ABSTRACT
In the past, people with learning difficulties have not had the same range of opportunities in life that constitute the basis on which, without the use of guidebooks, regular people learn about friendship and relationships and which typically constitute a major plank in their learning about sexuality and sexual relationships. Perhaps largely as the result of the influence of The Principle of Normalisation (Wolfensberger, 1972) later redefined in terms of Social Role Valorisation (Wolfensberger, 1983), the idea that people with learning difficulties should be enabled to access the same opportunities as their ordinary peers is becoming more widely accepted. Though these ideas have created radical improvements for some individuals, the extent to which many people with learning disabilties are truly able to take control of their lives, and are encouraged and facilitated in doing so, remains questionable.
