[Ohio-talk] Domestic Violence and the Blind

[COLLEEN ROTH]

 Hello Everyone,
My concern about a Convention item on Domestic Violence and the Blind is tyofold.
I strongly feel that we need to have people available to talk to anyone who is experiencing Domestic Violence or Abuse of any kind if this topic is on the Convention Agenda.
I also would not want people to air everything  about their sinuation on the Convention Floor.
Cities operate differently in the way they handle Domestic Violence.
In the Toledo Area we had a case of Domestic Violence in the late 1970's.
The person involved did not want to live alone with her child even though her boyfriend was molesting her child.
He was not the baby's father. The baby's great-aunt took the child.
This same person was in another abusive relationship for a very long time. The abuse was perpetrated against her and her other children.
She had developed Learned Helplessness. Her husband encouraged her to let everyone do things for her.
She had learned the skills of blindness in the 1970's but didn't use them.
When her children were removed from the home and her husband was still in the home she needed to go to a shelter.
She didn't want to go to a family member's house.
She couldn't go to some shelters because each person had to cook and do their own laundry. She couldn't do that.
She did have an opportunity to keep her children if she went to get some training on blindness skills. She chose not to do this.
Anyway she ended up in a shelter where she could have a separate room for her safety. At this shelter meals were served to everyone.
She was also given help doing her laundry.
The other example is someone who never lived alone as a blind person. This person did not feel comfortable living alone. The person also needed help getting Insulin set up.
If we could have people available for Private Conversations and assistance for those who need help getting out of a situation the Convention Agenda Item would be good.
This person or sersons would need to keep this information private and confidential.
Unfortunately many people who are victims of abuse and exploitation often go right back to the abuser.
We still need to help anyone who is experiencing abuse or exploitation if we can get the Resources lined up.
If we do not have this item on the Agenda maybe we could have a Conference call for someone from each Chapter who would be able to help those zo need the help.
We could have an expert in this area on the call and we could share ideas.
Colleen Roth