Body Talk
Raising awareness for relationships and sexuality amongst young people with a disability and their community.
About Body Talk
Body Talk ran from January 2022 to March 2025 in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, implemented by NLR Indonesia, Research Centre for Inclusion and Norfil Foundation, with support from Liliane Fonds and Rutgers.
Body Talk provided support to children and youth with a disability in their sexual development so they can enjoy their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Why it matters
Talking about sexuality, relationships and self-development are often not discussed with youth.
- These topics are rarely discussed at home or school.
- Many healthcare providers lack the training to support young people’s sexual development.
- For youth with disabilities, these barriers are even higher due to stigma and misconceptions.
Promoting equal rights
Youth with disabilities often face harmful myths: that they cannot become parents, that they lack sexual desires, or that they are not capable of love.
As a result, people in their environment, consciously or unconsciously, deny them the essential right to sexual and reproductive health, while they can also play an empowering role.
Body Talk challenged these misconceptions by:
- Support youth with disabilities to understand, advocate for and make informed decisions on aspects concerning their SRHR.
- Engaging parents, teachers, caregivers, healthcare providers and community leaders to become supportive allies.
Building skills and knowledge
The Body Talk team developed a training manual and tools for educators, parents and healthcare providers. Each country trained master trainers who rolled out these materials locally, ensuring that support for youth with disabilities reached homes, schools, and health centers.
Meaningful Youth Participation
We believe that youth with disabilities know best what they need. That’s why they played a central role in Body Talk, as youth champions, co-creators of tools and advocates.
Their leadership helped create inclusive training materials, games, and communication tools, including the popular Body Talk Dolls and photo voice exercises. These have now been shared across international networks, benefiting youth with disabilities worldwide.
A major success: In Vietnam, the national sexuality education curriculum has been adapted for youth with disabilities, a big win for inclusive education!
Interested in the full manual?
Request access below to receive the complete guide or specific chapters.
Download the Body Talk Manual
Download the Body Talk Manual
Download the Body Talk Manual
Download the Body Talk Manual
Recognition and impact Body Talk was selected as an Innovative Practice Awardee by the Zero Project 2023 by the Essl Foundation, recognised for advancing disability inclusion. The program was also chosen for the Zero Project Impact Transfer Program, supporting its global replication and long-term sustainability.
Contact
For more information, reach out to: Marieke van Gerwen SRHR Adviser, Liliane Fonds mvgerwen@lilianefonds.nl