Topic: Disabled women

 
Disabled women are particularly vulnerable to abuse. Research has shown that disabled women experience abuse at least twice as often as non-disabled women. Abusers - including personal assistants (P.A.s) and carers -  may exploit a woman's particular condition or impairment.  There are also additional barriers that a disabled woman must overcome when she seeks help. 

It's common for abusers to use disabled women's impairments to control and hurt them through:

Physical abuse: pushing her onto the floor when she is unable to get back up, hitting her when she cannot get away from him, ignoring her care needs.

Sexual abuse: disabled women are tiwce as likely to be raped or assaulted.

Psychological abuse: control of contact with the outside world, telling her that no one else would want her because of her impairments, locking her in a room, refusing to take her to the bathroom (if she cannot get there without assistance), hiding her possesssions including the aides she needs to be independent.

Financial abuse: not allowing her to have any financial independence, having to beg for everything she needs, having her disability benefits taken from her, taking money from her without her permission or knowledge.

Getting away from abuse is often harder for disablsed women because access to help and support is often controlled by the abuser.
 

Women's Aid have published a report which explores disabled women’s experiences of domestic violence and investigates existing service provision available to them.

Access the report:
Making the links - disabled women and domestic violence