"Forty Years in the Making: Special
Issue on Sex Education and Students
with Visual Impairments"
Message from the Guest Editor:
Stacy Kelly, Ed.D., COMS
Welcome to this issue of DVI-Q entitled
"Forty Years in the Making: Special Issue on
Sex Education and Students with Visual
Impairments." This special issue is entirely
devoted to the topic of sex education and stu-
dents who are visually impaired, including those
with additional disabilities. The topic of sex educa-
tion and students who are visually impaired is broad
and complex. In the pages that follow, readers will
find wide ranging information about the topic as well
as thought provoking discussions about the underly-
ing challenges involved. In order to present the in-
formation in a sufficient manner, please note that
terminology is used within this special issue that
adequately describes sex education.
The last special issue on this topic of sex
education and students with visual impairments was
published exactly 40 years ago in 1974. The 1974
special issue of The New Outlook for the Blind was
among the first pioneering efforts to explore this
topic within the profession of teaching students with
visual impairments. The first article presented in this
special issue elaborates on the historical perspec-
tives involved and the ongoing shortage of mean-
ingful information readily available to students with
visual impairments in this value-laden topic area.
This issue of DVI-Q includes a grand total of
nine articles. The articles have been written by ex-
perts from across the U.S. and address many of the
most pressing issues. The articles explain practical
strategies, several resources, and different perspec-
tives to be considered in providing students with vis-
ual impairments with a healthy foundation from
which to develop this aspect of their well-being.
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