Combating Violence and Abuse of People with Disabilities

"Touch[es] on an impressive number of angles surrounding the abuse of people with disabilities." "An important text on an issue that has received far too little attention . . . I highly recommend this book to people with disabilities, families, advocates and practitioners across the human service spectrum." --Barbara LeRoy, Ph.D. "Contemporary and relevant . . . provides theory, data, detailed checklists, and insights that will be helpful to people with disabilities, families, advocates, and providers." --Colleen Wieck, Ph.D."Executive Director, Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities" (12/01/2008) "Well-researched and thoughtful book . . . sets up a broad context for [a] compelling empowerment program. Highly recommended!" --Marsha Saxon, Ph.D."World Institute on Disability, University of California, Berkeley" (12/01/2008)

This book equips readers with knowledge, motivation, and strategies to rally against violence and abuse of people with disabilities.This book tackles the issue of violence and abuse of people with disabilities with a blend of boldness and sensitivity. A comprehensive volume, it presents an exploration of the problem and its causes, explores the internal and external barriers that hinder people with disabilities from taking action, describes the system of laws and agencies that work to protect and support victims and promote social justice, and offers strategies to empower individuals and help people organize to prevent and combat violence and abuse. All people with disabilities experience higher rates of violence and abuse than people without disabilities. This book addresses the problem head-on, with a focus on educating and empowering people with and without disabilities to work together to raise awareness of the problem, break down barriers, change ineffective policies, and make systems responsive to the needs of people with disabilities.