Maria Cyndi

Maria Cyndi became a sexual health campaigner and advocate for the sexual rights of disabled people, after watching a documentary about the female experience of sexual pleasure. In the programme, women from different ethnic backgrounds, social classes, relationship status, sexual orientation and age, were interviewed about their sexual experiences. However, nobody from the disabled community was invited to contribute. The omission of disabled women in this programme prompted her to take action to highlight the importance of including disabled people in the conversation about sex and pleasure.She has been in an interabled relationship for twenty-nine years and has raised two children to adulthood with her husband. Throughout the course of her life, she has had to surrender her body to medical and community care professionals numerous times. Following sexual abuse in childhood, she rebuilt her life from the ground up and believes that everyone has the right to enjoy sexual pleasure regardless of ability, gender, race, class, culture, orientation or age. Reclaiming her body in adulthood and learning how to embrace her own pleasure, has been the most powerful and liberating experience of her life. This dynamic transformation has inspired her to do whatever she can to support disabled people in their pursuit of pleasure and sexual freedom.