The Canadian Association for Community Living Association canadienne pour

1. Preventing and responding to violence against people with disabilities: a community development strategyNational Disability Authority Conference 2011 – Dublin, Ireland The Canadian Association for Community Living Association canadienne pour l'intégrationcommunautaire Presenter Doris Rajan

2. Presentation Format • The Issue: violence and people with disabilities in Canada • The Issue: women with disabilities and violence • A community development strategy for addressing violence against people with disabilities

3. The Issue • Over the last decade studies have confirmed that people with disabilities experience violence at a much higher rate than the non-disabled population. • Women with disabilities are abused at a much higher rate than women without disabilities and men with/and without disabilities.

4. The Issue • Among men with intellectual disabilities, 32% to 54% have been sexually assaulted. • Research affirms that sexual offence is the most common type of abuse against women with disabilities.

5. The Issue • Women with disabilities are sexually assaulted at a rate at least twice that of the general population of women in Canada. • The rate for women with intellectual disabilities and Deaf women is even higher than other women with disabilities. • Almost80% of women with disabilities have experienced physical violence by their intimate partners compared to 29% of women without disabilities.

6. The Issue • 83% of women with disabilities will be sexually abused in their lifetime • 40% to 70% of girls with intellectual disabilities will be sexually abused before the age of 18 • 80% of psychiatric inpatients have experienced physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime

7. The Issue • Abuse incidents are not isolated – the abuse is often ongoing, especially when perpetrated by a care-giver. • Less than 25% of sexual violence is limited to one episode

8. Why does it happen? • Negative public attitudes and fear about disabilities • Social and economic isolation of people with disabilities • Greater reliance on care-givers • Lack of support for care-givers

9. Why does it happen? • Lack of availability of safe, alternatives •  Perceived lack of credibility of people with disabilities • Socialization of people with disabilities to be compliant

10. Why does it happen? • Ineffective safeguards • Lack of accessible legal services and advocates • Multiple factors due to intersecting marginalized statuses

11. More on Multiple Factors • Lack of accessible information about Canadian laws and human rights • Increased dependency on their sponsor and fear of jeopardizing Canadian immigration status

12. More on Multiple Factors • Fear of not being capable of providing for and/or keeping custody of children if abuse is reported • Fear of being ostracized from their ethnic community and family, and causing the family shame – similar for the Deaf community • Distrust of, and lack of, confidence in police

13. More on Multiple Factors • Lack of accessible, culturally and linguistically accessible social services, e.g. Shelters not a good model for all cultures • Experiences of prejudice, discrimination, and/or racism when interacting with various institutions • Lack of English and/or French language skills

14. Excerpt from The R Word

15. Violence and women with disabilities DisAbledWomen’s Network (DAWN) Canada Réseaud'action de femmes handicapées (RAFH) Canada Conducted a national study in 2011 with a broad range of women with disabilities from diverse backgrounds. Some of the findings…

16. Kind of abuse women told us about • Psychological & Verbal • Financial • Sexual • Physical • Systems abuse • Conjugal/Spousal Abuse • Racism and Ableism • Denial of Services • Discrimination on the basis of their disability • Destruction of Property • Cyber Bullying

17. Psychological & Verbal Abuse • Name calling & bullying • Telling women that they are worthless • Telling women that their disability limits what they can do and dream of • Threatening to withhold primary care supports; • Threatening physical harm • Telling women that they were unattractive and undesirable.

18. Financial Abuse • Caregivers taking their Disability Social Assistance support cheques; • Controlling their bank accounts and limiting access to women’s own money; • Telling women what they can and cannot do with their own money; • Paid caregivers using women’s money for their own personal needs and pleasures;

19. Abuse by the System • Rude and disrespectful treatment by health care professionals and hospital personnel.   • Refusal to provide medical services needed. •  Rude and disrespectful services from shelter workers and social workers. •   Rude and disrespectful treatment by the police and legal system.

20. Physical Abuse • Extreme physical violence • Violence results in disability, particularly brain injuries • Physical abuse is ongoing • Physical violence witnessed by children.

21. Sexual Abuse • Sexual abuse by those in positions of authority • Child sexual abuse and often abusers were family members • Violent rape by male partners • Inappropriate touching by caregivers when washing, bathing, and dressing women

22. Denial of Services and/or Inappropriate Treatment by Caregivers • Forced to live in inaccessible homes • Withholding of primary care • Denial of assistance to use the washroom • Rough bathing and washing • Male caregivers being sent to provide primary care for women • Women left in soiled clothing for days

23. Discrimination on the basis of their disability • Refused service at a shelter because they had a mental health disability, or couldn’t be accommodated. • Refused counselling because of their disabilty. • Denied employment, housing, access to childcare because of their disability.

24. Destruction of Property • Destroyed furniture in their home • Broke down door • Smashed car windows • Damaged hearing aid and other assistive devices.

25. Cyber Bullying • Through email, instant messaging, internet chat rooms, and electronic gadgets like camera cell phones, cyber bullies forward and spread hurtful images and/or messages. • Cyber sexual abuse • Bullies use this technology to harass victims at all hours, in wide circles, at warp speed.

26. Who are the abusers? • Health Care Providers - Increased risk due to reliance on health care system. • More than one caregiver in their lives, more opportunities for abuse. • When the violence is not sexual, offender is more likely to be a woman

27. Most likely offenders in order ... • Mother or father • Caregivers, both male and female • Health care service providers (including institutional and residential staff) • Husbands, boyfriends, partners (including same sex) • Other family relatives • Transit drivers, attendant care workers or interpreters (seek these employment opportunities)

28. Quotes on Abuse “My boyfriend told me I was ugly and I was lucky that he was with me because of my disability.” My boyfriend raped me and cracked my head on a bed while raping me.

29. Quotes on Abuse The specialist took out a copy of National Geographic and showed me a picture and said ‘Do you know how lucky you are to be in this country? You are complaining about a headache… this is suffering, you are not suffering. There was a time when everything was good, safe, before I came to Canada. I didn’t know what sexual abuse was before I came here. I felt like telling him that. Women with a brain injury

30. What stood in the way? Not believed ... By police, family, counsellors, shelter workers, lawyers, doctors, nurses , social worker, co-workers Lack of awareness of what abuse is. Lack of money. Don’t know where to go or who can help. Dependency on abuser.

31. Some differences that were noted Ethno-racial women – stronger sense of being abused by the system. Many experiences of racism and ableism. The abuse has occurred since they have been in Canada. Women with Mental Health Issues – didn’t realize they were experiencing abuse, had multiple disabilities, a strong need for trauma therapy. Women with Episodic Disabilities – pronounced violence, many barriers to leaving, reported much abused by the system.

32. Some differences that were noted Women with intellectual disabilities– reported many incidences of financial abuse by caregivers, abusive parents, and sexual abuse more frequently. Francophone women – reported verbal abuse from family, abuse by caregivers, fear to disclose due to need for support from abusive caregivers.

33. Some differences that were noted First Nations/Métis Women: • Thinking abuse was just the way things were growing up • Never heard of services for abuse women or people with disabilities, particularly on reserve. • Professionals didn’t understand what life was like for First Nations’ people. • Really stressed the need for culturally aware, sensitive - the importance of peer and aboriginal-specific supports.

34. Recommendations • Create groups where women could meet regularly and talk about abuse together “it is liberating” • Skilled, disability sensitive, free counselling services. • Safety protocol and protection process when a woman leaves. • Temporary money in place until a woman gets her life in order. • Women centred short and long term planning.

35. Recommendations • Systems analysis to identify where women with disabilities are not being appropriately supported. • Sensitivity Training and Awareness Raising re. the issues for abused women with disabilities is needed for all the key sectors involved with VAW.

36. The Strategy - Values and Understanding • People are not defined by their marginality – they are people first and foremost. • The disability movement does not adhere to the “medical model” for understanding the experience of disability. Which focuses on the individual’s deviation from “normal” • Rather than acknowledging that it is society’s lack of accommodation that limits advantage and access. • The problem is not the impairment, but rather “disability” arises from the barriers to equal participation

37. Careful not to Label

38. People first... • So while it is useful to understand the general categories of types of disabilities, so that we can name and address distinct barriers for distinct solutions... • We have to understand these categories in the context of systemic barriers, and • We need to recognize everyone’s individuality; • Understand that these are broad categories that are not mutually exclusive.

39. Strategy occurs in two phases Phase 1: Research & Tool Kit Development Phase 2: Pilot Implementation at the Local Level Strategy

40. The Tool Kit comprised of 8 Modules • Sensitivity Training for the Justice System • Training on the Model for Supported Credibility – Justice System • Sensitivity Training for the VAW sector • Sensitivity Training for the Health & Social Services sector (includes disability services, immigrant settlement, etc.) • Sensitivity Training for the Education sector • Workshop for Women with Disabilities and Deaf women • Workshop for Men with Disabilities and Deaf men • How to conduct a Safety Audit in your organization

41. A community development strategy – rooted in the local community...

42. How does it work? – The Infrastructure

43. How it works Workshops People w disabilities Sector Training

44. The Audit Process Local agencies engage in a step by step process to identify: • The places where people with disabilities and Deaf people are vulnerable; • When and how abuse may be occurring.

45. This 8 Key Step approach examines ... the gap between what people experience and what agencies aim to provide how that gap is produced.

46. On the individual level – working groups • Support workers are given tools to gather all pertinent background information to support individuals • People from that same community are supported in developing self identified, realistic short and long term plans. • The framework for these plans matches individual needs and wants with what is actually available in the community. • Plans are built around individual people’s needs and wants

47. Don’t need more services ... Need more COMMUNITY! Services/supports do not dictate plans for a better safer life. Plans are based on wants and needs and then together we build the capacity of the community to meet those plans. Services are plugged in when all other community solutions are exhausted

48. Example of how this worksThe Justice Sector The justice sector plays a key role in the prevention and response to violence against people with disabilities and Deaf People.

49. Justice This project will address the specific barriers to accessing the information and services that are required for abused people with disabilities and Deaf people to receive fair and equal treatment in society as a whole and specifically as they attempt to access the justice system.

50. Findings related to the Justice System • Unaware of their rights, i.e. fear of losing children, being deported, losing supports, etc. • Services are not accessible i.e., victim witness, police stations, etc. • Not being believed by police and mistreatment by the police • Racist and classist treatment intersecting with discrimination based on their disability (ableism) • Difficulties in communicating the abuse • Lack of supports and accommodations in the criminal justice process upon entry