The abuse of women with disability

Abstract

I originally became interested in the abuse of women with disability while carrying out a placement with SAPPORT Disability Unit. This unit is a service provider for persons with disability. A placement consists of a number of hours working for a particular service provider as part requirement towards the diploma in social work. While on this placement I became aware that women with disability faced many difficulties because of their dependence on a partner/carer, and this sometimes led to their being abused by those very people who were supposed to do the caring. I also realized that women with disability are sometimes over protected 'for their own good'. Keeping these women 'safe' means that they are given very limited opportunity to socialize and to develop communication skills necessary to be able to set boundaries. Families may overprotect their daughters, or sisters with disability and keep them asexual for fear of them being exploited, hurt and rejected (Asch & Fine, 1988, as cited in Myern, 1999). Women with a disability may lack life experiences, encouraging them to enter into an undesirable relationship so as to appear 'normal' (Myers, 1999). The principal aim of the study is to try to identify whether women with a disability are more vulnerable to abuse. It will also investigate the overprotection of women with disability, the controlling of their finances and their lack of integration and participation in today's society. Could all this be indirectly contributing to their vulnerability and increasing the possibility of their being abused (Myers, 1999)? [...]