identify as LGBTQ+ and therefore, due to their dependency on their smaller networks, are not able to explore their sexuality or gender identity in the same ways as non-disabled people
• seek greater independence and autonomy within their lives, and significantly face the assumption of incompetence by non-disabled people, to the detriment of all relationships
• are not afforded the same access to education and information on sexual health, sexual wellbeing, family planning and relationships

Alternative formats

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• µþ³§³¢Ìý
• Welsh translation
• Easy Read
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