Special Needs Dating Sites
- At Disability Matches, we believe we have utilised the perfect combination to create a dating site for people with disabilities where you can quickly join in the community and start communicating with people near you that understand just what it's like to be you. Quick registration form - search singles for FREE.
- Aug 30, 2019 Not only is Special Bridge a truly special dating site for singles with disabilities, but it’s also a truly special social networking site for anyone living with different mental, physical, or emotional ability levels.
Disabled Dating Club is one of the fastest growing dating sites on the internet, and more and more members are signing up every day, giving you a much higher chance of finding ‘the one’. Simply sign up to start your FREE trial and start browsing, ready to swap photos, indulge in cheeky web cam chats, and get flirting, when you find someone that sparks your fancy.
Image credit: Shutterstock
It really isn’t as hard as it sounds . . . most of the time!
When I took a position at a summer camp that hosted many children with special needs, I never imagined the training and experience I had there would prepare me for my own dating life. I’m a Solo Mom of four children, with one who is on the autism spectrum, and I met an amazing man whose child is also on the spectrum. Despite my experience, I still needed a mini crash course simply because our two children are very different, and I wanted as much information as possible so that his son could feel comfortable and secure around me as we all got to know one another. I learned a lot in those first weeks, and I hope that sharing my experience can be helpful, especially to those Solo Moms out there experiencing a new dating scenario of their own.
Every child is different. Parents with more than one child can agree that each child is unique and can be quite different from one another. When I met my boyfriend’s son, even though I had worked with children before, my mind was blown by how different our boys were, despite sharing some of the same diagnoses.
If you’re meeting your partner’s child with special needs for the first time, before jumping in, get some background information. Simply asking questions about the child shows you care enough to take an interest in what the child goes through on a daily basis, and researching the child’s condition and knowing the basics can be extremely helpful if you are ever caring for the child.
Some questions you might want to ask include the following:
- What does the child look like, and what are his or her dislikes?
- Does the child have any medical conditions or use any medical devices for assistance that I should know about before meeting the child?
- Is the child affected by any triggers, such as sounds or bright lights and colors?
- How does the child react to changes and new people?
On the flip side, if you are the parent of a child with special needs and you’ve just started dating someone new, be ready to answer questions and share resources that helped you along the way. Of course, you can wait to share in-depth information until you’re sure this person is invested and you’re ready to introduce him or her to your child.
Do your best to stay calm and be patient. One of the most important things I have learned while working with children with special needs is that when something major happens, such as a medical emergency, and your initial reaction is to freak out because you don’t instinctively know what to do, it’s imperative to stay calm in the child’s presence. Even with my own child with special needs, that is something I struggle with. If you find yourself in an emergency that has been intensified by emotions, if 911 must be called and other people are with you, ask one person to call while you or another person stays with the child. The worst thing you can shout in an emergency is, “Someone call 911!”
Free Dating For Disabled
The child may have behavioral issues, and that can be true for any child. Again, when facing behavioral issues or defiance, it is extremely important for you to stay calm and not allow the child to see that he or she is getting under your skin, especially if you’re dealing with a teenager. Some children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other disorders simply may not understand the way you’re explaining something to them, and often their resulting frustration may come out in ways that will make you want to yell at them, which may lead to a full-blown meltdown.
Don’t let other children who are involved get lost in the mix. The biggest downside to having a large, blended family is that it is easy for a child to feel lost in the mix of controlled chaos. When you add one or more children who require more attention or medications and therapies, parents can often feel as if they’re being “spread thin,” and it’s easy for the other children to feel overlooked or become overwhelmed. It’s important for you and your partner to develop a team strategy, if possible, especially if you both have children, so one adult can focus extra attention on the child who needs it while the other adult offers a distraction to the other children, which can be as simple as playing a game, watching a movie together, or going to a playground, depending on their ages and interests.
Communication is key. Above all, you and your partner must communicate well, especially because children are involved. We often underestimate our children, and even my child on the spectrum has asked my partner to do or have things he knows he’s not supposed to; but after he was told that he’d still have to clear what he wanted with me, he stopped asking because he realized my partner and I were united on that front and he couldn’t pull one over on me.
If something makes you uneasy or bothers you, talk to your partner about it sooner rather than later to avoid any resentment creeping in early in the game. Communication is important here, as it can be easy to overlook our partner’s need to feel loved and appreciated. It is also important to make a solid effort to encourage your and your partner’s children to communicate well with you and among themselves, which can be easier said than done, as likely there will be some differences in your parenting styles.
As a Solo Mom of four children with one on the autism spectrum, I expected and accepted that I was going to be single for a long time, and the man I’ve been dating also felt the same way about his situation. I never realized how difficult it can be to date someone who also has a child with special needs, and the experience has helped me learn to appreciate his efforts to be a great male role model in my children’s lives.
What dating challenges have you faced? Check out our Dating Resource section for fun articles and great tips for Solo Moms who are dating.
Tara Glenn is a Solo Mom of four who currently resides in Pensacola, Florida. She has a background in public affairs, writing, and photography. Tara spent five years in the Navy and now volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol as a public affairs officer. She enjoys working with small businesses as a ghostwriter as well as encouraging her children’s love for aviation in her free time—the running joke being that she only creates pilots, as all of her children love to fly!
Please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions.
Dating for people with disabilities is quite difficult due to the stereotype that makes most people with disabilities consider themselves unfit to date. However, things have seemed to take a new turn as people with disabilities are being treated better and the rise of the disabled dating sites have given them a chance to date not only other people with disabilities but able-bodied people too.
Dating sites for people with disabilities allow them to do morethan just connect for dating purposes but for friendship. Some are actuallyonline communities where people can meet and share their thoughts with oneanother.
There are a good number of dating sites for the disabled on theirinternet. A number of them are for people with general disabilities whileothers are more specific, accepting people with only a particular disability.
We are going to present a mixed list which includes general andspecific dating sites for disabled singles. Before coming up with this list, wehad to take some factors like popularity, features, security, trust score andcontent into consideration. We round the best disabled dating sites which arejust good enough to get you your perfect match.
1. Match.com
Match can be considered as the largest dating site on the internet. Launched in 1995, it is one of the pioneers of online dating and has gone from just a handful of members to over 30 million members from 26 countries. This makes the dating site one of the best places to find your match especially if you are disabled.
Match allows you to list your disability on your profile whichcould make things easier in the search of a partner that will accept yourdisability. It allows you to search and filter profiles for those withdisabilities. Match.com has a free version which is quite limited, if you wantto get more out of the dating site you would have to opt for the premiumversion which requires a paid subscription.
2. DisabilityMatch
If you live in the UK and you are searching for a highly secured disabled
abilitymatch.co.uk is a great choice to consider.
Disabilitymatch.co.uk is a general dating site for disabledpeople. It has a ton of features including tutorials on how to set up theperfect profile. It also allows you to search by area, interests, anddisabilities The site is one of the few free dating sites in the UK that has isjust good enough to get you back in the dating game.
3. MySpecialMatch
MySpecialMatch.com is a dating site mainly for people with disabilities in the United States. The site was launched by Shannon and her husband who sought a way to give people with special needs a chance to meet other people. Shannon’s daughter with special needs motivated her to build the platform which has become one of the popular disabled dating sites in the USA.
The site has a handful of features including tutorials on how toset up your profile, it also allows you to search for people based on theirlocation. Members are required to sign up for a paid subscription before theycan access all the features of the site.
4. SpecialBridge
Special Bridge is a dating site for people with mental andphysical disabilities. However, it is not just a dating but also an onlinecommunity where people with disabilities can make new friends regardless oftheir location.
The site has a ton of features which make it one of the bestdating sites on the internet. It provides several online safety tips to itsmembers to help stay secure while on the site. It also has several uniquematching tools that link members with other members with similar interests anddisabilities. Best of all, Special Bridge is 100% ad free but you will berequired to sign up to a monthly or yearly plan to access the site.
5. Whispers 4 U
Whispers 4 U is a general disabled dating site that has been connecting people with disabilities since 2002. We consider it one of the best sites since it is free and allows you to search and meet with disabled singles from the USA, UK, and many other European countries.
The site is not just for disabled people to meet other disabledpeople but also for able-bodied people to meet disabled people and vice versa.Unfortunately, the site is not ad-free. However, its ads are not obstructivemaking it a great disabled dating site to try out.
6. SoulfulEncounters
Soulful Encounters is a disabled dating site which doubles as an online community for people with disabilities to make friends and meet new people. The site has a ton of great features which should be good enough to get you the right result when searching for a partner or friend.
It has a good number of forums, an online radio station, andseveral special events to keep the community lively and fun. On its homepage,you will find a number of success stories and testimonials encouraging you tosign up to the site. Soulful Encounters charges no monthly fees for the use ofits services.
7. MeetDisabled Singles
Meet Disabled Singles is one of the most effective matchmaking agencies when it comes to linking disabled singles with the right partners. The site allows you to sort out partners by region, religion, sexuality, and type of disability. Others features include live video chats, email, and instant messaging features.
Meet Disabled Singles has a free membership which allows membersto perform basic tasks like modifying your profile, viewing other profiles, andsending flirts. To use all the features of the site, you will have to opt forthe premium membership.
8. Dating 4Disabled
Dating 4 Disabled or D4D goes beyond an online dating site. It is also an online community where people with disabilities can meet, date and connect with other disabled people. The site links you up with like-minded people through its advanced search software. Its forums and chatrooms allow you to connect with other disabled people through a safe and secure platform.
Registration, posting and sending of email messages are completelyfree, however, you will need to subscribe to a plan if you want to make use ofadditional services like reading an e-mail message.
9. DisabledPassions
Disabled Passions is a free online dating and social community for people with disabilities living in the United States. It allows users with all forms of mental and physical disabilities to sign up to its service. Disabled Passions has tens of thousands of members from the United States signed to its services making it easy to find your perfect match. It also has an advanced search tool that allows you to search for members based on sexuality, music, religion, profession, and disability.
While signing up and using the site is free, you would have tomanage with the number of ads served on the sight on a daily basis.
10. No LongerLonely
No Longer Lonely is a dating site specifically for people with certain mental disabilities. The site has the type of mental disabilities it accepts listed on its about page. No Longer Lonely helps to connect these individuals with likeminded people and help them find romance, friendship or support.
No Longer Lonely offers a free two week trial period for newusers, then they would be required to sign up for a paid membership to use thesite to contact other users.
11. Plenty ofFish
Plenty of Fish or POF is not specifically a dating site for people with disabilities, however, it has millions of users which make it very possible to meet disabled people on the website. The site is also free and has some of the best features you can find on free dating sites.
POF is available in 9 languages and popular mostly in the Northand South America and some European countries. Signing up on the site is quiteeasy and you will be required to input your details like gender and country.After that, you can go ahead and build your profile.
12. EliteSingles
Elite Singles is another dating site for everyone which boasts of millions of users with hundreds of thousands new member signing up every month. With such a high number of members, it should be easy finding other people with disabilities but you would need to set your profile perfectly.
Elite Singles has several rules and tutorials which makes it oneof the safest dating sites for people with disabilities to try.
13.Outsiders
Outsiders is a dating club and social networking site for disabled people. The site accommodates members with all forms of impairments and ensures that all members are genuine through a strict vetting policy. On the site, members can enjoy peer support, make friends and find romance. The site runs a private facebook clubhouse which is more of an online community where readers can contact each other and engage in lively group discussions.
Outsiders is completely free, however, the site does acceptdonations from members and non-members.
14. Able to LoveYou
Able to Love You is a dating site for people with disabilities living in the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland. The site allows members to sign up for free by supplying their information, however, you will be required to purchase a subscription if you want to make use of other services on the site.
Special Needs Dating Sites Uk
Able to Love You also offers dating advice on its website for itsmembers. It is one of the safest and most professional dating sites you canfind on the internet.
15. DisabledDate Place
Disabled Date Place is a matchmaking service specifically for people with disabilities. The site accepts all forms of disabilities, however, you must be residing within the UK to make use of the site.
Disabled Date Place is completely free for new and existingmembers making it a great option for UK disabled singles to consider.
16. OkCupid
OkCupid is the first free online site for singles from all over the world. The site is one of the most popular dating sites on the internet with millions of users registered to the service. This site is not specifically for people with disabilities but with millions of registered users making use of the service you are sure to find likeminded people if you search well enough.
17. DisabledMate
Disabled Mate is one of the few dating sites for people with disabilities with a ton of positive reviews. The site has several features which make it easy to navigate and search for likeminded people. Disabled Mate accepts members with all forms of disabilities from the USA, UK, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and Ireland.
18. DatingHandicapped
Dating Handicapped is the right site to meet not just people with disabilities but able-bodied people too. The site is well-designed and easy to use making it better than most dating sites out there with a ton of features that cause of a lot of problems for the members.
Special Ed Dating Sites
Unfortunately, using the site isn’t free and you will be requiredto pay for a subscription to one plan or the other to make use of its services.
19. DisabledSingles Dating
Disabled Singles Dating is a free dating community for disabled singles searching for romance. When registered, you can browse through its large directory of profiles or simply use the search engine to find singles near you. The site is available in 17 languages and open to disabled and able-bodied singles searching for love.
20. DisabledMatchmaking
Disabled Matchmaking is another great matchmaking site for people with disabilities. The site is quite professional and secured allow users to be open about their disabilities and share it with other users. Disabled Matchmaking offers a free membership which allows you to perform the basic operations. If you want to make use of all the site’s services you will have to sign up for a premium subscription.
Disabled Matchmaking shares your profile with other general and disabled dating sites at no additional costs. This increases your chances of finding the perfect match when using the site.
You might also be interested in 15 Best Dating Sites For Seniors With Disabilities
Related posts
- Wheelchair Dating Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask (0)
- Online Dating Tips To Follow If You Have A Disability (0)
- Dating Etiquette For Handicapped Lovers (0)
- How To Enjoy A Date With An Handicapped Lover (0)
- Handicapped Lovers: Love Stories That Broke Boundaries From Around the World (0)