Author: Wendi Lindquist

Violence against people with disabilities is a significant and overlooked issue. People with disabilities tend to experience more severe intimate partner abuse for longer periods. They are more vulnerable to prolonged abuse because they are often isolated from community, reliant on abusers for care, and face high barriers to getting help.

Women with disabilities are 40% more likely to experience domestic violence, while LGBTQ survivors with disabilities are two times more likely to be isolated by their abusive partner, three times more likely to be stalked, and four times more likely to experience financial abuse. These numbers are especially troubling, given that nearly one in four Americans has a disability.

Domestic violence as a cause of disability

A disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities. Not all disabilities are visible, and not everyone who has a limiting condition identifies as having a disability.

Survivors often experience disability because of abuse. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44. Anxiety, broken bones, PTSD, and other injuries can lead to disability. Traumatic brain injuries can leave survivors with debilitating symptoms like headaches, memory loss, and cognitive issues. Many traumatic brain injuries go undiagnosed, but as many as 90% of survivors who experience physical violence sustain at least one head, neck, or face injury. Continue reading “Domestic Violence and Disabilities” →