Sexual Assault

Sexual Assault and Autistic Survivors

This webinar, featured Erica Blackwood of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Olga Trujillo of Activating Change, who addressed the barriers autistic survivors face in seeking healing services …
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Sexual Assault and Autistic Survivors

This webinar, featured Erica Blackwood of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Olga Trujillo of Activating Change, who addressed the barriers autistic survivors face in seeking healing services following sexual violence and the ways in which service providers can better meet their needs. This powerful webinar explored the lived experience of an autistic survivor and offered participants guidance on what accommodations are helpful as well as those things to consider for effective communication with autistic survivors.

Recording coming soon
Supporting Black Deaf Survivors

Black deaf survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence often have to navigate a web of barriers to accessing healing services: programs designed to respond to domestic and sexual violence, for …
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Supporting Black Deaf Survivors

Black deaf survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence often have to navigate a web of barriers to accessing healing services: programs designed to respond to domestic and sexual violence, for instance, may not have the knowledge or resources to address the needs of Deaf survivors while Deaf programs may not have the knowledge or experience to address survivorship. However, the Deaf community has been working to address this gap in services by developing programs specifically at this intersection. This webinar featured one of those programs, DAWN, which was formed inn 1999 in the Washington metropolitan area and has been providing direct support services to women and their families in the Deaf community. Listen to a conversation between Roberta Eaton, DAWN’s Executive Director, and Raven Sutton, Senior Survivor Resource Specialist, as they discuss DAWN’s unique approach to meeting the needs of Black deaf survivors.
Sexual Violence in the Lives of Indigenous People with Disabilities

Nearly 3 million people in the United States identify as “American Indian or Alaskan Native” (2010 U.S. Census). Due to systemic and historical oppression, individuals within these communities experience high …
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Sexual Violence in the Lives of Indigenous People with Disabilities

Nearly 3 million people in the United States identify as “American Indian or Alaskan Native” (2010 U.S. Census). Due to systemic and historical oppression, individuals within these communities experience high rates of sexual assault and have high rates of disability. This webinar looked at Indigenous survivors of sexual assault who also have a disability and the unique barriers they encounter in their healing journey.
Centering Survivors with Disabilities in Your Organizational Policies

When survivors with disabilities and Deaf survivors engage with your victim service organization or disability program, they are necessarily engaging with the policies that guide the delivery of your services. …
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Centering Survivors with Disabilities in Your Organizational Policies

When survivors with disabilities and Deaf survivors engage with your victim service organization or disability program, they are necessarily engaging with the policies that guide the delivery of your services. Regardless of they type of organization, failure to account for the lived experiences of survivors with disabilities in your organizational polices results in delays in service provision, confusion among staff about what is allowed, safety concerns among survivors, the provision of inadequate or unsafe services, or the denial of services completely.

This two-part webinar series examined key policies that victim service and disability organizations should have in place to account for unique circumstances in the lives of survivors with disabilities, including personal care attendants, service animals and guardianship.
Providing Accessible and Effective Services to Survivors of Sexual Assault with Disabilities

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and in support of survivors everywhere, we dedicated this month’s End Abuse of People with Disabilities webinar to lifting up promising practices for serving survivors …
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Providing Accessible and Effective Services to Survivors of Sexual Assault with Disabilities

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and in support of survivors everywhere, we dedicated this month’s End Abuse of People with Disabilities webinar to lifting up promising practices for serving survivors with disabilities. The webinar featured a panel comprised of a survivor with a disability, a national expert, and a local advocate, this webinar explored the unique barriers that people with disabilities have to navigate when seeking healing and the strategies that advocates can employ to proactively remove those barriers. The panelists provided practical guidance from their own experience to help you ensure that survivors with disabilities feel respected and supported within your programs

Panelists, Cathy Saunders, Self-Advocate with Illinois Imagines, Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams, Prevention Specialist at Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Heidi Sue LeBoeuf, Counseling Director at Pathways For Change and facilitator Sandra Harrell, Associate Director, Center on Victimization and Safety led this discussion.
What’s Happening for Deaf Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence?

Deaf domestic and sexual violence programs are few and far between in comparison to hearing programs. There are only 20 “for Deaf, by Deaf” programs compared to approximately 3,000 programs …
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What’s Happening for Deaf Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence?

Deaf domestic and sexual violence programs are few and far between in comparison to hearing programs. There are only 20 “for Deaf, by Deaf” programs compared to approximately 3,000 programs designed for hearing survivors. What does this mean for Deaf survivors of domestic and sexual violence trying to heal from violence and abuse? A panel of advocates from Deaf domestic and sexual violence programs discussed the state of Deaf services. These boots-on-ground advocates shared information about their programs, including about the National Deaf Hotline, the barriers Deaf survivors experience when trying to access services from hearing programs, the disparities Deaf survivors of color experience, and why understanding what’s happening, and the resources available to Deaf survivors of domestic and sexual violence, is critical.
Peer to Peer: Bridging the Gap Through Self-Advocacy Curriculum

People with developmental and intellectual disabilities are at an increased risk of experiencing abuse. They may turn to a variety of support systems in the aftermath of victimization, but barriers …
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Peer to Peer: Bridging the Gap Through Self-Advocacy Curriculum

People with developmental and intellectual disabilities are at an increased risk of experiencing abuse. They may turn to a variety of support systems in the aftermath of victimization, but barriers that exist within these support systems often create obstacles to healing. Other people with disabilities can make ideal supports for people with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence because they can provide support on an equal level with the person who has been hurt.

The Peer to Peer: Bridging the Gap through Self-Advocacy curriculum was designed to provide self-advocates with the information and tools needed to support survivors and to act as a bridge between the survivor and the programs in the community designed to serve them. Through four interactive courses, self-advocates will learn peer support skills and information about domestic violence, sexual assault, and the justice system.
Supporting Crime Victims with Disabilities Online Training Toolkit

People with disabilities turn to a variety of support systems in the aftermath of victimization, from family and friends to victim services to their local disability service provider or to …
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Supporting Crime Victims with Disabilities Online Training Toolkit

People with disabilities turn to a variety of support systems in the aftermath of victimization, from family and friends to victim services to their local disability service provider or to law enforcement. When those support systems are knowledgeable about the needs of people with disabilities, they can broaden the paths to healing available to victims with disabilities. The Supporting Crime Victims with Disabilities toolkit was designed to provide comprehensive and culturally responsive informational and educational resources, tools, videos, and examples of best practices for law enforcement, forensic interviewers, victim advocates, and others to prepare them to effectively respond to victims of crime with disabilities across the lifespan. Leveraging the guidance and expertise of representatives from these fields, the toolkit embodies ideals of intersectionality, accessibility, and usability among others. The toolkit includes video testimonials from survivors with disabilities, recorded lectures from professionals across a variety of systems, and interactive activities. You can review the content from beginning to end or select specific topics of interest.

Video Introduction to the Online Toolkit
Innovations at the Intersection: Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault with a Survivor Support Packet

In our first Innovations at the Intersection webinar, we will highlight the Survivor Support Packet, a support guide for survivors of sexual assault with disabilities. If you are looking for …
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Innovations at the Intersection: Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault with a Survivor Support Packet

In our first Innovations at the Intersection webinar, we will highlight the Survivor Support Packet, a support guide for survivors of sexual assault with disabilities. If you are looking for a tool to help you serve survivors with disabilities, the Survivor Support Packet, developed by and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in collaboration with the rest of the Mass Rights for Change team, may be what you are looking for! The Survivor Support Packet includes a list of a survivor’s rights following sexual assault, a community resource list, scripts to help survivors reach out for help, self-care exercises, and tips for people supporting survivors with disabilities.

In this interactive discussion, we will talk about the need that led to the Survivor Support Packet, how it could be valuable in your community, and how you can create a similar, customized resource by partnering with self-advocates. You will also learn some of the strategies used in the Survivor Support Packet that could be helpful in working with survivors with disabilities you serve.

Serving Survivors with Mental Health Disabilities

Each May, we observe Mental Health Awareness Month. It is a time to celebrate the resilience of people with mental health disabilities and honor their voices as they work to …

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