Abasiophilia is a psycho-sexual attraction to people with impaired mobility, especially those who use orthopedic appliances such as leg braces, orthopedic casts, or wheelchairs.
Abasiophilia is a sexual fetish that involves being aroused by people with impaired mobility. Specifically, people who employ devices like wheelchairs, leg braces, or orthopedic casts are the recipients of the thoughts or feelings of arousal.
There is some debate over the exact definition of abasiophilia.
- Some define it as an attraction to people whose mobility is impaired.
- Others define it specifically as an attraction to people who use devices to assist with their mobility.
Attraction to disability or devotism is a sexualized interest in the appearance, sensation, and experience of disability. It may extend from normal human sexuality into a type of sexual fetishism. Sexologically, the pathological end of the attraction tends to be classified as a paraphilia. (Note, however, that the very concept paraphilia continues to elude satisfactory definition and remains a subject of ongoing debate in both professional and lay communities). Other researchers have approached it as a form of identity disorder. The most common interests are towards amputations, prosthesis, and crutches.