‘Urgent action’ needed to prevent violence against disabled people

Friday, 1 July 2022

Disability Rights Paula Tesoriero says there is a “critical need” for support for disabled people suffering violence.

*Susan was trapped in an abusive relationship for seven years because the local women’s refuge didn’t have a space for disabled people to receive personal cares.

She said the violence was verbal and mental when it started, before turning physical.

“First he would remove my cellphone and phone, so I couldn't use them, then he would remove my laptop … therefore removing my ability to contact others,” she said.

'I was becoming scared of him and our flatmate as they were involved with drugs therefore money was tight, and my needs were not met as they should have been including proper daily meals.'

New Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams says there is much work to do to address the high rates of violence against disabled people.

* Wheelchair user worries she won't be able to bathe in emergency housing

* The unnoticed epidemic of violence and abuse against disabled people

The experience left wheelchair user Susan feeling alone and isolated.

“At this point I was so low that I had tried to overdose more than once, but the worst part was when my wheelchair disconnected and was put into manual, so I couldn’t move away,” she said.

'He become so unpredictable that I was scared of what was to come, as up to this point he hadn’t hit me. But one day that all changed because I was kicked in the stomach.'

Susan said she remained in the relationship as there was no place at the women’s refuge for people with disabilities who needed personal cares.

Name a disabled politician, broadcaster or chief executive. It's difficult because either they don't exist or there are very few on them. (Audio aired November 2021).

She also didn’t have any friends or family with wheelchair access in their homes.

'After seven years I decided to leave. That was the hardest thing for me to do, but I did it, and now I’m really happy, well mostly,” she said.

'I now have dreams of helping others, especially those with disabilities. Having any sort of disability does not make you any less of a person.'

Data from the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey released this week shows disabled people continue to experience higher rates of violence than able-bodied people.

Disabled adults were significantly more likely to experience personal and household crime, were at elevated risk of having experienced sexual assault or intimate partner violence and more than three times as likely as non-disabled adults to have experienced offences by family members

Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero said violence and abuse against disabled New Zealanders must be acted on with urgency.

'These statistics demonstrate the critical need for dedicated prevention and support strategies designed with disabled people and the importance of the community-led approach,” she said.

'We need a twin track approach that ensures all services understand and respond to violence experienced by disabled people, as well as a bespoke solution as set out in Te Aorerekura: National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence. It is important future funding is geared towards disabled people.”

Tesoriero said tāngata whaikaha and disabled people can find it difficult to escape violence and abuse because of the control other people have over their lives.

A lack of accessible resources, such as information and emergency accommodation, also makes matters worse.

'We will continue to work with the community and the Joint Venture on Family Violence and Sexual Violence to advance this work.”

A Human Rights Commission report found violence and abuse against disabled people was at “epidemic” proportions in November 2021.

Newly appointed Disability Issues Minister Poto Williams said the findings from New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey made 'sad reading” and were “a call to action”.

'For too long, the violence and abuse experienced by disabled people has remained silent and invisible – but not to those who experience it,” she said.

“The findings from this survey are a stark reminder that disabled people must be considered throughout all the actions laid out in Te Aorerekura, the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence.'

Poto said there was much work to do.

'The NZ Disability Strategy 2016-2026 and the Disability Action Plan 2019-2023 contains an action to improve justice services so that they are accessible and able to be understood by disabled people, which will contribute to the government’s response to this important issue.'

*Stuff has changed this person’s name to protect her identity..