24 Hour Domestic Violence Help-line

'Studies on violence against women with disabilities have found that women with disabilities – regardless of age, race,ethnicity, sexual orientation or class – are assaulted, raped and abused at least twice as often as women without disabilities.

Women with disabilities have the same rights to live safe from violence and free from fear as every other woman. Women with disabilities do not have ‘special’ needs. They have different needs. Your service can provide help to women with disabilities who want to escape domestic violence. If a woman with a disability is calling your service because she is experiencing domestic violence, then it is help about domestic violence that she needs and not help with her disability. Women with disabilities need the same information and help as any other woman experiencing domestic violence. They want to know:

• what is happening to them
• how they can feel safe again
• what they can do
• where they can go
• what will happen to their children.

Like all women who are experiencing domestic violence, women with disabilities need someone to believe what they are saying and to support them so they can make decisions about what to do.'

'Taken from PADV Brochure'