#MacroSW: Disabled Women and Domestic Violence
by Vilissa Thompson, LMSW
This article is based on a #MacroSW Twitter chat on disabled women and domestic violence. #MacroSW Twitter chats are held every Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern. For more information, check out https://macrosw.com. The New Social Worker is a #MacroSW media partner.
On October 26, 2017, #MacroSW hosted its first Twitter chat about disabled women and domestic violence. It was timely because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The response to this chat was astounding—there were many colleagues who admitted that they were not well versed on the specific challenges disabled women face when it comes to domestic violence and how this predicament functions differently than it does for non-disabled women.
For this article, I will discuss how domestic violence affects disabled women with two fictitious examples. I will look at the inaccessible and systemic barriers disabled women face when reporting incidences. Finally, I will address what social workers can do to provide appropriate resources and supports, while becoming better allies to the disabled community on this matter.
The Overlooked Epidemic
Statistically, disabled women are at significant risk of experiencing severe violence. Disabled women are twice as likely to experience domestic violence as are their non-disabled counterparts. The common perpetrators of violence against disabled women are their partners. Although examples given in this article focus on partners, disabled women can endure abuse from family members, caregivers, personal care assistants, and others.
How Domestic Violence Functions Differently for Disabled Women
For disabled women, interpersonal violence looks and operates differently than it does for non-disabled women. Here are two examples to illustrate the differences some disabled women endure.
My partner doesn’t hit me, but he pushes my wheelchair out of my reach when we argue. Having my wheelchair out of my reach hinders me from getting away when he gets in my face and screams at me.
My partner has prevented me from working since we’ve moved in together. She controls all of the money, and I don’t have the ability to save for anything. I have become completely financially dependent on her and I don’t know what to do.
In these examples, there are three specific factors that will be explored: intimidation, isolation, and financial dependence/exploitation. All three factors are about stripping disabled women of their power, options, and freedom.
From the first example above, pushing her wheelchair out of reach is an intimidation tactic that disabled women who utilize assistive devices face. Assistive devices can include wheelchairs, canes, and crutches, and can also be other medical needs such as medications. In this tactic, abusive parties exert their able-bodied status and place their partners in a vulnerable state, where they will be forced to endure whatever ill or punishment the perpetrator wishes to deliver. This is a prime example of how disabled women experience violence that may not leave marks or bruises, but instead leaves them helplessly at the mercy of their abusers.
Isolation, whether by choice or force, in an abusive relationship means that disabled women do not have the support system in place to discuss what is occurring in the home, and/or to be able to receive assistance to escape their abusers and the abuse. Abusers aim to destroy the relationships their partners have with others, so they will not disclose the evilness of what is happening to them.
Financial dependence and exploitation are situations that both disabled and non-disabled women face in abusive relationships, but such circumstances are exacerbated for disabled women because of the low numbers of employment and high numbers of underemployment and unemployment of disabled people. Not having control of one’s money, and/or being reliant on receiving money from a partner, places disabled women in a critical state of powerlessness. Abusers may also use the lure of money to trap disabled women by telling them that they will never be able to live fully on their own without the partner’s financial support. Some abusers may hinder their partner’s ability to acquire and retain work. For instance, if a disabled woman is employed, the abuser can still take control of her money by forcing her to hand over her paychecks.
Financial abuse also occurs for disabled women who receive disability benefits. Abusers may claim that the partner is not “capable” or “responsible” to handle money and will position themselves to be assigned as representative payees to gain control of the funds.
Accessibility and Systemic Obstacles
Lack of accessibility to receive appropriate supports and services can hinder a disabled woman’s chances of safely and successfully leaving an abusive situation. Some of the barriers include:
- Awareness information about domestic violence may not be available in Braille, large print, or audio tape. These materials also may not describe domestic violence in ways that are relatable to what women are experiencing, particularly when the tactics center on their disabilities. This exclusion is not only discriminatory, but it can be deadly to those who need the pertinent information.
- Limited resources in one’s area can act as a hindrance. An overlooked problem is transportation, particularly in rural areas. If a disabled woman does not have a safe means to get to a shelter, then she cannot access the services there. Also, some facilities may not be accessible, structurally, which can prevent a disabled woman from simply entering a facility.
- The family court system has a history of discriminating against disabled women by declaring that having a disability deems a person incapable of being a fit parent. Disabled women who report abuse may risk losing custody of their children if the court system views them as unable to care for their children independently from the abusive party. Sadly, social workers have been utilized in the removal of children in the custody of disabled parents, and this is a realistic concern that may cause disabled women to not leave abusive situations in fear of losing their children to an ableist system.
What Should Social Workers Do?
It is ethically and morally irresponsible for social workers to not be knowledgeable about what is happening to disabled women in our community regarding domestic violence. It was striking how many social workers voiced that they were unaware of how prevalent this issue was among disabled women and that they did not know what to do to address the matter. Some of this aligns with the erroneous idea surrounding the sexuality and relationship status of disabled women, while others may not have understood the nontraditional ways in which disabled women are abused. In either case, social workers on all levels (macro, mezzo, and micro) should be culturally competent about the disability-specific matters that affect the largest minority group in the country and globally, and the gaps that are not being fulfilled by the profession and the harm those gaps are posing for those within these margins.
If you are unfamiliar with the issue of domestic violence and disabled women, review the following links to learn more. If you work in agencies that advocate for the rights of domestic violence survivors, brainstorm how your efforts can be better inclusive and accessible to disabled women and the present gaps that may exist.
We cannot afford to be behind on this important issue. We must answer the call to protect the lives of disabled women and become better allies (or co-conspirators) to survivors and the progress undertaken by the disabled community.
Resources
Cycles Are Hard to Break: Disability and Domestic Violence
http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/01/07/cycles-are-hard-to-break-disability-and-domestic-violence/
Domestic Violence and Disabled Women: An Abuse of Power
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/nov/19/domestic-violence-disabled-women-abuse
Abuse of Women With Disabilities
http://www.apa.org/topics/violence/women-disabilities.aspx
Violence Against Women With Disabilities
Making the Links: Domestic Violence and Disabled Women, Final Report
Vilissa Thompson is a macro-minded social worker from South Carolina. Ramp Your Voice! is her organization where she discusses issues that matter to her as a Black disabled woman, including intersectionality, racism, politics, and why she unapologetically makes good trouble.