Although campus sexual assault has become a national conversation, how trauma affects mental health continues to be misunderstood. Many people develop a disability after being assaulted ranging from substance abuse to anxiety and eating disorders. Additionally, people with disabilities before a sexual assault are commonly left out of the national discourse around campus sexual violence. By erasing these experiences, services are not tailored to the specific needs of survivors with disabilities and not as effective. For many survivors with disabilities, finding specialized services may create additional barriers.
Given these barriers, it is critical that advocates and activists provide services to vulnerable communities that are easily accessible and comprehensive. Resources for survivors with disabilities means making it accessible, comprehensive, and easily understood. Students with disabilities are in a particularly vulnerable position on campus. The following information serves to provide educational materials about sexual violence in relation to ability.
Prevalence Rates of Survivors with Disabilities
Many people with disabilities experience some form of sexual violence while they are often erased from national conversations regarding educational access in relation to campus sexual assault. The background information provides context and nuance in order to understand sexual violence against students with disabilities.
Resource List
List of organizations, websites, and groups that assist students and survivors with disabilities.
The Laws
Explains how Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act intersect for survivors with disabilities and how students can use these federal laws as tools of empowerment and to file complaints.
