[Ohio-talk] Domestic Violence

[Suzanne Turner]

Read below and make your decision as to why this subject is very important among persons with disabilities.

I would think that a seminar of this subject is prevalent to the NFB in any regard.  Touching this issue on an awareness aspect and not as a way to counsel would be a better agenda.  This way personal edifications are not aired, but address.
Please do not forget that men as well as children with disabilities or blindness are victims as well!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am learning from you all.!!

Read throughout!!!!

Suzanne

Domestic_Violence_and_Disabilities.
WHY IT MATTERS
Women with disabilities have among the highest rates of physical, sexual and emotional violence
perpetrated by intimate partners and family members. Disabled individuals are at greater risk of severe physical
and sexual violence than non-disabled persons, and many disabled victims of violence experience multiple
assaults. Domestic abuse victims with disabilities are often more dependent on their caretakers than victims
without disabilities, and face many barriers to reporting abuse and seeking services. Victims who do report abuse
or seek services often do not find adequate help, since many programs that serve domestic violence victims are
not equipped or trained to offer proper care to disabled victims.
Women with disabilities had a 40% greater risk of violence than women without disabilities. Women with disabilities are at particular risk for
severe violence.

The most common perpetrators of violence against
women with disabilities are their male partners.
Studies estimate that 80% of disabled women
have been sexually assaulted. Women with disabilities are three times more likely
to be sexually assaulted than women without
disabilities.
One study showed that 47% of sexually abused
women with disabilities reported assaults on more
than ten occasions.
Approximately 48% of substantiated cases of
abuse involve elder adults who are not physically
able to care for themselves.
Disabled children are more than twice as likely as
children without disabilities to be physically
abused, and almost twice as likely to be sexually
abused. Virtually all women with disabilities who were
sexually assaulted also reported social, emotional,
and behavioral harm.

BARRIERS TO SEEKING SERVICES

People with disabilities often lack accessible
services due to limited resources, lack of
transportation (especially in rural communities), or
structural limitations of service facilities.

Some disabled victims lack the skills or abilities
necessary to act independently to seek help. Many disabled victims lack knowledge about
services. Public information and awareness
education are generally not distributed in Braille,
large print, or audio tape and do not define domestic
violence in ways that people with disabilities can
relate to.

Disabled victims of violence are heavily dependent
on their abusive primary caretakers and run the risk
of losing their caretaker if they report abuse.  Victims may experience an increased risk of being
institutionalized or losing their basic decision-making
rights if they are viewed as unable to take care of
themselves without the help of their abuser. Disabled victims may be at greater risk for losing
child custody if they are viewed as being unable to
care for children independently from an abusive
primary caretaker.

Studies estimate that between 70% and 85%
of cases of abuse against disabled adults go
unreported. One study found that only 5% of reported
crimes against people with disabilities were
prosecuted, compared to 70% for serious
crimes committed against people with no
disabilities. Disabled victims are more vulnerable to threats
by their abusers if they report the abuse.

DISABILITY TRAINING

Only 35% of shelters surveyed have disability
awareness training for their staff and only 16% have
a dedicated staff person to deliver services to women
with disabilities. Service providers often lack the training and
sensitivity necessary to serve victims with
disabilities. Some people see people with disabilities as less
credible than nondisabled victims. Some people think abusive treatment is necessary to
manage people with disabilities or blame disabled
victims for the abuse they suffer, and because they
hold these beliefs they consider domestic violence
against people with disabilities to be justified.

Suzanne Turner, BSW, MPA
Employment Coordinator and Benefit Specialist

Cleveland Sight Center
216-791-8118 (main)
216-658-7350 (direct)
216-791-1101 (fax)
sturner at ClevelandSightCenter.org <mailto:sturner at ClevelandSightCenter.org>

SPELLBOUND<http://spellbound2013.kintera.org/> is coming up fast - September 20th. Make your reservations now!


1909 East 101st Street
P.O. Box 1988
Cleveland, Ohio  44106-0188

Our Mission: To empower people with vision loss to realize their full potential, and to shape the community's vision of that potential.

************************************** CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE **************************************
This email including any attachments, is private and is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain copyrighted, confidential, protected healthcare information and or privileged information otherwise protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that any unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify the sender via telephone or return mail and destroy all copies of the original message.