Assisting Survivors of Interpersonal 
Violence and Sexual Assault Who are 
Blind or Have Low Vision 

Shari Roeseler, Executive Director 

Brandie Kubel, Independent Living Skills 
Instructor 
Society for the Blind, Sacramento, CA 
June 18, 2019 



Four Learning Outcomes of 
Presentation 

1.The need for services for people with vision 
loss; 
2.Facts and statistics; 
3.Living with Blindness or low vision; and 
4.Assisting survivors of interpersonal violence 
or sexual assault who have vision loss. 

Gaps in Services for Survivors 
Who are Blind or Have Low 
Vision 



Survivors Who are Blind or Have 
Low Vision 

Insufficient Data: No exact statistics because people with vision loss are 
lumped into the category “Persons with a Disability.” 

General Statistics on Crimes against Persons with a Disability: 

• 
They are 2.5 times more likely to be assaulted (physically, emotionally, 
verbally) 
• 
Women with a disability are 7 times more likely to be victimized 
• 
Intimate Partners/Caregivers are perpetrators in majority of cases. 
• 
Escaping or Leaving abusive partner is much more difficult. 
“It’s difficult to ask for help 
because I don’t know if the 
person helping me is also my 
attacker.” 

Survivor of assault who is blind. 



Challenges Serving Survivors with 
Vision Loss 

• 
Shelters and offices are often not accessible. 
• 
Accessibility of physical space (e.g. Braille 
floor map) 
• 
Assistive Technology (having it and 
knowing how to use it) 
• 
Attitudinal access 

Challenges Serving Survivors with 
Vision Loss (2) 

• Staff of DV/SA agencies don’t have resources or 
training for working with someone with vision 
loss. 
• 
Interacting in a respectful way 
• 
Fundamentals and familiarity 

Challenges Serving Survivors with 
Vision Loss (3) 

• 
Standard recommendations for preparing to 
leave may not be feasible. 
• 
Having a “Go Bag” 
• 
Leaving on your own 

Other Challenges Serving Survivors with 
Vision Loss 

• 
Lack of research/statistics hampers 
everyone’s efforts to assist. 
• 
People with disabilities are lumped into one 
category, no research on blindness and 
victimization. 

Some Information on Blindness 
and Low Vision 



The Four Leading Causes of Blindness 

MACULAR 
DEGENERATAION 
GLAUCOMA 
DIABETIC 
RETINOPATHY 
CATARACTS 



Normal Vision 
11Normal Vision 
11

Vision with Age-related Macular Degeneration 
12Vision with Age-related Macular Degeneration 
12

Vision with Diabetic Retinopathy 
13Vision with Diabetic Retinopathy 
13

Normal Vision 


Same Building as seen by someone with Cataracts. 



Factors and Definitions (1) 

• Levels of Vision Loss 
• Light sensitivity 
• General sense of vulnerability 
• Balance/Spatial issues 
• Sleep disturbances 
• Headaches 

Factors and Definitions (2) 

Low Vision: Uncorrectable vision loss that interferes 
with daily activities. It is better defined in terms of 
function, rather than [numerical] test results. (Massof 
and Lidoff) 

Legal Blindness: Visual acuity of 20/200 or less in 
the better-seeing eye with best conventional 
correction (meaning with regular glasses or contact 
lenses). OR a Visual Field (the total area an individual 
can see without moving the eyes from side to side) of 
20 degrees or less (also called tunnel vision) in the 
better-seeing eye. 



Statistics on Vision Loss and 
Blindness 

Number of people with vision loss and blindness 
increasing. 
2019: 

• 
3.2 Million people who are Blind/Low Vision 
• 
8 Million people with have difficulty seeing due to 
correctable refractive errors. 
2050: 

• 
8 Million people who are Blind/Low Vision 
• 
16.4 Million people with difficulty seeing due to 
correctable refractive errors. 
Youngest of baby boomers turn 65 in 2029. 
Over next 35 years, people who are legally blind will 
increase by 21%. 

Source: National Eye Institute 

Statistics on Vision Loss and 
Blindness (2) 

Who is most impacted: 

Women: 63% of Blind and 62% of 
Low Vision are white, non-Hispanic. 

Hispanic Population: 

• 
Reason: high rate of diabetes 
leading to Diabetic Retinopathy 
African American Population: 

• 
Reason: lack of screenings leads 
to vision loss due to Glaucoma 

Source: National Eye Institute 



Survivors Who are Blind or Have Low Vision 
Image Depicts Vision with Advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa 
Survivors Who are Blind or Have Low Vision 
Image Depicts Vision with Advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa 

Serving Survivors Who are Blind 
or Have Low Vision 



Recognize the Unique Tactics 
Used by Perpetrators 

• 
Withholding and/or hiding medications 
• 
Withholding, hiding and/or removing batteries from 
assistive devices 
• 
Being over-protecting or “caring” 
• 
Emotional abuse, Degradation and suppression of 
potential 

Recognize the Unique Tactics 
Used by Perpetrators (2) 

• 
Using social prejudices about people with vision loss 
(power/control) 
• 
Blaming 
• 
Minimizing 
• 
Economic abuse 
• 
Symbolic aggression – threaten to harm her/him, 
family, guide dog 

Recognize Unique Barriers to 
Seeking Services 

• 
Difficulty reporting due to inaccessible forms of 
communication 
• 
Physically less able to defend themselves 
• 
Inaccessibility of information, counseling services 
and shelters for people with vision loss 
• 
Lower self-esteem due to being seen/treated as 
incapable 

Recognize Unique Barriers to 
Seeking Services (2) 

• 
Greater dependence on partner/caregiver 
• 
Fear of reporting as it might mean losing the source 
of support/care. 
• 
Unable to access bank accounts, etc. 
• 
Cannot just “run away” 

Best Practices for Interacting 
with Survivors with Vision Loss 

• 
Treat them as independent and 
capable 
• 
Speak in a normal tone of voice 
• 
Inquire about amount of Vision 
• 
Verbally describe action or care to 
be given BEFORE you touch them. 

Best Practices for Interacting 
with Survivors with Vision Loss (2) 


• 
Introduce yourself and 
others 
• 
Speak directly to the 
person with vision loss 
• 
Describe lay-out of room 
• 
Identify entry/exits and 
which way doors open. 

Best Practices for Interacting 
with Survivors with Vision Loss (3) 

• 
Verbal/ audio 
expression of 
emotion 
• 
Use “Clock method” 
for giving directions 
• 
Quieter areas are 
best for meetings 

Interviewing/Advocacy Tips 

• Use a Trauma Informed approach 
• Talk to the individual (not in third person) 
• Identify yourself 
• Convey emotion/ empathy verbally 
• Ask for information that the person may remember 
via other senses: hearing, touch, smell. 
• Keep guide dog with person 
• Offer to read information if it’s not accessible 

Guide Dogs Best Practices 

• 
Do not pet or speak to the guide dog. Ask the 
person for permission. Alert owner if guide dog tries 
to interact with you. 
• 
Allow guide dog to stay with the person or get the 
person reconnected with guide dog as soon as 
possible. 
• 
Stance of the guide dog may indicate person needs 
help. 
• 
If a guide dog approaches you unaccompanied by a 
person, it’s likely trying to get help for its owner. 
• 
Keep water bowls, dog food on hand (i.e. at a 
shelter) 

Using Assistive Technology 



Resources for Assistive 
Technology 

• 
Local Blindness Rehab Agencies 
• 
Smart Phones (built-in screen readers, zoom feature) 
• 
iPhone (Built-in Accessibility; TapTapSee; Be My 
Eyes; LookTel, KNFB Reader, etc.) 
• 
Android (TalkBac; WalkyTalky; Magnifier; the IDEAL 
Accessibility package) 
• 
Retailers: 
• 
Freedom Scientific 
• 
HIMS 
• 
Enhanced Vision 
• 
OrCam (Wearable technology) 
• 
AIRA (subscription service) 

Best Practice for Training and 
Access 

• 
It is important to cross-train. 
• 
Share resources to respond to survivors who are 
blind or have low-vision. 
• 
Coordinate or collaborate with a blind-specific 
agency such as Society for the Blind. 
• 
Include people who are blind or have low vision in 
training and ongoing assessment of services. 

Presenters: 

Shari Roeseler, Executive Director 
Brandie Kubel, Independent Living Skills 
Instructor 


www.societyfortheblind.org 

(916)452-8271 



Thank you! 

Please take a moment to complete a brief survey 
about today’s webinar. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H6RF5TR