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Abstract: 

A shockingly high proportion of persons with disabilities endure the indignity of sexual assault. In comparison with abled persons, disabled individuals have four times the risk of being sexually victimized, and those who struggle with cognitive impairments are especially at risk. As explained by the authors, persons with disabilities are prone to such victimization due to their physical and/or emotional vulnerabilities, as well as by their frequent naiveté regarding sexual matters and the barriers they encounter in exercising self-protection and accessing victim services. This article, written by authors who are intimately familiar with the lived realities of sexual assault, thoroughly explicates the dilemma faced by crime victims with disabilities and suggests a range of trauma-informed strategies for serving this particularly disadvantaged group of survivors.

Keywords: Sexual Assault Prevention/Risk Reduction; Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Assault; Sexual Assault Examinations; Sexual Assault Healing and Recovery Services; Accessibility Reviews for Disabled Victims of Sexual Assault

Affiliations:  1: The Arc; 2: Consulant; 3: Consultant.