This is the final segment in the mini-series for the SAFER website on intersectionality.  With each article, the scope and subject matter presented a lot of difficulties.  Not only because I did not feel qualified to write on a number of topics (if any), but also because presenting a 2-3 page article with cute little bullet points and tips on how not to be bigoted is itself an extraordinarily difficult task.  This last article, on disability, was the culmination of that challenge.  The gamut of lives covered by the broad (and in my opinion inappropriate) term ‘disability’ is so vast that attempting to encapsulate all these lives and experiences with oppression is possibly more insulting than effective.  To write this article I had to research the basics of disability as well as the specifics with regard to rape–which, though not unpredictable, are nonetheless startling.  The fact that (particularly for women) the rate of rape for disabled individuals is double what it is for the population (from 1 out of every 4 to 1 out of every 2 women, so half the disabled female population) just underscores the reality of rape and of subjugation of disabled peoples.  It reminds me that rape is about power.  That disabled individuals are considered or rendered powerless in a bigoted society.  That the need for awareness in organizing is essential, which brings me, finally, to the article.  Please enjoy and as always, feedback is appreciated.

What is Disablism?

Sometimes interchanged with the term ‘ableism’, disablism is a fear and/or hatred of people who are not typically-abled, and refers to behavior that discriminates against people who are not typically-abled. Disability includes a vast range of physical and psychological variations. More specifically, it is the normative position held by a non-disabled lifestyle and the exclusion—physical, economic, social, legal—of people with disabilities from everyday life. Often in organizing, the term disability is not as much a reference to a physical or mental variation or impairment, but to the social stigma surrounding that variation.

The following are some ways in which folks with disability face discrimination in our society:

Physical barriers to entry or movement with ease: some examples are buildings without elevators, crosswalks without sound (for hearing impaired individuals), public transport that is not wheelchair accessible or otherwise friendly to people with ambulatory impairments.

Social settings and media that is exclusive to typically-abled individuals: one example is the rarity of movies are made or screened with subtitles or brail accompaniments.

The fundamental assumption that a variation or impairment in one’s physical or psychological state renders one useless, devilish, or unsuitable for a ‘normal or standard’ lifestyle; the assumption that these individuals need or want to be ‘corrected’ as opposed to accepted by society.

Ways that disability affects organizing:

Because the term disability covers a vast array of physical and mental variations, it is unfeasible to present the specific discrimination faced by all individuals who fall under the term. Therefore, the following are some very broad and basic ways in which a lack of awareness about disability can alienate disabled members.

Assumptions: whether these be about a person’s disability, intellect, physical capacity, or potential usefulness to the group.

Inaccessibility: meeting places that are physically inaccessible to all members and don’t take into account door size, elevator access, service animal entry, and brail (these are only a few examples).

Expectations that a disabled individual can or should communicate in a typical manner. This can take many forms. One is a lack of patience with physically impaired members or an unwillingness to communicate with them at all; another is blaming difficult communication on the disabled individual rather than the typically-abled one.

Condescension: addressing an interpreter or a friend rather than a disabled individual.

Pity: expressing sympathy for a disabled individual because of their disability, thereby affirming their inferiority and difference.

Paternalism: similar to condescension, paternalism is outwardly helpful and chivalrous behavior that undermines people with disabilities by affirming stereotypes of disabled individuals as useless, weak, and/or unproductive.

Disability and Rape, the facts

Disability affects rape victims in two distinct ways: the likelihood of rape is increased dramatically for disabled individuals (particularly women) when compared with typically-abled individuals; and victim services discriminate against or exclude disabled victims. This section is divided into those two aspects of rape and disability.

The likelihood of rape and increased risk factors for disabled individuals

Remember that rape is not about sexual desire, it is always about power. In our society, disabled individuals are considered powerless and are at times physically impaired and therefore unable to defend themselves against assault—this makes them prime targets for rapists.

The following are some vulnerability factors for disabled individuals when it comes to rape, from a website on children with disability and sexual assault (http://www.child-abuse-effects.com/sexual-abuse-victims-with-disability.html)

Powerlessness: children and youth with disability are not given the power to make choices for themselves; caregivers make decisions for them. Their dependence on caregivers also puts them at risk for becoming sexual abuse victims with disability. They are taught to obey their caregivers and compliance is reinforced.

Need for personal care: people with certain physical disabilities require someone to bathe them and help them using the toilet. They have little control over who touches their bodies, and in what manner.

Isolation: often times, children with disability are isolated from the rest of the community, which increases the likelihood that sexual abuse will take place, and it also increases the likelihood that the abuse will go undetected.

Physical defenselessness: physical, visual and hearing disabilities limit the child/youth from being able to physically protect him/herself.

Language, speech or vocabulary barriers: disabled children and youth may have difficulty protesting to offenders, asking for help, or disclosing abuse, which in turn puts sexual abuse victims with disability at risk for further sexual abuse.

Impaired or limited cognitive abilities: young people with intellectual disability may not understand an abusive situation and are more easily swayed and otherwise manipulated.

Lack of abuse prevention education: lack of information makes it difficult for children with disability to understand and recognize abusive situations.

Unprotective organizational structures and policies: organizational institutions that don’t have adequate screening of staff and volunteers, that have rigid routines, have a high child/youth-to-staff ratio, and lack clear abuse guidelines and policies put people with disability at greater risk for abuse.

Startling Statistics:

• Women with disabilities are raped and abused at twice the rate of the general population (from USC’s stats page)

And from the website cited above on vulnerability:

• 83% of women with disability will become sexual abuse victims with disability in their lifetime (Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities, 2002⁵)
• Mencap, the largest charity in the United Kingdom for children with learning disability, reports that 1400 new cases of sex abuse against people with a learning disability are reported per year in the U.K.–only 6% of which reach court. Conviction occurs in only 1% (Mencap, 2002³)
• For girls with developmental disability, the average estimate for sexual abuse victimization was 1.5 times higher than the general population rate; for boys with developmental disability, the rate was roughly double (McCreary Centre Society, 1993, p. 9⁴).

The aftermath

Many legal and health professionals (both inside and outside of college settings) are uneducated about disability and therefore unable to properly communicate with and treat disabled victims. This ignorance about disability combined with hostility and active discrimination serves to deter disabled victims from seeking help. As a leader, it is your responsibility to assess the services available to victims on your campus and ensure that these are inclusive of disabled individuals.

The following are some useful links on disability and rape:

general/organizing/awareness about disability:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_model_of_disability

http://www.vaonline.org/dbty.html

http://www.ovc.gov/publications/infores/vicdis.htm