r the lems assuming ABLEISM Violence Against …bv.cdeacf.ca/CF_PDF/57383.pdfwith the medical model...
4
LearningNetwork Facilitate. Educate. Collaborate. ISSUE 7, DECEMBER 2013 Violence Against Women with DisAbilities and Deaf Women We are pleased to have partnered with DAWN-RAFH Canada for this extended, accessible newsletter that focuses on the under-recognized, under-researched and under-resourced social concern -- violence against women with disAbilities and Deaf women. We highlight the intersectional context of violence experienced by women with disAbilities, draw on lived experience, and provide statistics and resources. Ableism – A Form of Violence Against Women By Fran Odette Ableism and ableist views are ideas/beliefs that are based on the assumption that the ‘able-body’ is favoured/preferred over the disabled body. 1,2 Similar to the experience of racism, homophobia/ transphobia and sexism, socially constructed characteristics of disAbility position people with disAbilities as an ‘inferior’ group to non-disabled people. 2,3 Disabled people have abilities that differ from the majority. This doesn’t mean that we minimize or ignore the impairment, but for the most part, if the right supports are in place, all people can contribute to their community. Ableism adheres to the “medical model” whereby people/women are defined by their disAbility and where the focus is on the individual’s deviation from the “norm”, rather than recognizing everyone’s individuality and specific sets of experiences. One of the problems with the medical model is that we are encouraged to define people by their impairment rather than seeing the person first. “Similarly, audism can be defined as the devaluation of people who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. An example of this would be assuming that sign language is an inferior language and/or the cultural ways of Deaf people are somehow inferior”. 4 Mythologies about disAbility and gendered violence abound for women living with impairments and ableism dictates the kinds of services women with disAbilites have available and are able to access. For example, limited access to sexual health information for women with disAbilities is based on the belief that disabled women CONTINUED ON PAGE 2, SEE ABLEISM 1 Disability Studies for Teachers, “Reassigning Meaning”, Center on Human Policy, SJ KWWSZZZGLVDELOLW\VWXGLHVIRUWHDFKHUVRUJｿOHV5HDVVLJQLQJ0HDQLQJSGI 2 Linton, S. (1998). Claiming Disability. New York, NY: NYU Press. 3 “Reassigning Meaning”, pg. 1 4 Nellie’s Position Paper on Accessibility: Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women (March 2013), pg. 1 http://dev.innovachannel.info/nellies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Nellies-Position-Paper.pdf LearningNetwork Funded by: Guest Editors from DAWN-RAFH Canada Bonnie Brayton, National Executive Director Fran Odette, Senior Research Consultant Doris Rajan, Senior Project Director The Learning Network Team Linda Baker, Learning Director Anna-Lee Straatman, Research Associate Marcie Campbell, Research Associate Elsa Barreto, Multi-media Specialist Please evaluate us!!! Let us know what you think. Your input is important to us. Please complete this brief survey on your thoughts of the current newsletter. CLICK HERE vawlearningnetwork.ca facebook.com/TheLearningNetwork twitter.com/learntoendabuse Now Available on vawlearningnetwork.ca Ableism – A Form of Violence Against Women: Critical Reflections by Fran Odette Learning Network Brief 11 Violence Against Women with DisAbilities and Deaf Women: An Overview Learning Network Brief 12 Violence Against Women with DisAbilities and Deaf Women Network Area
Transcript of r the lems assuming ABLEISM Violence Against …bv.cdeacf.ca/CF_PDF/57383.pdfwith the medical model...
LearningNetwork
Facilit
ate
.
Edu
cate
.
Collaborate
.
ISS
UE
7,
DE
CE
MB
ER
2013
Vio
len
ce A
gain
st
Wo
men
wit
h
Dis
Ab
ilit
ies a
nd
Deaf
Wo
men
We a
re p
leased t
o h
ave p
art
nere
d w
ith D
AW
N-R
AF
H C
an
ad
a
for
this
exte
nded,
accessib
le n
ew
sle
tter
that
focuses o
n t
he
under-
recogniz
ed,
under-
researc
hed a
nd u
nder-
resourc
ed
socia
l concern
--
vio
lence a
gain
st
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
nd
Deaf
wom
en.
We h
ighlig
ht
the inte
rsectional conte
xt
of
vio
lence
experienced b
y w
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties,
dra
w o
n liv
ed e
xperie
nce,
and p
rovid
e s
tatistics a
nd r
esourc
es.
Ab
leis
m –
A F
orm
of
Vio
len
ce A
gain
st
Wo
men
B
y F
ran
Od
ett
e
Able
ism
and a
ble
ist
vie
ws a
re ideas/b
elie
fs t
hat
are
based o
n t
he
assum
ption t
hat
the ‘able
-body’ is
favoure
d/p
refe
rred o
ver
the
dis
able
d b
ody.1
,2 S
imila
r to
the e
xperience o
f ra
cis
m,
hom
ophobia
/tr
ansphobia
and s
exis
m,
socia
lly c
onstr
ucte
d c
hara
cte
ristics o
f dis
Abili
ty p
ositio
n p
eople
with d
isA
bili
ties a
s a
n ‘in
ferior’ g
roup t
o
non-d
isable
d p
eople
.2,3 D
isable
d p
eople
have a
bili
ties t
hat
diffe
r fr
om
the m
ajo
rity
. T
his
doesn’t m
ean t
hat
we m
inim
ize o
r ig
nore
the
impairm
ent,
but
for
the m
ost
part
, if t
he r
ight
support
s a
re in
pla
ce,
all
people
can c
ontr
ibute
to t
heir c
om
munity.
Able
ism
adhere
s t
o t
he “
medic
al m
odel” w
here
by p
eople
/wom
en a
re
defined b
y t
heir d
isA
bili
ty a
nd w
here
the f
ocus is o
n t
he indiv
idual’s
devia
tion f
rom
the “
norm
”, r
ath
er
than r
ecogniz
ing e
very
one’s
in
div
idualit
y a
nd s
pecific
sets
of
experiences.
One o
f th
e p
rob
lem
s
with t
he m
edic
al m
odel is
that
we a
re e
ncoura
ged t
o d
efine
people
by t
heir im
pairm
ent
rath
er
than s
eein
g t
he p
ers
on f
irst.
“S
imila
rly,
audis
m c
an b
e d
efined a
s t
he d
evalu
ation o
f people
who a
re D
eaf,
deafe
ned o
r hard
of
hearing. A
n e
xam
ple
of
this
would
be a
ssum
ing
that
sig
n language is a
n infe
rior
language a
nd/o
r th
e c
ultura
l w
ays o
f D
eaf
people
are
som
ehow
infe
rior”
.4
Myth
olo
gie
s a
bout
dis
Abili
ty a
nd g
endere
d v
iole
nce a
bound f
or
wom
en liv
ing w
ith im
pairm
ents
and a
ble
ism
dic
tate
s t
he k
inds o
f serv
ices
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
tes h
ave a
vaila
ble
and a
re a
ble
to
access.
For
exam
ple
, lim
ited a
ccess t
o s
exual health info
rmation f
or
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties is b
ased o
n t
he b
elie
f th
at
dis
able
d w
om
en
CO
NT
INU
ED
ON
PA
GE
2,
SE
E A
BL
EIS
M
1 D
isabili
ty S
tudie
s f
or
Teachers
, “R
eassig
nin
g M
eanin
g”,
Cente
r on H
um
an P
olic
y,
2 L
into
n,
S.
(1998).
C
laim
ing D
isabili
ty.
New
York
, N
Y:
NY
U P
ress.
3 “
Reassig
nin
g M
eanin
g”,
pg.
14 N
elli
e’s
Positi
on P
aper
on A
ccessib
ility
: W
om
en w
ith D
isabili
ties a
nd D
eaf W
om
en (
Marc
h 2
013),
pg. 1
htt
p:/
/dev.
innovachannel.in
fo/n
elli
es.o
rg/w
p-c
onte
nt/
uplo
ads/2
013/0
3/N
elli
es-P
ositio
n-P
aper.
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Ab
leis
m –
A F
orm
of
Vio
len
ce A
gain
st
Wo
men
:
Cri
tical
Refl
ecti
on
s b
y F
ran
Od
ett
eLearn
ing N
etw
ork
Brief
11
Vio
len
ce A
gain
st
Wo
men
wit
h D
isA
bil
itie
s a
nd
Deaf
Wo
men
:
An
Overv
iew
Learn
ing N
etw
ork
Brief
12
Vio
len
ce A
gain
st
Wo
men
wit
h D
isA
bil
itie
s a
nd
Deaf
Wo
men
Netw
ork
Are
a
Bu
ild
ing
th
e E
vid
en
ce.
A
report
on t
he s
tatu
s o
f polic
y a
nd p
ractice
in r
espondin
g t
o v
iole
nce a
gain
st
wom
en w
ith
dis
abili
ties in V
icto
ria.
This
2008 A
ustr
alia
n r
eport
dis
cusses h
ow
curr
ent
polic
ies a
nd p
ractices
recogniz
e a
nd p
rovid
e f
or
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties e
xperiencin
g v
iole
nce.
Recom
mendations inclu
de:
colla
bora
tion b
etw
een d
isA
bili
ty a
nd v
iole
nce
secto
rs;
accessib
le s
erv
ices;
education f
or
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
nd
the c
om
munity a
bout
vio
lence a
nd a
vaila
ble
serv
ices;
housin
g o
ptions;
and t
rain
ing v
iole
nce w
ork
ers
in d
isA
bili
ty a
ware
ness.
Do
ub
le O
pp
ressio
n:
V
iole
nce A
gain
st
Dis
able
d W
om
en.
A
resourc
e p
ack f
or
pra
ctitioners
.T
his
UK
resourc
e d
iscusses t
he c
onte
xt
and p
revale
nce o
f vio
lence
again
st
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties;
the m
edic
al and s
ocia
l m
od
els
of
dis
Abili
ty;
types o
f vio
lence e
xperienced b
y w
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties;
how
to m
ake s
upport
serv
ices m
ore
accessib
le;
and s
afe
ty p
lannin
g.
Vio
len
ce A
gain
st
Wo
men
wit
h D
isab
ilit
ies –
V
iole
nce P
reven
tio
n R
evie
wT
his
2011 C
anadia
n r
eport
identifies k
ey b
arr
iers
and initia
tives
addre
ssin
g t
he n
eeds o
f w
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties liv
ing w
ith v
iole
nce.
Recom
mendations inclu
de:
cre
ating p
rogra
ms;
mappin
g o
ut
support
serv
ices;
develo
pin
g b
est
pra
ctice t
ools
to e
ducate
, tr
ain
, and s
upport
w
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
nd g
uid
e t
he w
ork
of
pro
fessio
nals
; and
develo
pin
g a
national str
ate
gy t
o a
ddre
ss v
iole
nce a
gain
st
wo
men w
ith
dis
Abili
ties.
Wo
men
wit
h D
isA
bil
itie
s a
nd
D
eaf
Wo
men
Pro
gra
mS
pringtide R
esourc
es d
evelo
ped t
he W
om
en w
ith D
isA
bili
ties a
nd D
eaf
Wom
en P
rogra
m t
o o
verc
om
e b
arr
iers
to s
erv
ices inclu
din
g a
ccessib
ility
audits,
agency c
onsultation,
train
ing,
resourc
e d
evelo
pm
ent,
an
d
leaders
hip
develo
pm
ent.
7
LearningNetwork
LearningNetwork
2
will
not
be s
exually
active a
nd t
here
fore
, do n
ot
need r
elia
ble
sexual health a
nd r
epro
ductive h
ealth info
rmation.
This
in
cre
ases o
ur
risk f
or
sexual and p
hysic
al abuse.
Able
ism
sig
nific
antly im
pacts
debate
s r
egard
ing e
uth
anasia
, w
hic
h h
as r
eceiv
ed a
gre
at
deal of
media
att
ention r
ecently,
because t
he e
xperience o
f liv
ing w
ith a
dis
Abili
ty is a
t w
ors
t de-v
alu
ed a
nd m
isunders
tood a
nd a
t best,
ignore
d in t
hese
dis
cussio
ns.
In Q
uebec,
eff
ort
s b
y d
isA
bili
ty o
rganiz
ations,
inclu
din
g T
oujo
urs
Viv
ant-
Not
Dead Y
et
(TV
ND
Y),
join
ed
togeth
er
to o
ppose t
he legaliz
ation o
f euth
anasia
. O
ur
so
cie
ty
is ‘dis
Abili
ty-p
hobic
’ and s
ees little v
alu
e in liv
ing a
life w
here
one is d
isable
d. A
my H
asbro
uck,
TV
ND
Y D
irecto
r says t
hat
“[p]e
ople
with d
isA
bili
ties a
re t
he p
opula
tions m
ost
directly
aff
ecte
d,
sin
ce n
early e
very
one w
ho a
sks f
or
euth
anasia
has a
dis
abili
ty.”
5 A
ble
ism
as a
form
of
vio
lence o
ccurs
when
som
eone liv
ing w
ith a
dis
Abili
ty c
om
es t
o t
he d
ecis
ion t
o
end t
heir life a
nd t
hat
decis
ion is n
ot
consid
ere
d a
‘suic
ide’.
Yet,
we a
ctively
engage w
ith o
thers
liv
ing w
ithout
dis
Abili
ty
to s
upport
them
to s
ee liv
ing a
s a
via
ble
option. A
ble
ist
and
sexis
t belie
fs influence w
hic
h liv
es a
re m
ore
valu
ed;
more
oft
en,
the liv
es o
f w
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
re c
onsid
ere
d liv
es
not
wort
h liv
ing.
Able
ism
as a
form
of
vio
lence is s
een in d
ecis
ion m
akin
g
surr
oundin
g D
NR
(do n
ot
resuscitate
) ord
ers
. P
eople
with
dis
Abili
ties a
re o
ften c
oerc
ed t
o s
ign t
hese o
rders
befo
re
goin
g into
the h
ospital (e
.g.,
by f
am
ily/c
are
giv
er)
, or
to s
ign
under
conditio
ns w
here
lim
ited o
ptions f
or
ensuring a
ccess t
o
medic
al care
and s
upport
s a
re p
resente
d (
e.g
., d
eny s
urg
ery
/tr
eatm
ent
that
would
enhance q
ualit
y o
f lif
e/e
xte
nd life
). W
hen
lookin
g a
t th
e liv
es o
f w
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
nd d
ecis
ion
makin
g s
urr
oundin
g D
NR
, it is c
ritical to
unders
tand t
hat
we
are
the o
nes w
ho a
re left
behin
d o
r negle
cte
d in o
ur
fam
ilies
of
origin
, and s
een a
s b
urd
ens o
n t
he s
yste
m b
ecause w
e
fail
to liv
e u
p t
o o
r confo
rm t
o g
ender-
role
ste
reoty
pes o
f w
hat
it m
eans t
o b
e ‘fe
male
’ in
this
culture
. T
he u
nderlyin
g
message s
urr
oundin
g ‘assis
ted s
uic
ide’, ‘D
NR
’ directives
and t
he d
enia
l of
medic
al care
for
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
tie
s,
reflects
larg
er
syste
mic
pre
judic
es a
nd o
ther
barr
iers
that
influence p
erc
eptions a
bout
whose life is v
alu
ed,
whic
h in
turn
, in
fluences w
ho h
as r
esponsib
ility
for
decis
ions a
bout
“endin
g life”
and h
ow
those d
ecis
ions a
re m
ade.
The b
inary
betw
een d
isable
d a
nd a
ble
-bodie
d is levera
ge f
or
the s
uic
ide
cele
bra
tion v
ers
us s
uic
ide p
revention
dic
hoto
my.
The r
eal
question is,
“Wh
o b
enefits
?”
– is it
the w
om
an w
ith d
isA
bili
ties
OR
her
‘care
giv
ers
’, s
erv
ice p
rovid
ers
, and t
he s
tate
?
LE
AR
N M
OR
E
Bett
y A
nn
e
Gag
no
n
In O
cto
ber
2013,
the
Edm
onto
n C
ourt
of
the
Queen’s
Bench a
nnounced
the s
ente
ncin
g in t
he c
ase
of
Bett
y A
nne G
agnon,
a
wom
an w
ith a
n inte
llectu
al
dis
abili
ty a
nd v
isual
impairm
ent
who d
ied u
nder
the “
care
” of
her
sis
ter
and
bro
ther-
in-law
in N
ovem
ber
2009.
Both
faced m
ultip
le
charg
es inclu
din
g
mansla
ughte
r, f
ailu
re t
o
pro
vid
e t
he n
ecessitie
s o
f
life,
crim
inal neglig
ence
causin
g d
eath
, unla
wfu
l
confinem
ent
and a
ssault,
and c
onspiracy t
o c
om
mit
exto
rtio
n.
Bett
y A
nne’s
experience e
xem
plif
ies
syste
mic
and indiv
idual
able
ism
in r
ela
tion t
o h
er
treatm
ent
by h
er
fam
ily
prior
to h
er
death
in 2
009.
Bett
y A
nne d
ied b
ecause
her
care
giv
ers
faile
d
to p
rovid
e h
er
with t
he
necessitie
s o
f lif
e –
to s
ee
her
life a
s o
ne w
ort
h liv
ing.
Dis
Abili
ty a
ctivis
ts identify
this
as a
tra
vesty
of ju
stice
for
a y
oung w
om
an w
ho
had n
o v
oic
e.
Despite c
alls
made b
y B
ett
y A
nne’s
nie
ce r
egard
ing h
er
safe
ty
and w
ellb
ein
g,
the s
yste
m
that
is t
here
to s
erv
e a
nd
pro
tect
us a
ll, f
aile
d h
er.
5 N
ew
sle
tter,
“E
uth
anasia
, N
o T
hanks!”
, Toujo
urs
Viv
ant-
Not
Dead Y
et,
April 2013,
pg.
1.
AB
LE
ISM
CO
NT
INU
ED
More
than 1
out
of
6 w
om
en in C
anada
lives w
ith a
dis
abili
ty*
(15 y
ears
and o
lder)
of
incid
ents
of
sexual
assault o
f w
om
en w
ith
menta
l dis
abili
ties involv
e
recurr
ing e
pis
odes
75
%
1 in
10O
ver
Most often the a
busiv
e
pers
on is a
care
giv
er
Wom
en liv
ing w
ith d
isabili
ties*
are
more
lik
ely
to b
e v
ictim
s
of
the m
ost
severe
form
s
of
spousal vio
lence
of
hom
ele
ss
wom
en liv
ing in T
oro
nto
have a
his
tory
of
traum
atic b
rain
inju
ry
wom
en r
esid
ing in s
helters
on
April 16,
2008 liv
ed w
ith s
om
e
form
of
dis
abili
ty
Availa
bili
ty o
f accessib
le s
erv
ices
as r
eport
ed b
y C
anadia
n
Shelters
in 2
008:
Over
½ b
illi
on
wo
men
an
d g
irls
in t
he w
orld h
ave a
dis
abili
ty
2/3
of
shelters
had w
heelc
hair-a
ccessib
le b
edro
om
s
22%
pro
vid
ed T
TY
/TD
D e
quip
ment
(i.e
., s
pecia
lly
equip
ped t
ele
phones)
for
wom
en w
ith h
earing im
pairm
ents
17%
pro
vid
ed s
ign language o
r in
terp
reta
tion s
erv
ices
17%
pro
vid
ed larg
e p
rint
readin
g m
ate
rials
for
wom
en
who a
re v
isually
im
paired
5%
pro
vid
ed B
raill
e r
eadin
g m
ate
rials
42
%W
o
3
Clic
k t
ext
for
refe
rence s
ourc
es.
LearningNetwork
Reso
urc
es
Lead
ing
th
e w
ay –
DA
WN
-RA
FH
Can
ad
a a
nd
ou
r P
art
ners
DA
WN
-RA
FH
Can
ad
a,
the D
isA
ble
d W
om
en’s
Netw
ork
(D
AW
N)
of
Canada/R
éseau
d’a
ction d
e f
em
mes h
andic
apées (
RA
FH
) C
anada,
esta
blis
hed in 1
985 is t
he o
nly
national
org
aniz
ation f
or
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
nd D
eaf
wom
en –
wom
an a
buse h
as b
een
TH
E c
entr
al fo
cus o
f our
work
sin
ce o
ur
inception.
DA
WN
’s o
rganiz
ational m
an
tra
is
LE
AD
ER
SH
IP,
PA
RT
NE
RS
HIP
and N
ET
WO
RK
ING
and is t
he w
ay w
e a
re w
ork
ing t
o
‘tra
nsfo
rm’ our
world t
o o
ne t
hat
inclu
des.
In n
am
ing a
ble
ism
as a
form
of
vio
lence w
e a
re
indeed c
alli
ng u
pon y
ou a
s a
Leader
in y
our
work
, in
your
worl
d,
to identify
it,
nam
e it
and
work
with y
our
Part
ners
to c
hange it.
ww
w.d
aw
ncan
ad
a.n
et
A m
antr
a is a
sound,
sylla
ble
, w
ord
, or
gro
up o
f w
ord
s t
hat
is
consid
ere
d c
apable
of
“cre
ating t
ransfo
rmation”.
A F
irst
Nati
on
s W
om
an
wit
h D
isA
bil
itie
s:
“L
iste
n t
o w
hat
I am
sayin
g!”
This
explo
rato
ry a
nd q
ualit
ative s
tudy d
escribes t
he c
oura
geous s
tory
of
Hope,
a F
irst
Nations w
om
an liv
ing w
ith s
evere
dis
Abili
ties in a
n u
rban c
ity.
Hope e
xperiences g
rief,
ra
cis
m,
verb
al and s
exual abuse,
healthcare
concern
s,
isola
tion,
po
vert
y,
and r
esis
ting c
hild
w
elfare
. H
ope’s
sto
ry is a
learn
ing o
pport
unity f
or
all
health a
nd s
ocia
l serv
ice p
rovid
ers
.
Urb
an
Ab
ori
gin
al
Pers
on
s w
ith
Dis
ab
ilit
ies:
Tri
ple
Jeo
pard
y!
This
resourc
e f
ocuses o
n c
halle
nges o
f F
irst
Nations,
urb
an,
dis
ab
led p
ers
ons a
nd s
olu
tions
to o
verc
om
e o
bsta
cle
s. A
borigin
al pers
ons liv
ing w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
nd s
erv
ice p
rovid
ers
share
their e
xperiences.
Wo
rld
Rep
ort
on
Dis
ab
ilit
yT
his
2011 W
orld H
ealth O
rganiz
ation r
eport
pro
vid
es a
glo
bal pic
ture
of
dis
Abili
ty.
Topic
s inclu
de:
pre
vale
nce,
health c
are
, re
hab
ilita
tion,
enablin
g e
nvironm
ents
, education,
em
plo
ym
ent
and r
ecom
mendation
s
focused o
n a
llevia
ting b
arr
iers
.
6
Po
ten
tial
Co
nseq
uen
ces
Wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties e
xperience a
range
of
consequences s
haped b
y s
uch f
acto
rs
as r
ace,
abili
ty,
sexual orienta
tion a
nd
gender
identity
, in
com
e level, a
nd t
he s
ocia
l in
equitie
s r
ela
ted t
o s
uch f
acto
rs.
Im
pacts
in
clu
de:
fe
ar
of
rem
oval/destr
uction o
f serv
ice
anim
als
or
assis
tive d
evic
es (
e.g
.,
dis
ablin
g t
ele
typew
rite
r, b
reakin
g c
ane)
fe
arf
ul of
leavin
g t
he h
ouse
chro
nic
health c
onditio
ns lin
ked t
o t
he
long t
erm
str
ess o
f liv
ing w
ith a
buse b
y
care
giv
ers
/part
ners
experiencin
g a
dditio
nal dis
Abili
ty c
aused
by a
buse (
e.g
., c
ognitiv
e im
pairm
ent
due
to t
raum
atic b
rain
inju
ry)
very
low
self-e
ste
em
is
ola
tion
alc
oholis
m
engagin
g in o
ther
destr
uctive r
ela
tionship
s
or
behavio
ur
All
wom
en e
xperience b
arr
iers
to d
isclo
sure
(e
.g.,
sham
e,
em
barr
assm
ent)
. S
om
e b
arr
iers
are
rela
ted t
o s
ocia
l lo
cation a
nd p
ers
onal
experience (
e.g
., im
mig
rant
wom
an liv
ing
with d
isA
bili
ty,
povert
y a
nd v
iole
nce).
Wom
en
with d
isA
bili
ties m
ay e
xperience s
om
e o
f th
e
follo
win
g b
arr
iers
:
a
ble
ism
and o
ther
form
s o
f oppre
ssio
n
n
ot
know
ing t
hat
what
they w
ere
experiencin
g w
as a
buse
la
ck o
f m
oney
la
ck o
f accessib
le s
erv
ices a
nd o
utr
each
eff
ort
s
n
ot
know
ing w
here
to s
eek h
elp
or
not
seein
g them
selv
es r
epre
sente
d in s
erv
ices
n
ot
bein
g b
elie
ved o
r havin
g t
he a
buse
min
imiz
ed
n
eedin
g c
are
giv
ing s
upport
the a
busiv
e
pers
on p
rovid
es
la
ck o
f accessib
le/a
fford
able
tra
nsport
ation
to leave a
n a
busiv
e s
ituation o
r to
access
serv
ices in t
he c
om
munity
LE
AR
N M
OR
E
Fo
r S
erv
ice P
rovid
ers
…
non-judgm
enta
l lis
tenin
g
belie
vin
g d
isclo
sure
s
tr
eating w
om
en w
ith c
om
passio
n &
respect
a
skin
g a
bout
abuse a
nd p
rovid
ing a
support
ive s
ett
ing f
or
dis
cussio
n
connecting t
he w
om
an t
o t
he larg
er
com
munity (
e.g
., v
olu
nte
ering,
recre
ational activitie
s)
addre
ssin
g w
om
an’s
health c
oncern
s
Fo
r w
om
en
wit
h d
isA
bil
itie
s…
esta
blis
hin
g f
inancia
l security
in
form
ation,
aw
are
ness,
and
em
pow
erm
ent
holis
tic h
ealth s
erv
ices
in
form
al and f
orm
al support
s
w
om
an-c
entr
ed c
olla
bora
tive s
erv
ices
gett
ing c
onnecte
d t
o t
he larg
er
com
munity
abuse a
ware
ness e
ducation
LE
AR
N M
OR
E
Learn
ing
fro
m W
om
en
wit
h L
ived
Exp
eri
en
ce
Wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties h
ave s
hare
d s
trate
gie
s t
hat
help
ed t
hem
heal and m
ove f
orw
ard
fro
m
their liv
ed e
xperiences o
f vio
lence.
Barr
iers
to
Dis
clo
su
re a
nd
Accessin
g S
up
po
rt
LearningNetwork
5
LearningNetwork
Exp
eri
en
ces o
f V
iole
nce
While
all
wom
en e
xperience v
iole
nce
diffe
rently,
there
are
com
monalit
ies b
etw
een
the e
xperiences o
f w
om
en w
ith a
nd w
ithout
dis
Abili
ties.
How
ever,
vio
lence a
gain
st
wom
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties m
ay b
e r
ela
ted t
o
their d
isA
bili
ty s
upport
needs a
nd is r
oote
d
in a
ble
ism
and o
ther
form
s o
f dis
crim
ination.
Abusiv
e p
ers
ons a
re o
ften c
are
giv
ers
, w
hic
h
can b
e a
fam
ily m
em
ber,
health c
are
work
er,
or
an in
tim
ate
part
ner/
spouse. A
buse in
clu
des:
p
sych
olo
gic
al
& v
erb
al
(e.g
., n
am
e c
alli
ng r
ela
ted t
o d
isA
bili
ty;
thre
ate
nin
g h
arm
to a
ssis
tive d
evic
e o
r serv
ice a
nim
al; t
hre
ate
nin
g t
o w
ithhold
essential care
support
s)
syste
ms a
bu
se
(e
.g.,
unw
illin
gness t
o p
rovid
e s
erv
ice
and s
upport
; ru
de a
nd d
isre
spectf
ul
treatm
ent)
d
estr
ucti
on
of
pro
pert
y
(e.g
., d
am
agin
g h
earing a
id o
r oth
er
assis
tive d
evic
es)
d
en
ial
of
serv
ices a
nd
/or
inap
pro
pri
ate
tr
eatm
en
t b
y c
are
giv
ers
(e.g
., f
orc
ed t
o
live in inaccessib
le h
om
es)
d
iscri
min
ati
on
on
th
e b
asis
o
f th
eir
dis
Ab
ilit
y
(e.g
., r
efu
sed s
erv
ice o
r could
n’t b
e
accom
modate
d a
t a s
helter
because o
f m
enta
l health d
isA
bili
ty)
ra
cis
m a
nd
ab
leis
m
(e.g
., f
earing t
he r
evokin
g o
f sponsors
hip
fo
r im
mig
ration b
ecause o
f re
lationship
vio
lence a
nd d
isclo
sure
of
one’s
dis
Abili
ty
sta
tus)
fi
nan
cia
l
(e.g
., c
ontr
olli
ng b
ank a
ccounts
; ste
alin
g
dis
Abili
ty s
ocia
l assis
tance c
heques)
p
hysic
al
(e
.g.,
vio
lently t
ransfe
rrin
g a
wom
an t
o
and f
rom
her
wheelc
hair;
withhold
ing o
r denyin
g s
erv
ices;
usin
g s
evere
vio
lence
that
can c
ause b
rain
inju
ries)
sexu
al
(e
.g.,
forc
ed s
ex;
forc
ed s
teriliz
ation o
r abort
ions;
vio
lations o
f privacy;
sexual
touchin
g d
uring p
rim
ary
care
)
te
ch
no
log
y-r
ela
ted
vio
len
ce
(e.g
., im
pers
onating a
Deaf
wom
an b
y
usin
g t
heir t
ele
typew
rite
r; c
yber-
bully
ing)
MY
TH
S
W
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
re s
een a
s
sexually
undesirable
or
asexual and
can’t b
e s
exually
vio
late
d
W
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties a
re m
ost
oft
en
abused b
y s
trangers
especia
lly g
iven
that
no p
ers
on w
ho c
om
mits t
heir life
to c
aring f
or
som
eone w
ith a
dis
Abili
ty
would
abuse t
hem
RE
AL
ITIE
S
W
om
en w
ith d
isA
bili
ties e
xperience r
ate
s
of sexual vio
lence that are
hig
her
than
wom
en liv
ing w
ithout dis
abili
ties. S
exual
vio
lence is a
bout pow
er
and c
ontr
ol and
not sexual attra
ctiveness a
nd d
esirabili
ty
of th
e v
ictim
P
erp
etr
ato
rs m
ost
oft
en inclu
de f
am
ily
mem
bers
, in
tim
ate
part
ner,
peers
, and
care
giv
ers
(e.g
., institu
tional sta
ff,
docto
r)
Myth
s a
nd
Reali
ties
4
LE
AR
N M
OR
E
