Disability & Abuse

Like any other kind of abuse, abuse against people with disabilities may be physical, emotional/verbal, financial, technology-related, or connected to a person’s spiritual or other identity.  The person causing the harm might be the intimate partner, a caregiver, a family member or friend, or a stranger (as in the case of phone and email scams).  This section of the website focuses specifically on domestic abuse situations.  Please note that the resources section (below and on the resources page) provides information about organizations that can help with all forms of abuse and neglect against people with one or more disabilities.    

It is important to note that many people incorrectly assume that a person with one or more disabilities is not capable of causing true harm to their partner and that they are too weak or fragile to engage in any kind physical or sexual assault.  Moreover, sometimes when a person with a disability discloses abuse they have experienced, depending on the type of disability, people may assume that the person imagined it, is misremembering it, misunderstood the situation, or is just confused.  

Domestic or dating abuse can be easily missed, underestimated, or outright dismissed when the person describing a harmful experience is seen as confused or the person who caused the harm is seen as non-threatening because of their disability.  It is very important to listen closely to disclosures from people who reach out for help and support. 

If someone discloses abuse or you hear or see something concerning, consider calling your local domestic abuse program for guidance on what you can do to be helpful.  The program can help you think about how to best support the person you are concerned about, as well as whether you want to make a report to the statewide Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) at 617-727-6465 / 800-426-9009. 

Boston Center for Independent Living

bostoncil.org/safety