nichiyes.com

Trigger Warning:This page includes information about sexual assault, violence and abuse.

Physical violence and abuse are commonplace in the lives of many disabled people. These stories of violence are almost always individualized. They are painted as individual tragedies (much like disabilities themselves) and this depiction does a grave disservice to disabled people and our experiences. Second wave feminists fought to take violence against women out of the individual sphere and acknowledge that it is systemic. A similar refocusing needs to happen around violence against disabled people, particularly disabled women (who, while they often experience abuse have largely been excluded from feminist movements to address and end violence against women).

Rates of violence against disable people are terrifyingly high. We are one of the groups most frequently victimized by violent crime.

There are numerous tragic stories of people being targeted because they are disabled and subject to public humiliation and violence…