Violence against women with disabilities

Women with disabilities experience violence at a higher rate, for longer periods, and are less likely to report the abuse, than women without disabilities (Healey, 2008). Tricia Malowney, Chair of Women with Disabilities Victoria, and Ariane Garner-Williams, youth and women with disabilities advocate, talk about some of the issues that arise for this doubly disadvantaged group, in terms of violence.
In the 2003 Report "Double Triple Disadvantage: Out of Sight, Out of Mind", author Chris Jennings explains that 'Women with disabilities face a double disadvantage: as women they are discriminated against on the basis of gender, and as people they are discriminated against on the basis of their disability' (p.11).
Women with disabilities experience the same types of violence as other women in the community - that is physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse. Women with disabilities also experience forms of violence particular to their situation. Women with disabilities are often not respected or valued for who they are; in general they are poorer than other women; they experience more isolation and can be more dependent on partners, family members or carers. Because of this, women with disabilities can be vulnerable to forms of abuse that do not fit traditional definitions of violence. Withholding equipment, food and medication; limiting access to communication devices; and threats of institutionalisation are some forms of disability related abuse that may go unreported (Nosek, Foley et al 2001).
Women with Disabilities Victoria have produced a key resource on violence against women with disabilities, entitled 'Building the Evidence: A report on the status of policy and practice in responding to violence against women with disabilities in Victoria' (2008). The Building the Evidence project analysed the extent to which Victorian family violence policy and practice recognised and provided for women with disabilities who experience violence; and made recommendations to improve responses to women with disabilities dealing with family violence. The research was undertaken because the full extent of violence against women with disabilities was unknown, because statistics about women with disabilities who experience violence are not collected well.
To access the Building the Evidence Report, go to:
www.wdv.org.au/publications.ht...
For more information on violence against women with disabilities, go to our website at www.wdv.org.au
If you are experiencing violence, you can contact:
Police - Dial 000
Women's Domestic Violence Crisis Service of Victoria
1800 015 188 (24 hour)
Men's Referral Service
1800 065 973 (Victoria)
Free, Anonymous, Confidential
The producer of this video is happy for it to be used to raise awareness of the issues entailed. So feel free to share it, screen it and otherwise use it in your work. For more information on this video, contact Sarah Boyd at [e-mail]

[@BlindHope8]

A person with a disability, especially a woman, needs a strong, trusted, and sincere advocate. These advocates are few and far between, and its generally up to the person with disability to find him or her. Human services agencies have too specific a mandate and excessive bureaucracy to fulfill this role.

[@ButterflyLullabyLtd]

My Mother, bless her is mentally ill because of bulling in school and some men that have treated her very badly. Thankfully my Stepfather is a good man and has cared for her for over 30 years. Not many men like him in the UK! I think he deserves a medal! And my poor Mum deserves a holiday with all the pain and suffering she endures day in and out with the illness. She still believes to this day my Nan was not her Mother because school and men made her so ill! This is sad!

[@ButterflyLullabyLtd]

Matthew. Thank you for speaking out. This sort of message is important. And it is time people started to act as team players to help the victims instead of allowing them to be bullied by a society that does not protect them. Waterhouse report and Jimmy Savile are proof that the Government/Councils are not doing their job. My Nan was only 4 when she was put into a children's home with her brothers. That home was a shed. The Government refused to pay out for her fathers army pension!

[@MatthewFordVictoria]

A couple years back, I tried to join a local support group that was open to everybody, and when the topic of rape came up, lots of women spoke about their experiences. However, when I spoke about mine, the Lady who put the group together, asked me to step outside for a minute, where I was told that the group is not for Gay people to complain about their former partners! I'm NOT Gay but a Victim of a Gay man abusing me! Regardless, I was kicked out and told not to speak to any of the members.

[@paidamoyodandadzi4925]

I'm a lady with disabilities I can easily relate to these issues

[@klowe6824]

There was a credit at the end about a men's program or line to call. Thus they weren't discriminating against men. Also, about the woman being the victim thing for having sex with a minor, I've seen a website portraying them as rapists with their names identifying them in a courtroom. Would you ever take a picture of a male rapist in a courtroom, or several of them and make a website? If there is one, I wouldn't even look at it out of fear. This video is empowering and educational.

[@ButterflyLullabyLtd]

Good for you for speaking out. I hope more follow so we can force change!

[@beataannanowak659]

I am not considered a woman with a disability I reported many forms of abuse to the authorities but I was ignored and laughed at

[@MatthewFordVictoria]

I've been trying to find help to deal with the Traumatic effects it took on me, especially around Trust. But everywhere I go for help, I get told the same thing...not to dwell on the past. In fact, Forget the past and Focus on the Future.

[@havanadaurcy1321]

Woman with disability here, it sickens me that ableds laugh in our faces then go poor me as if they are the only ones who are victims. It just isn't true.

[@tarencox3067]

They are such beautiful angels

[@tiazadobbs7475]

Yeah No one knows the crap we endure.

[@WDVchannel]

...CASA do great work in assisting people who have been sexually assaulted. They are Australia wide - maybe check out their websites. Thanks again Matt for sharing your experience of abuse with us - I'm sure it helps other people know that they are not alone. - Sarah

[@shonteshields7758]

Can disability people use a lyft app for transportation to go to the shelter about adult abuse,when people call 211.

[@WDVchannel]

Hi Matt, that's terrible that that happened to you and good on you for speaking out about it. All those things you mentioned, sadly, come as no surprise to me, in terms of what the research and people with disabilities tell us. Have you sought support for yourself? (message continued...)

[@gigischuster3078]

CNS Community Network Services in Michigan may have changed how they run things now, but back in the day I can't under good concise as a PTSD Survivor and Victim from the SIPS homes CNS placed me in years ago, how is CNS allowed to continue to do buisness. This place should not be allowed to keep putting people in SIP homes. As a Survivor with now Severe PTSD. I was sexually abused, molested, physically and emotionally abused by staff and attacked by other clients at their SIP homes, which CNS backed, supported and made money at the expense of disabled people..... I still wonder to this day, how many more female victims who's voice was silenced by CNS, and how many of their Case Mangers kept their job when abuse in homes they placed the victim in was abusing the disabled person right under their nose....and yet they turned a blind eye. I went through this and would never wish it on anyone when I was in my early 20's. The abuse going on in the SIP homes they backed years ago is still fresh in my mind and it disgusts me to no ends that it affects my every day life now. From night terrors to fear of people and fear of trusting people, PTSD attacks in stores because someone resembles the abuser from the SIP homes. CNS must be held accountable, it doesn't matter how many years ago it was. 'The FACT OF THE MATTER IS IT DID HAPPEN' and PTSD Survior as much as I want to erase what was done to me in the CNS funded and backed SIP homes in PTSD its not the person refusing to let go of the past, but the past refusing to let go of the Survior who needs to move forward, yet the triggers hold you back. I seek rightfully justice, I want CNS to be accountable as the trauma has caused issues in my life now, issues and triggers that didn't need to be in my life, yet I deal with now. I never asked for CNS SIP staff to abuse me like they did thinking they could get away with it because "Disability People Can't Be Believed" I never asked to be sexually molested, physically and emotionally abused then and it haunts me now. What must happen for those like me that suffered at hands of SIP home staff under the CNS plan for treatment. Is justice and CNS is as guilty as those staff in the SIP homes that violated me, abused me sexually, emotionally and physically for years before I was pulled out of the CNS program so YES they need to be held accountable and actions to prevent this from happening again must happen. My early childhood PTSD was not severe" and could have properly diagnosed been treated prolior to being placed in a CNS backed SIP home. I did not need to be placed in a SIP home through CNS that puts money over safety and well-being of their disability people under their programs. Instead years after I'm suffering from now Severe CPTSD amplified by the molestation forced upon me by CNS SIP home male staff, the physical abuse and damage that lead to 3 teeth having to be removed later from a violent male in the SIP home unsupervised. The staff's physical shoving, hitting and punching along with name calling by staff at numerous CNS funded and backed SIP homes. I can't move forward with my life because of this, and I have night terrors from the abuse I suffered under CNS's Program in their facility selected SIP homes. Don't tell me that your in no way responsible reguardless of the years that went by. Back then even after enough evidence CNS had their 'Own Investigation' and denied any and all accusations. Their caseworkers obviously not wanting to loose their job continued to down play my reports of abuse, and my mother who knew what was going on saw how the case managers played dumb about each and every incident that occurred. I pray as an manipulated disabled adult who was lead to believe the SIP homes through CNS was what we thought right plan of action. That this ability still being done by CNS is stopped. I pray people will find their voice like I have to speak out and not be silent when things like this through a so called "Community Health Care Center". I can not in good concise be silent anymore. And those they advocated and backed must be held accountable, CNS put innocent disabled women in situations and SIP homes that abuse and violate the dignity, humanity, rights and life of someone under their care. They must be held accountable and the survivor deserves compensation for the years that the abuse that CNS ignored, down played and denied be held accountable to fullest extent. Please people think twice before placing your disabled loved ones in their SIP and Group Home Facility I wish what I went through should never happen to another.....however I have no doubt CNS like many others who put cost over wellbeing of those in their facilities history repeats itself and I know there are more victims now PTSD survivors who suffered in these SIP homes that CNS backs.

[@martincrazereptiles8477]

Make me so sad. Also like mention to parents of disabled kids becareful with your disabled kids go special needs schools lot abuse do happen in them in secret which break there mental state just monitor closely there behaviour. Teachers can be cruel at those places too

[@WDVchannel]

Thanks for your comment. I have now added a closed captions track to the video that can be accessed through the CC button. It is my first attempt at doing captions and I welcome any feedback for improvement :) - Sarah

[@ButterflyLullabyLtd]

Our world is missing one thing and that is teamwork! People need to team up and protect one another from bullying. The Government and Councils are not doing their job! They are the biggest bullies going. I was threatened when I tried to save the school field. Teachers were also threatened with the sack if they helped. I got actor Michael Sheen to write a letter of support to save the butterfly meadow and sports field. Search google and you will see it was in the paper.

[@MatthewFordVictoria]

I was sexually violated while living in a Care Home, yet the Police merely said "No Witness, No Case". I was then injured with a broken pencil and left to bleed in my bed. My phone was taken from my room, and my rights to use the office phone depended on who I want to call. I was forced to perform oral services to my caregiver, to which I bit him and made him bleed. Instead of proving it's happening, I was seen as the offender, yet they didn't question why his XXX was in my face to begin with!

[@ButterflyLullabyLtd]

Good video by the way. The UK is not their for people! My poor Nan was begging to die when she was in an old peoples home. She felt degraded having a man take her to the toilet. Bed sores. She ended up starving herself to death because our Country treats animals better than human beings. My Nan was a strong women, I take after her thankfully. I want to know why the English Government did not pay her fathers army pension and why she was put in a shed they called a children's home!

[@MatthewFordVictoria]

Butterfly, Thank you for your kind and supportive comments. I've tried talking about this through other sites, and the moderator of the group has banned me from saying that sort of thing. Yet it's okay for women to talk about it. Hold on a moment... Women are fighting for Power and Equality, yet when it comes to abuse, Women are fighting to be weaker than men, with the odds of how many women compared to men get abused, in order to make Male Victims not that important. Strange!!!

[@VirtualAssistantAlana2020]

This doesn't address abusive, discriminatory police.

[@MatthewFordVictoria]

Or you hear about Female Teachers having sex with under-age Male Students, and instead of getting sent to jail for 10 or 20 years (like Men would be charged for having sex with girls) and instead of being registered as a sex offender, the Law doesn't see it as a crime but looks at her emotional issues, like her husband leaving her, so she wanted a man in her arms. Even though it's illegal to have sex with minors, news reports get the public feeling sorry for her, as if she couldn't help it.

[@JB-ji4yq]

🙏 It’s not that they don’t believe these people, it’s just the Police don’t care and some of them are apart of this type of abuse, abuse that includes the rape of woman the child abuse and cover ups, and the millions and millions of pounds that is gained from drugs all across the board, which has also resulted in the police officers been blackmailed as well, the police will chase a person down for speeding or a fine or they will come to your home to help the TV license man gain entry, they will travel to different address and arrest people on just an accusation, but if you mention drugs and child sex crimes and tell them directly, they do not want to know and they will not go and investigate it, but what they do say is ring the none emergency number and report it, and then they ask you to gather the evidence 😂 brilliant, the police won’t help save children from child sex predators or help woman and men that are living in fear, but they will arrest you if it’s an accusation where it can be an open and shut case, it must be a numbers thing, numbers all ways look good on paper, the people that the police did not help and they ended up losing their life’s, all the police do is go on the news give an apology to the family and public and say things like, these failures have been identified and all that other scripted material, and that things will change, but it never does, because this is happened on a regular basis, what happened to the copper that you could walk up to in the street with the dot martin shoes on, and that if you went and told them something they would act on what you had told them and investigate it and make arrests, in stead we have these, well you all know what I mean,

[@user-pf2uv1yl2k]

ATTENTION EVERYONE IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN DANGER SAY JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS OVER AND OVER AND IF YOU CAN TAKE PHYSICAL ACTION AT THE SAME TIME. JESUS SAVES. JESUS LOVES YOU. 🙏❤