What We Do - Projects and Research
Preventing Abuse of Persons with Disabilities: An Inventory of
Training Materials
Copyright © 2004 The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
(ACCD) incorporated 1973.
Sections of this paper may be reproduced with acknowledgement to
The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities. While all reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of
this publication, no liability is assumed for any errors or omissions.
This study was made possible by funding from the Wild Rose Foundation.
Published and Distributed by: Alberta Committee of Citizens with
Disabilities
Visit the section of your choice by clicking on a heading.
ACCD would like to thank the many individuals and organizations
that have supported us in the development of this inventory.
In our initial search for materials, more than a dozen organizations
from across the country shared the materials they use or pointed
us in the right direction for finding further materials. These organizations
and their contacts are:
Francois Davids, Ability Society, Calgary
Carol Johnson, Canadian Downs Syndrome Society, Calgary
Carol Putt, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Toronto
Council of Canadians with Disabilities, Winnipeg
Barbara Anello, DisAbled Women’s Network Ontario, Toronto
Bruce Kachuk, Feminist Research, Education, Development and Action
Centre, Vancouver
Kelli Moorey, Independent Living Resource Centre, Calgary
Leslie MacLeod, Independent Living Resource Centre, St. John’s,
Nfld.
Gordon Peters, North Saskatchewan Independent Living Centre, Saskatoon
Margie Graham, Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Edmonton
Donna Huests, RCMP Victim Services and Family Violence, Edmonton
Sheena McKinney, Safe Home, High Level, Alberta
Tanya Cacic, Victim Safety Unit, Vancouver
Several individuals provided us with one-on-one input both in the
early and latter stages of our project. We would like to acknowledge
the time and effort these individuals spent consulting with us on
the inventory. Their input has been invaluable!
Margie Graham, Training Consultant, Persons with Developmental
Disabilities, Edmonton
Kay Long, St. Albert Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF) Society, St.
Albert, Alberta
Nancy Madsen, Community Rehabilitation Worker, Independent Living
Society, Grande Prairie, Alberta
Kelli Moorey, Crime, Violence & Abuse Prevention Coordinator,
Independent Living Resource Centre, Calgary
Marnie Wylie, Senior Case Manager, Residential Aide Placement Service,
Edmonton
As always, we appreciate the support provided by the ACCD board
as we undertake projects that we believe will make a difference
in the lives of people with disabilities.
Finally, we would like to thank the Wild Rose Foundation. Through
their support, we’ve been able to create this inventory, taking
another step toward creating a safer society for people with disabilities.
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About This Inventory of Training/Awareness-raising Materials
In 2002, Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD)
completed a research project that examines the issue of violence
against women with disabilities in Alberta. As a part of that project,
we interviewed women with disabilities, victim services staff, women’s
shelter directors, counsellors, caregivers, and many other front-line
workers. Through these interviews, we learned that many people with
disabilities, their advocates, and front-line workers felt they
did not have adequate access to training/awareness-raising materials
that raise awareness about violence against women/people with disabilities.
They felt the materials they were using were out of date, more relevant
to non-disabled individuals, or not readily obtainable.
ACCD’s Response
In response, ACCD has developed this inventory of training/awareness-raising
materials that focus on the issue of violence against people with
disabilities. Our goal is to help these people, their advocates
and families, caregivers, and other front-line workers to take action
against violence through education and training. Our inventory
focuses on two areas:
Training/awareness-raising materials written for people with
disabilities themselves. These materials educate them about issues
such as sexuality, body image, personal safety, and abuse. Training/awareness-raising materials directed at individuals
and organizations who are involved in the lives of people with
disabilities. These include service providers such as caregivers,
counsellors, women’s shelter staff, health care professionals,
police, and victim services workers. They also include parents,
family members, and friends of people with disabilities. The materials
aim to increase awareness about the issue of violence against
people with disabilities and provide practical information about
preventing or addressing violence.
A Note on Content
In creating this document, ACCD reviewed many, many more documents
than those listed here (See Appendix). However, not all were chosen
to be included in the inventory. In consultation with service providers
and people with disabilities, we decided to include only materials
that
-
Focus specifically on training/awareness-raising. Therefore,
we have not included large (or even short) research projects
about the subject, bibliographies, or items that are largely
theoretical or academic in nature. We have included materials
that provide practical training/awareness-raising information
that can be used for self-guided, individual, small group, or
large group training/awareness-raising.
-
Are readily available. Materials that are no longer in print
or that we had difficulty accessing are not included in the
inventory.
-
Have recently been produced/published. Service providers and
people with disabilities felt that, in general, materials produced
prior to 1990 contain information that is dated or difficult
to obtain. Because some older materials have stood the test
of time and remain useful teaching tools, you’ll notice a few
exceptions to this guideline.
As you review these materials, you may discover that a resource
you are familiar with has not been included. Please fill out the
evaluation form at the back of the inventory and let us know about
our omission. This document is also available on line at the ACCD
website (www.accd.net), and we
will add your suggestion to the electronic version of this document.
Intended Audience
If you are a person with a disability or if you are involved in
the lives of people with disabilities as a family member, friend,
or professional, this inventory is for you. These materials will
support you as you learn and as you teach others about the vulnerability
of people with disabilities and the ways to prevent or address violence
and abuse in their lives.
Availability of Materials
When we consulted with service providers and people with disabilities
in developing this inventory, both groups stressed the importance
of knowing where and how to access the materials listed.
With this in mind, we have tried to include details on previewing
and ordering materials, as well as cost.
Almost all of the print materials in this inventory were obtained
through the Alberta interlibrary loan system. If your organization
does not have a library card, it may want to invest in one. Library
membership provides an inexpensive and incredibly efficient means
of previewing materials. Once you’ve previewed something, you can
decide if you want to purchase it. Remember, too, that many disability
organizations in and around your community will have lending or
research libraries. For example, the Alberta Association for Community
Living in Edmonton and the Violence Information and Education Centre
in Calgary were able to provide us with materials more quickly than
the interlibrary loan system.
Videos, however, are more difficult to access through interlibrary
loan. Many libraries will only loan videos locally. However, preview
copies of most of the videos listed in the inventory are readily
accessible from the producer.
Set-Up of the Inventory
The inventory is divided into two parts.
Part One includes training/awareness-raising materials intended
for people with disabilities themselves (i.e. people with disabilities).
These materials aim to raise awareness about topics such as sexuality,
body image, personal safety, and abuse.
Part Two includes training/awareness-raising materials intended
for professionals, family members, and friends who are involved
in the lives of people with disabilities. These materials focus
on self-guided or group training scenarios that raise awareness
about violence against people with disabilities and teach intervention
and prevention strategies.
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The training/awareness-raising materials described in Part One
aim to raise awareness about topics such as sexuality, body image,
personal safety, and abuse. This section of the inventory describes
the materials that are intended primarily for people with disabilities.
In some instances, the introductory information in a listing may
also encourage service providers or family members to review the
material, or people with disabilities themselves may wish to invite
trusted individuals to share in their learning. However, the intended
audience is the person with the disability him/herself. If these
materials are appropriate for others, they will also be referred
to in Part Two: Training/Awareness-raising Materials for Professionals,
Family Members, and Friends.
The materials in this section of the inventory are arranged alphabetically
by author, but the following audience categories will provide you
with a more efficient means of finding what you are looking for.
Consider these steps/factors:
-
Review the five categories of audience and decide which one
describes you best.
-
Remember, the materials in these lists are those that are intended
primarily for people with disabilities. If you are more interested
in materials for professionals, family members, or friends,
refer to Part Two
-
Once you have decided which audience(s) you are a part of,
review the entries in that section to find items that are suitable
for your situation.
This document also contains a title index
and an index arranged by type
of material . The latter index identifies materials that are
available in alternate formats. If one of these indexes would be
helpful in locating materials, please refer to the appropriate link
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Adults and/or Teens with Disabilities
Stop the Abuse: A Prevention Handbook
for Young People with Disabilities Written by Young People with
Disabilities
Easy Prey
Emerging Leaders
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 11: Sexuality and Physical Disability
Safety for You
Violence Can Happen to You
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel Unsafe and Want to Do Something
About It
Adults and/or Teens who are Deaf
Sharing Secrets
Safety for You
Violence Can Happen to You
Children with Disabilities
Developing
Personal Safety Skills in Children with Disabilities
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
CDSS (Canadian Down Syndrome Society) information Series: Explaining
Privacy to Children
Women with Disabilities
Violence
Against Women with Disabilities
Double Jeopardy: Women with Disabilities
Talk about Abuse and Barriers They
Face
Emerging Leaders
Toward Intimacy
Family
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Safety for You
Violence Can Happen to You
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel Unsafe and Want to Do Something
About It
Persons with Developmental Disabilities
No! How
Emerging Leaders
Under Cover Dick: Teaching Men with Disabilities
about Condom Use through Understanding and Video
After You Tell
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume
15: Sexual Abuse
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel
Unsafe and Want to Do Something About It
The Right to Control What Happens
to Your Body: A Straightforward Guide to Issues of Sexuality and
Sexual Abuse
Men with Developmental Disabilities
Hand Made Love: A Guide for Teaching
about Male Masturbation through Understanding and Video
Under Cover Dick: Teaching Men with Disabilities
about Condom Use through Understanding
and Video
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Author:
Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities
Title:
Violence
Against Women with Disabilities
Year:
2001
Publisher: Alberta Committee
of Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD), Edmonton
Type:
Five Brochures
Length:
One page, double-sided
Availability:
Brochures are available in Microsoft Word or PDF format on the ACCD
website. Visit www.accd.net,
and then click on publications. Choose Violence Against Women brochures
from the list of publications.
Audience:
The audience varies according to the subject matter discussed
in each brochure (see below).
Description:
In general, this inventory does not include brochures, mainly
because they become outdated and unavailable quite quickly. However,
this series of five brochures is available electronically, so they
can be accessed easily and at any time.
ACCD has produced a series of five brochures, each one dealing
with some aspect of violence against women with disabilities. The
titles in the series are:
Facts About AbuseAre You Being Abused?Is Someone You Know Being Abused?What Paid Caregivers Need to KnowWhat Family Caregivers Need to Know
Each brochure briefly and simply provides information on its topic
and encourages the reader to take action to stop abuse. The brochures
could be used to raise awareness about violence against women with
disabilities.
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Author:
Briggs, Freda
Title:
Developing Personal Safety Skills in Children with Disabilities
Year:
1995
Publisher: Paul H. Brookes,
Baltimore, MD
Type:
Curriculum
Length:
213 pages, which includes an appendix, a bibliography, and an index
Availability: Acquire through a library
or interlibrary loan
Audience:
The foreword to this curriculum notes, “The book was written at
the specific request of teachers, social workers, and psychologists
who were seriously concerned about the lack of affordable materials
for teaching safety skills to children with disabilities” (vii).
This book could be used by any of these professionals, or by counselors,
parents, or other caregivers.
The book is directed at students who are “children and young people
with mild to severe disabilities.” is meant to address the gaps
in more traditional safety skills curricula that are not as accessible
to or user-friendly for children with disabilities.
The author refers to the materials as “generalist in nature” and
notes that the content “need[s] to be adapted to suit individual
needs.” The author also acknowledges that it is beyond the scope
of these materials to meet the needs of “signing deaf children and
blind children.”
Description:
Educational materials regarding personal safety and “street
proofing” of children and youth are readily available, but these
seldom provide a disability perspective. Freda Briggs responds to
this concern in her excellent curriculum, which includes activities,
photos, and scenarios that include children, youth, and adults with
disabilities.
In this book, Briggs provides a foundation for building a curriculum,
along with strategies and suggestions for developing the information
to suit the specific needs of the reader and his/her students. She
encourages an integrated approach that includes parents, community
stakeholders, and others involved in the child’s life. She also
carefully and respectfully outlines the differences in the situations
of children/youth with disabilities that the “teacher” will need
to be aware of to successfully use the curriculum.
The book is a practical as well as a theoretical guide. It includes
sample letters to send to parents, sample incident report sheets,
and practical tips on delivering the lessons. In the foreword, Briggs
acknowledges the input of many practicing professionals in the area
of sex education, child psychology, and special education. Their
expertise comes across strongly in the activities in the teaching
modules themselves.
Dick Sobsey, from the University of Alberta’s Abuse and Disability
Project, says, “People interested in teaching children with disabilities
to minimize their risk for abuse often don’t know where to start.
This book starts from the right place. It’s based on a firm foundation,
a thorough knowledge of abuse prevention curricula” (back cover).
The curriculum is well organized and cleanly formatted, making
it easy to use and accessible to a broad audience.
Set-Up:
The curriculum is divided into two parts.
Part One (70 pages) summarizes research and background information
in several areas related to personal safety and children, including
children with disabilities. The five chapters in this section are:
All Children Need Personal Safety SkillsWhy Children with Disabilities Need Personal Safety SkillsParent Participation in Personal Safety ProgramsDeveloping CurriculumResponding to Actual or Suspected Sexual Abuse of Children with
Disabilities
Part Two (130 pages) contains the Personal Safety Program lesson
plans. Each lesson plan contains aims, activities, explanations
for “teachers,” and worksheets (which may be photocopied). The lesson
plans also include pictures/sketches of children and adults with
disabilities. There are seven modules in this section; they are:
Developing Children’s Self EsteemDeveloping Children’s Assertiveness SkillsCoping with Hazards‘It’s My Body’Some Parts of our Body are PrivateLearning About Our FeelingsTalking About Touching
The remaining 13 pages include two appendices, a bibliography,
and an index.
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Author:
Burlie, John, and Gayle MacKinley, Sricamalan Pathmanathan, Ambrose
Poirier, Raymond Shiels, Christine Small, Glen Thompson, Margrett
Weldon
Illustrator: Marc Gossellin
Title:
Stop the Abuse: A Prevention Handbook
for Young People with Disabilities Written by Young People with
Disabilities
Year:
1995
Publisher: Canadian
Association of Independent Living Centres (CAILC), Ottawa,ON
Type:
Booklet
Length:
31 pages
Availability:
This booklet can be ordered through the CAILC website at www.cailc.ca.
Click on the “Publications” icon for order information. Cost: $3.00.
Audience: The booklet
is directed at young people with disabilities.
Description:
This booklet was written by eight youths with disabilities who
participated in the Youth, Disability, and Abuse Prevention Project
in Toronto in 1995. The reason for developing the booklet was to
“bring about change – a change that would empower you to stop abuse”
(1). It does so by providing factual information on abuse – definitions,
examples, possible perpetrators, signs of abuse, and ways to respond
to and report abusive incidents.
The language in the booklet is straightforward and inclusive.
Set-Up:
The booklet begins by defining different types of abuse. These
include physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse,
and neglect. The definitions are short and simple, and they are
accompanied by bulleted lists of examples. As well, original illustrations
offer visual representations of each type of abuse.
After the definitions, the booklet asks and answers questions about
abuse. Answers to the questions are provided in bulleted lists.
Illustrations accompany some of the questions. The questions are:
-
Who is in danger of being abused?
-
Where does abuse take place?
-
Who abuses young people with disabilities?
-
Why does abuse happen?
-
What are the signs of abuse and violence?
-
Why is abuse not reported?
-
What are the results of abuse and violence?
-
What can you do to stop abuse?
The booklet ends with information on how to stop abuse from occurring
and an activity page that reviews the content in the booklet.
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Author:
Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres
Title:
Double Jeopardy: Women with Disabilities
Talk about Abuse and Barriers They Face
Year:
1996
Publisher: Canadian
Association of Independent Living Centres (CAILC), Ottawa, ON
Type:
Handbook and Video
Length:
Handbook: 66 pages, Video: 26 minutes
Availability:
The handbook and the video can be purchased through the CAILC website
at www.cailc.ca. Price: $38.00,
plus $3.00 handling.
Audience:
Both the handbook and the video are directed at women with disabilities
and the professionals who support them.
Description:
The handbook provides background information on the issue of
abuse and women with disabilities. While it is meant as a companion
piece to the Double Jeopardy video, the handbook does not
refer directly to the video nor does it provide information on how
to use the video. Instead, it provides a context for the issue of
violence against women with disabilities by attempting to raise
awareness about the extent of the problem and the barriers faced
in addressing it.
The handbook emphasizes the importance of a consumer voice. Women
with disabilities share stories and experiences that personalize
the issue of abuse. This aspect of the publication makes it inviting
for other women with disabilities who read it.
Set-Up:
The Handbook:
The handbook has a short introduction, a section called “About Abuse,”
and a list of resources. The “About Abuse” section, about 50 pages,
contains the main content. The topics in this section are:
What Is Abuse?Different Types of AbuseHow Big Is This Problem?Who Are the People Who Are Abused?Who Are the People Who Are Abusing?MythsWho Is Responsible for This?Why Is This Happening?Why Don’t Survivors Report Abuse?How to Recognize Abuse
The Video:
The video explores the realities faced by three different women
with disabilities who have experienced abuse. Included are interviews
with these women, as well as the perspectives of representatives
from police services, a victim/witness support service, the community
legal system, a women’s shelter, and a police training college.
The video is divided into four sections: the women relating their
experiences of abuse and the action they took with the police, their
experiences with women’s shelters, their experiences with the judicial
system, and advice on what to do next. In each section, the women
and their advocates discuss the barriers encountered and the supports
received.
People with disabilities who watch this video will be struck by
the authenticity of the women’s stories. These are women with disabilities
who have survived violence. At the close of the video, CAILC provides
a contact number and encourages women who are experiencing violence
to call them so they can help them address the situations they are
facing.
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Author:
CTV , Scarborough, ON
Title:
Easy Prey
Year:
1991
Producer: W5
(television program segment)
Type:
Video
Length:
10 minutes
Availability:
http://www.magiclantern.ca
Audience: The video
is directed at a general audience.
Description:
This brief video is a segment from CTV’s news program, W5,
and its intent is to create awareness about the high rate of sexual
abuse experienced by people with disabilities. The reporter refers
to a specific case and uses it as an example of the numerous sexual
assaults against people with disabilities that go unreported and
unpunished in Canada. People with disabilities tend to be assaulted
by people they know: family, friends, or caregivers. Many do not
report the incidents because they want to be loved, because they
are often dependent on attendant care, and because institutions
teach compliance. The video shows that people with disabilities
are vulnerable to abuse, and it explains the problems of reporting
such abuse.
This video effectively gets across the message that people with
disabilities are vulnerable to abuse, and it touches on the problems
with reporting abuse. But it offers very little in the way of proactive
solutions to these problems, or to the creation of a safe, comfortable
environment for oneself after abuse has taken place. If this video
is used as a teaching tool, accompanying it with practical strategies
for addressing the abuse in an individual’s life is important.
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Author:
Diverse City Press
Title:
No! How
Year:
1996
Producer:
Diverse City Press, Richmond Hill, ON
Type:
Video
Length:
10 minutes
Availability:
For information on the video and its availability, contact Diverse
City Press in Richmond Hill, Ontario at (514) 297-3080. Or visit
their website at
www.diverse-city.com/display.htm. Order on line by clicking
on “The Store” icon. Price: $24.00.
Audience:
The video intends to help young adults with developmental disabilities
“to recognize the difference between appropriate and inappropriate
sexual behaviour from others, what action to take, and how to say
no” (cover).
Description:
In this video, three people with developmental disabilities,
and their friends, discuss and dramatize various abusive scenarios.
The intent of their discussion is to break down stereotypes about
developmental disabilities and to demonstrate how to say no in uncomfortable
and abusive situations.
The video explains that abuse occurs when someone is hurt on purpose,
when someone is touched when he/she doesn’t want to be touched,
or when someone is coerced into sexual relations. The video shows
different scenarios and then the words “Think,” “Decide,” and “Act”
are displayed on the screen to explain the process that occurs before
taking action. The speakers explain that saying no is often necessary,
and saying no loudly is sometimes warranted. If saying no does not
work, and the person does not stop, tell someone or call the police.
There is also a small section about boundaries and body parts. The
video’s overall message is to trust your feelings if you are scared
or uncomfortable, and to stand up for yourself and say no. A strength
of this video is that we see people with developmental disabilities
advocating for themselves.
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Title:
Emerging Leaders
Year:
1991
Producer: Mobility
International, U.S.A.
Type:
Video
Length:
20 minutes
Availability:
For information on the video and its availability, contact Mobility
International U.S.A., P.O. Box 3551, Eugene, Oregon, 97403 USA.
Telephone (503) 343-1283.
Audience:
The video is directed at people with disabilities, their advocates,
and a general audience.
Description:
This video documents the International Leadership Conference
for Persons with Disabilities, a month-long course held in Eugene,
Oregon, in the summer of 1991. The conference objective is to educate
and enable people with disabilities, through action and activity,
to become leaders within their communities for the benefit of all
people with disabilities.
The video shows conference attendees of different nationalities
with a variety of disabilities and from different countries who
attended the conference. They take part in a variety of outdoor
activities such as hiking, river-rafting, walking along a suspended
rope bridge, and dancing. In interviews, conference participants,
express their delight at being given the opportunity to participate
in activities they never thought possible. The conference shows
them that through action, many people with disabilities are capable
of participating in a variety of activities and recreation.
The video also includes footage of conference lectures and information
sessions given by leadership trainers who believe that a worldwide
movement for disability rights is necessary. The trainers ask participants
to recognize their individual potential, as well as their strength
in solidarity. The purpose of the conference is to celebrate the
wealth of collective knowledge that participants have about disabilities
and about the barriers they face in everyday life.
Overall, the video is uplifting. While it does not focus explicitly
on the issue of violence/abuse and disability, it does emphasize
self-advocacy, self-esteem, and leadership– traits that will reduce
the risk of abuse. The video’s positive message is a welcome one,
but this is primarily a documentary of the conference. It is important
to be aware of this when deciding whether or not it is suitable
to be used for a specific training situation.
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Author:
Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf
Title:
Sharing Secrets
Year:
1991
Producer:
Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf
Type:
Video
Length:
80 minutes
Availability:
For information on the video and its availability, contact the
Moving Images Distribution at (604) 684-3014. Price: $30.00.
www.movingimages.bc.ca
Audience:
The video is directed at students who are deaf, and their teachers.
Description:
This video follows the Paisley Jr. Secondary School Yearbook
Committee through their school year. The video has an English language
voiceover, but the main dialogue is communicated by actors who are
deaf and use American Sign Language. In the first segment of the
video, we are introduced to Betty Ann, the yearbook typist, Julia,
the yearbook editor, Mark, the yearbook treasurer, other yearbook
students, and Mr. Sherman, the yearbook committee staff advisor.
Mr. Sherman is also the school’s sexual education teacher, and
in the second segment, we are taken into his classroom. In class
he explains what constitutes sexual abuse, and, through visual examples,
we see what is considered “comfortable touching” (for example hugs,
handshakes, pats on the back) and what is considered “uncomfortable
touching” (for example pinching someone’s buttocks, snapping someone’s
bra, groping someone on the dance floor). Through discussion and
role play, Mr. Sherman and the students examine the kinds of touching
that make people embarrassed or uncomfortable. Mr. Sherman explains
that everyone has personal boundaries that we must all respect,
and that each person’s boundaries are different.
Mr. Sherman’s sexual education class provides the backdrop for
introducing the sexual abuse experienced by two of the students.
We see Betty Ann being groped by her boyfriend at a Halloween dance,
and although she asks him to stop, and moves his hands, he does
not listen. When Julia speaks with her, Betty Ann relates the actions
of her boyfriend, and reveals that her father has touched her and
forced her to touch him, and that she wishes she were dead. She
fears that if she discloses the secret, her mother won’t love her,
her parents will divorce, and her father will go to jail. These
are all threats her father has used to force her to keep quiet.
Julia convinces Betty Ann that it is not her fault and that she
needs to tell someone.
In another scenario, Mark has to take the money earned through
a school fundraiser to the Vice Principal, Mrs. Tanner. When Mark
meets with Mrs. Tanner, she sits very close to him and rubs his
leg. Mark asks her to stop, but she tells him that he wouldn’t want
everyone in the school to find out he is gay. In a later scene,
Mark is walking on the top of a building and some passers-by call
the police, thinking he is suicidal.
At the police station, Mr. Sherman is called in, and Mark tells
about the incident with Mrs. Tanner. He says he is confused because
he was mildly aroused by Mrs. Tanner’s touching, but that he asked
her to stop, and that he didn’t want the whole school to know he
is gay. The point is made that being touched sexually can be arousing
even when it is unwanted and uncomfortable, but that when somebody
is asked to stop touching you, that person needs to respect your
personal boundaries. Mrs. Tanner is suspended from her duties as
vice principal while a criminal investigation takes place. We see
the principal and Mr. Sherman discussing with Mrs. Tanner what disciplinary
actions have been taken, and then a staff meeting is held in which
other staff members are informed.
Throughout the film, there are light-hearted scenes of putting
the yearbook together, and photographic montages from the year.
Finally, the yearbook is ready, and the committee gathers to reminisce
with Mr. Sherman. They discuss how close they have become, given
Betty Ann’s father’s abuse, and Mark’s incident with Mrs. Tanner.
They recall how they at first felt alone and unable to tell anybody
about the sexual abuse because of the fear of getting into trouble.
Mr. Sherman reiterates the point that, if you are the victim of
sexual abuse, you must keep telling people about it until someone
believes you. You must ask for help. You have the right to trust
your feelings, to say no, and to get help. We see through Mark and
Betty Ann that in doing just those things, their confidence and
peace of mind are restored.
This video is effective in that the plot and characters are believable
and clear. However, it is long, and it seems best suited for use
as an in-class teaching tool for middle-school aged children.
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Author:
Hill, Linda D., with the Cowichan Valley Independent Living Resource
Centre
Title:
Discovering Connections: A
Guide to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
Year:
1998
Publisher: Building
Bridges, Cowichan Valley, BC
Type:
Guidebook/curriculum
Length:
109 pages
Availability:
Contact the publisher in British Columbia at 1-888-746-1529.
Or visit their website at
www.island.net/~bridges/. Bound format: $19.95 plus GST, plus
$4.00 shipping and handling. Three-hole punch loose-leaf format:
$14.95 plus GST, plus $4.00 shipping and handling.
Audience:
The author suggests that “Discovering Connections is
a guidebook for everyone who wants to explore ways of bridging disability
differences in order to make meaningful connections between individuals
and with their communities. This book is for people with disabilities;
family members, friends, and neighbors of people with disabilities;
professionals, volunteers, and students; and anyone who enjoys getting
to know people from different backgrounds” (3).
This assessment is accurate, but also very broad. The various groups
who use this resource would use it in different ways. If a person
with a disability decided to use this book, he/she might decide
to work independently through the exercises. If a professional or
volunteer used it, he or she would likely use it to guide a program
intended to build community and self-esteem. The book would best
be used by a small group with a leader acting as a guide on this
journey of learning.
In general, the content is aimed at younger people, children or
teens; however, the activities could be effectively used with adults,
too.
Description:
This guide is beautifully illustrated and formatted. This enhances
its appeal. People from all different types of agencies, as well
as people with disabilities themselves, could find useful, hands-on
exercises and activities in this guidebook.
The book uses the metaphor of a journey to tie together a series
of activities and skill-building sessions that focus on creating
inclusive communities. The “Notes from the Publisher” section states,
We are often asked which disabilities this book is about. Our
answer is that this travel guide includes everyone who communicates,
or is learning to communicate, through the universal language of
fun. You are invited on these journeys no matter what disabilities
you have or don’t have. The focus is on enjoying diversity and on
mutual learning. As you discover more and more connections with
each other and your community, you will learn a great deal about
disability issues as well as access, equity, and inclusion issues.
(ix)
The guidebook reads like a workbook. It does not directly address
the issue of violence and disability. But by focusing on developing
community, it aims to develop understanding and self-esteem, qualities
that reduce the likelihood of violence or abuse occurring.
Set-Up:
The guidebook is divided into five sections. Sections Three
and Four comprise the main content.
Section One: Background To Discovering
Connections
Section Two: Travel Preparations (including
topics such as “Finding Traveling Companions” and “Finding a Place
to Meet”)
Section Three: Journeys of Discovery (including topics
such as “Feeling Good” and “Getting Past Access Barriers”)
Section Four: Connecting Skills (Skills
include things like “Making Small Talk” and “Expressing Positive
Feelings”)
Section Five: More Connections
Each journey in Section Three includes a session goal, skills to
be learned or used, an activity, a community connection idea, and
a journal page.
Each skill to be learned or practiced in Section Four is accompanied
by a variety of activities and exercises geared at helping participants
learn various individual and interpersonal skills.
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Author:
Hingsburger, Dave
Title:
Hand Made Love: A Guide for Teaching
about Male Masturbation through Understanding and Video
Year:
1995
Publisher: Diverse City
Press, Inc., Richmond Hill, ON
Type:
Video and Guide
Length:
Guidebook: 53 pages, Video: 18 minutes
Availability:
Contact the publishers at (514) 297-3080. Or visit their website
at www.diverse-city.com/display.htm.
Order on line through “The Store” link. Price: Guidebook $15.00;
Video and Guidebook $45.00.
Audience:
The guidebook is written primarily for people (including family
members) who work directly with individuals with developmental disabilities.
The video is for male adults with developmental disabilities, particularly
those “who are having difficulty with masturbation due to a past
history of ignorance, punishment, or fear” (13).
Description:
Hingsburger uses a casual tone and stories from his own counseling
and sex education practice to educate the reader about masturbation
and people with developmental disabilities. He describes his goals
in this publication as “to first look at establishing an environment
that welcomes healthy adult sexual expression” and then to “use
the video as a teaching tool for an individual with disabilities
who seems to be having difficulty with masturbation” (3).
In the guidebook, Hingsburger acknowledges the difficulty of discussing
this subject, even for counselors/teachers. He talks about masturbation
from the point of health and pleasure and includes ideas about “both
systemic issues and the right of the individual to privacy” (back
cover).
Set-Up:
The Guidebook:
The guidebook is divided into four sections. The author recommends
reading Appendix One before reading the information that precedes
it.
Section One: Understanding (pages 1-30)
This section introduces the reader (a service provider or caregiver)
to a brief history of and reflections on the issues of sexuality
(especially masturbation) and people with disabilities.
Section Two: Using the Video to Teach (pages 31-40)
This section uses a question/answer format to assist viewers
in using the video. It outlines the goal of the video: “To give
accurate information regarding sexuality and sexual expression”
(31), and emphasizes the criteria that must be in place for the
video to be used effectively.
Section Three: Appendix One (pages 41-49)
This section reprints the article “Masturbation: A Consultation”
originally published by Hingsburger in SIECCAN newsletter, 1994.
The document guides readers in asking questions about the masturbatory
behaviour of the individuals that they serve.
Section Four: Appendix Two: Resources (pages 50-53)
This information gives bibliographical information on a variety
of resources regarding sex and masturbation. Hingsburger notes that
he has used all of these resources in his own practice and has found
that they have good sections on masturbation.
The Video:
In this video, Steve, the narrator, discusses “privacy, pleasure
and the realities of sharing living spaces with others. He also
talks about sex and desire.” Steve uses “plain language that is
fully respectful of the needs of the viewer.” The video acknowledges
the difficulty of addressing the topic of masturbation, and as the
video content becomes more private, there are opportunities for
the viewer to decide whether to continue watching or stop. In the
video, Steve discusses some of the myths about masturbation and
then demonstrates how to masturbate successfully (i.e. to the point
of ejaculation).
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Author:
Hingsburger, Dave
Title:
Under Cover Dick: Teaching Men with Disabilities
about Condom Use through Understanding and Video
Year:
1996
Publisher: Diverse City
Press, Inc., Richmond Hill, ON
Type:
Guidebook and Video
Length:
Guidebook: 57 pages, Video: 8 minutes
Availability:
Contact the publishers at (514) 297-3080. Or visit their website
at www.diverse-city.com/display.htm.
Order on line through “The Store” link. Price: Guidebook $15.00;
Video and Guidebook $45.00.
Audience:
A counselor, a rehabilitation worker, or an educator who wants
to teach clients about the proper and safe use of condoms, will
find this guidebook and video helpful. Sections of the guidebook
and the entire video are for men with developmental disabilities
themselves, although service providers should preview the video
so they know what they will be asking their clients to watch.
Description:
Because Hingsburger works as a counselor of people with developmental
disabilities, his work is full of personal experiences, poignant
stories, and real-life situations. Due to this content and Hingsburger’s
open, conversational, caring, and humorous tone, his work is both
touching and enjoyable to read. His analysis of situations faced
by people with disabilities is honest, and his advice is practical.
As well, the book uses a variety of fonts and graphics, creating
a visually interesting document.
This guidebook does not deal directly with the issue of violence
or abuse and people with disabilities. But by advocating for honestly
and openly teaching men with developmental disabilities how to properly
use condoms, Hingsburger hopes to address “the bias that forces
people with disabilities to engage in furtive, risky sexual behaviour”
(table of contents page).
Set-Up:
The Guidebook:
The 57 pages of the guidebook are divided into five sections.
The first four sections are directed at people who will be instructing
people with developmental disabilities. The last section is meant
to be used in conjunction with the video and is directed at the
person with a developmental disability who is learning about proper
condom use.
Section One: Just the Facts
This first section asks and answers the question “Just what
is the concept of “safer sex” to a person with a developmental disability?”
It also examines some of the myths (and their consequences) surrounding
sexuality and disability.
Section Two: Using the Video to Teach
This section is only two pages long. It does not explain how
to use the video. Instead, it raises a few ethical questions/points
to consider before showing the video. Hingsburer notes, “[T]he ethical
dilemmas faced by staff who want to inform are bigger than they
may seem” (ii).
Section Three: Appendix One: Policies
This section reprints the article “Human Rights and HIV/AIDS:
Recommendations Concerning the Rights of People with Developmental
Disabilities,” written by Hingsburger and published in the SIECCAN
newsletter in 1992.
Section Four: Appendix Two: Resources
These resources include general texts regarding HIV and AIDS
as well as some resources specific to people with developmental
disabilities and AIDS.
Section Five: Appendix Three: Step by Step
This section is meant to be used in conjunction with the video
and, unlike the rest of the guidebook, is directed at the person
with a developmental disability who is learning about condom use.
The section consists of a series of photographs and accompanying
plain-language text that explain how to properly use a condom. The
person in the photographs is also the actor in the video, Steve.
The Video:
The producer of the video states, “This video gives straight
forward instructions about how to put on a condom. Steve, the narrator,
discusses disease and disease transmission in a concrete way. He
talks in plain language that is fully respectful of the needs of
the viewer. Letters have described his delivery as gentle, caring
and non-threatening.”
When previewing the video, one is especially struck by the manner
of the actor, Steve. Yes, he is “gentle, caring, and non-threatening,”
but even more than this, he readily gains the viewer’s trust. Condom
use is not an everyday, easy-to-discuss topic for most people. But
Steve addresses the viewer in an honest and straight-forward fashion
as he attempts to put the viewer at ease. He also acknowledges the
sensitivity of the topic and lets viewers know that they can turn
the video off if they aren’t comfortable watching it.
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Author:
Ludwig, Susan E.
Title:
After You Tell
Year:
1995
Illustrator: James F. Whittingham
Blissymbols: Translated by Jinny Storr and Ruth
Harrington
Publisher: SIECCAN
(Sex Information and Education Council of Canada), East York, ON
Type:
Booklet
Length:
78 pages
Availability:
Available on line at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/.
Copies available from National Clearinghouse on Family Violence.
Tel: 1-800-267-1291; TDD 1-800-561-5643. Copies can be made as long
as they are not being sold. Authors must be acknowledged in copies.
Audience:
The book is directed at people with disabilities and/or their
advocates. The publisher explains that “While useful for a wide
audience, the booklet may be particularly helpful for people with
developmental disabilities, problems with literacy, learning or
communication, or anyone who uses Blissymbols” (inside front cover).
Description:
This booklet guides readers through a scenario that may occur
after someone discloses that he or she has been sexually abused.
Each page uses “regular” text, an illustration, and Blissymbols
to present this information. If someone is new to Blissymbols, the
book can be both fascinating and practical. In a direct yet sensitive
manner, After You Tell explains the possible sequence of
events surrounding the investigation of an allegation of abuse and
the subsequent judicial response. The text is clear and straightforward,
and the illustrations are engaging. There is never more than one
illustration per page.
The booklet provides an explanatory note on Blissymbolics that
would be useful to repeat here. Blissymbolics “is a pictographic
and ideographic symbol system designed originally to allow people
who speak different languages to communicate with each other. It
is now used internationally as a method of augmentative communication
for people who have problems with verbal communication” (inside
front cover).
Set-Up:
While the book does contain a table of contents, the material
also flows from one step to the next of the disclosure and legal
process. The steps outlined are:
-
Telling Someone
-
Telling the Authorities
-
Charges
-
Bail
-
Preliminary Hearing
-
Trial
-
Verdict
-
Sentence
-
Why Tell
As well, the booklet includes a flow chart that outlines
the judicial process after a sexual assault has been reported to
the police and a glossary of Blissymbols.
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Author:
Ludwig, Susan
Title:
CDSS (Canadian Down Syndrome Society)
Information Series: Explaining Privacy to Children
Year:
1998
Publisher: Canadian
Down’s Syndrome Society, Calgary, AB
Type:
Pamphlet
Length:
4 pages
Availability:
Call the Canadian Down’s Syndrome Society at 1-800-883-5608
for a copy. Website: www.cdss.ca
Audience:
This pamphlet is directed at parents of children with developmental
disabilities.
Description:
The pamphlet explains to the parent-readers that their children
need to learn about privacy and suggests using the simple color
code of traffic signals to assist their children in understanding
the concept. Ludwig explains, “Red stands for things that are private.
Yellow stands for Be Careful. Green stands for things that are public.”
(1)
The pamphlet is a short, straightforward, and useful tool for teaching
children about privacy. Throughout, the language and tone are mindful
of the parent using the pamphlet and the child being taught. For
example, Ludwig suggests one way of teaching privacy in terms of
place: “A question that helps clarify whether a place is defined
as Public/Private or Be Careful is ‘Could you ever change your clothes
in this place?’ If the answer is ‘No! Never!’ then the place would
be a Public place. If the answer is ‘Yes’, then the place could
be a ‘Private or Careful’ place” (2).
Set-Up:
Once the child is familiar with the traffic signal concept
of identifying public and private situations, a variety of situations
are presented to reinforce the idea. Ludwig discusses four different
arenas of private and public concern: Places, Behaviours, Clothing,
and Body Parts. In each section, characteristics for public, private,
and be careful assessments are listed.
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Author:
Ludwig, Susan and Michael Barrett
Title:
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series
on Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 11: Sexuality and Physical
Disability
Year:
1993
Publisher: Sex Information
and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN), East York, ON
Type:
Illustrated reference book
Length:
33 pages
Availability:
Contact the publisher at: 850 Coxwell Avenue, East York ON,
M4C 5R1. Telephone (416) 466-5304; Fax (416) 778-0785.
Website: www.sieccan.org
Audience:
The simple language, explanatory illustrations, and Blissymbols
used in this book (and throughout the series) make it appropriate
for use by anyone who wishes to gain a rudimentary understanding
of the issues related to sexuality, to affirm sexuality as a valid
component of anyone’s life, and to identify some of the central
issues about sexuality that are specific to those with physical
disabilities.
Description:
This volume begins with general statements about adaptations people
with disabilities make to operate in daily life, whether through
the use of wheelchairs or special transportation, the help of others,
or the use of aids or devices that facilitate movement, seeing,
hearing, and other forms of communication.
The text goes on to describe the desire that most people have to
feel accepted, included, and “desired by someone else, both sexually
and emotionally, [which] is an exciting part of being alive” (4).
Also discussed are the nature of friendship, the development of
relationships, the desire for an intimate relationship with another
person, and the excitement of connecting with and caring for someone,
as well as the anxiety of rejection.
The difficulties that a person with a disability might encounter
in social interaction are discussed, particularly the difficulties
and challenges that relate to communication, physical participation
in social activities, and issues of self-confidence.
Privacy concerns around the issue of masturbation are discussed,
as are the acquisition of sexual aids and materials, and assistance
with physical positioning.
The text addresses issues of communicating about one’s disabilities
with partners prior to sexual interaction, and presents communication
as a means of reducing anxiety about physical, emotional, and experiential
limits and expectations.
Contraceptives are discussed briefly, as is family planning. Also
discussed is the potential need for a variety of forms of touching
that may be required to accommodate different physical disabilities,
body spasms, a lack of physical sensitivity in some areas of the
body, and the presence of physical or medical aids or devices. The
text emphasizes that different forms of touch can be satisfying:
“People who have difficulty moving can find comfortable positions
that let them caress their partner’s body and share sexual pleasure.
They may find that how they are touched is more important than where
they are touched” (23).
Planning times of day to accommodate physical limitations—such
as tiring easily—is mentioned.
The importance of finding someone with whom one can talk about
questions, issues, and concerns is highlighted.
Set-Up:
The text on any given page generally does not exceed four sentences.
The main words and concepts discussed on each page appear in boldface
type, and the most important ideas are also translated into Blissymbols.
Claudia Wood provides the translation of text into Blissymbols.
Specific but non-graphic illustrations on each page accompany the
textual material. James F. Wittingham has created the illustrations.
An additional picture, paired with Blissymbols, appears on each
page that focuses on actions that should occur in private.
Note:
This book is from a series of 17 volumes. These volumes are
listed at the end of the following resource listing.
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Author:
Ludwig, Susan and Dave Hingsburger
Title:
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series
on Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 15: Sexual Abuse
Year:
1993
Publisher: Sex Information
and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN), East York ON
Type:
Illustrated reference book
Length:
43 pages
Availability:
Contact the publisher at 850 Coxwell Avenue, East York ON, M4C
5R1. Or call them at (416) 466-5304.
Audience:
The simple language, explanatory illustrations, and Blissymbols
used in this book (and throughout the series) make it appropriate
for use by anyone who wishes to gain a rudimentary understanding
of the issues related to sexuality, appropriate and inappropriate
touching, sexual abuse, and steps that can and sometimes must be
taken after sexual abuse has occurred.
Description:
This volume explains in simple language that many people in
“A close, loving relationship . . . may share sexual activity” (1),
and that when people agree to share in this way, sexual pleasure
is a positive experience. The text clarifies that “anytime a person
is persuaded or forced to take part in unwanted sexual activity,
this is sexual abuse” (2).
The book goes on to discuss why it is important to trust your feelings
if you feel uncomfortable about being touched (including sexually),
and seeks to explain what sexual abuse is. Several examples, occurrences,
and circumstances that constitute sexual abuse are described and
depicted, as are the feelings that a person may experience when
abused sexually.
The volume suggests that the victim tell someone he or she trusts
about the assault, and also explores the reactions the person told
about the assault might have when informed. The work goes on to
identify individuals who might be contacted, including crisis-line
workers. It also describes the conditions under which examinations
by medical professional may be required and how such examinations
transpire; it does this in terms that are specific to female and
male victims of sexual abuse. The volume also describes the circumstances
of reporting the abuse to crisis-line workers and police, and of
speaking in court.
The text on any given page generally does not exceed four sentences.
The main words and concepts discussed on each page appear in boldface
type, and the most important ideas are also translated into Blissymbols.
Claudia Wood provides the translation of text into Blissymbols.
Specific but non-graphic illustrations on each page accompany the
textual material. James F. Wittingham has created the illustrations.
An additional picture, paired with Blissymbols, appears on each
page that focuses on actions that should occur in private.
Note:
This is one volume in a series of 17 volumes. Each volume concludes
with an index of relevant Blissymbols. The other volumes in the
series are:
-
Relationships. Sexuality is explored in the context
of relationships and validated as an important part of one’s
self-esteem. (31 pages)
-
A Woman’s Body. Describes anatomy, sexual functioning
of a woman’s body, and other aspects of being a woman. Issues
of privacy and personal autonomy are introduced here and reinforced
throughout the series. (47 pages)
-
A Man’s Body. Describes anatomy, sexual functioning
of a man’s body, and other aspects of being a man. (49 pages)
-
Adolescence. Describes the changes of puberty and adolescence
and their influence on sexuality. (31 pages)
-
Male Masturbation. Describes masturbation and validates
this as a choice for any man. Discusses fantasy as an aspect
of masturbation. (38 pages)
-
Female Masturbation. Describes masturbation and validates
this as a sexual choice for any woman. (19 pages)
-
Heterosexual Intercourse. Describes sexual intercourse
including sexual responsibility and mutual pleasuring. (25 pages)
-
Human Reproduction. Describes reproduction from fertilization
to birth. Includes premature birth, caesarean section, miscarriage,
and abortion. (25 pages)
-
Birth Control. Describes birth control options and suggests
additional sources of information on contraception. (33 pages)
-
Homosexuality. Defines homosexuality and distinguishes
it from homosexual behaviour. Suggests community resources for
more information. (33 pages)
-
Sexuality and Physical Disability. Validates all people
as being sexual. Discusses ways to achieve a satisfying sexual
life in the presence of a physical disability. (33 pages)
-
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Describes common STDs.
Discusses symptoms, treatment, and prevention. (30 pages)
-
AIDS. Explains how Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
is transmitted and how it develops. Defines “safer sex.” (27
pages
-
Sexual Self-Advocacy. Discusses the right to sexual
expression. Suggests how people in residential settings might
influence policies that guarantee that right. (25 pages)
-
Sexual Abuse. Defines abuse, exploitation, incest, and
molestation. Describes what may happen after abuse and disclosure.
(43 pages)
-
Sexuality and Aging. Describes how sexuality and sexual
expression may be affected by aging. (25 pages)
-
Teaching Manual. Outlines the philosophy and potential
uses of the series. Explains the Blissymbols developed for the
series. (18 pages)
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Director:
McGee, Debbie
Title:
Toward Intimacy
Year:
1992
Producer: National
Film Board of Canada, Montreal, QC
Type:
Video
Length:
61 minutes
Availability:
Contact the National Film Board at 1-800-267-7710 for distribution
information.
Audience:
The video’s cover suggests, “The primary audience for this film
is women with disabilities and their partners and families. It is
also of particular interest to women’s groups, both disabled and
non-disabled, the staff of rehabilitation and independent living
centres, as well as healthcare and social workers.”
The explicit and articulate nature of the film, because it presents
women with disabilities speaking about themselves and their own
experiences, would provide valuable insight into issues of intimacy,
sexuality, self-esteem, and love for anyone interested in the lives
of these women.
Description:
What is impressive about Toward Intimacy is its presentation
of the first-hand accounts of four women with physical disabilities
as they talk about the role that disability has played in shaping
their experiences with self-esteem, sexuality, love, and friendship.
The film is powerful because it presents women with disabilities
who speak on their own behalf.
The women in Toward Intimacy speak of the considerable sense
of isolation they experienced as children because of their disabilities,
and of the considerable hunger they had for friendship and partnership
as they grew up and became women. The comments of two of the women
indicate that they were provided with little or no information about
what their rights were as children or as people, so that they lacked
a standard against which they could adequately evaluate the treatment
they received at the hands of others.
The video conveys a strong message that it is crucial that children
with disabilities be raised with love, with a sense of being valued,
with education about their rights and privileges as human beings,
and with a full sense of their opportunities to have emotionally
sound and physically intimate relationships. Toward Intimacy
effectively conveys a sense of these woman wanting to be acknowledged
as women first—women who also have disabilities—rather than as disabled,
non-gendered people who cannot possibly have an interest in relationships,
friendship, sexuality, or having a family of their own.
The video focuses on each woman several times throughout the course
of the documentary. Film footage presents the women speaking to
the camera and also represents them in the contexts of their current
relationships and family, their homes, their schooling, or their
work. There is also footage of a support group for women with disabilities
and of a larger conference for women with disabilities.
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Author:
Rivers-Moore, Bridget
Title:
Family
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Year:
1993
Publisher: National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Ottawa, ON
Type:
Booklet/pamphlet
Length:
8 pages
Availability:
PDF and HTML versions available on line at
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/familyviolence. As well, the booklet
can be copied, with acknowledgements, as long as it is not for a
commercial purpose. Available in alternate formats upon request.
Audience:
People who support or work with women with developmental disabilities.
This could include caregivers, parents, friends, service providers,
educators, social workers, etc.
Description:
This booklet clearly and directly explains the issue of violence
against people with disabilities, in this case, focusing on women.
The aim of the publication is to raise awareness about the issue,
and it does so in a concise, straightforward manner. As well as
providing statistics and summaries of research, the document spends
time explaining the reasons for increased vulnerability and the
myths that surround disabilities. The author explains, for example,
“The large number of people and the intimate physical and emotional
contact involved in the care they provide, greatly increase the
risk of abuse to persons with disabilities” (2).
This document can be used to introduce family members, friends,
or professionals who work with women with disabilities to the issue
of violence. Further training would then be needed to develop skills
and strategies for addressing the issue, but this document would
serve as a good starting point, especially for individuals who are
new to the ideas of violence, vulnerability, and power.
The document is clearly formatted, using bulleted information and
short paragraphs.
Set-Up:
Information is organized under several headings. These are:
This primary content is contained in the first 5 pages of the
booklet; the remaining three pages include a suggested reading list,
endnotes, acknowledgements, and publication information.
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Author:
The Capital Region Centre for the Hearing Impaired
Title:
Safety for You
Year:
Not provided
Producer: The
Capital Region Centre for the Hearing Impaired, Ottawa, ON
Type:
Video
Length:
23 minutes
Availability:
For information on the video and its availability, contact Ottawa
Deaf
Centre, at (613) 729-1467; TTY: (613) 729-6189. Price: $21.00.
Audience:
The video is directed at people who are deaf, people suffering from
abuse,
and a general audience.
Description:
This video dramatizes family violence between a couple who are
same-sex and deaf. It uses American Sign Language with English language
voiceover throughout. One partner returns home drunk and violent,
shoves her partner Kelsey, throws the dinner she is cooking on the
floor, blames Kelsey for making her angry, and leaves to buy more
beer. Kelsey uses her TTY phone to call 911 because she is afraid
of what will happen when her partner returns. We witness the 911
call, and the follow-up visit by a police officer. The police officer
explains that there are protective services to help Kelsey, and
that unless her partner wants to get help, the abuse won’t stop
and she will remain at risk.
The video clearly shows the various services available to Kelsey.
Donna, from Police Victims Services, arrives and explains the options
available to Kelsey, such as support groups and shelters. Kelsey
discovers that shelters are free and safe, and that they provide
food and space. Donna and Kelsey decide that Kelsey should go to
a women’s shelter for her own protection. At the shelter, Kelsey
learns that if she wishes to return home or find a new place to
live, people at the shelter will help her to take those actions
when she is ready.
The video helps familiarize viewers with the procedures that take
place once the authorities are notified in an abusive situation.
It shows that services are available for people who are Deaf, and
it briefly addresses the issues of same-sex partner abuse and of
women with disabilities. The video’s message is clear: no matter
who you are, if help is needed in getting out of an abusive relationship,
there are systems in place to assist in making the best, safest
choice.
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Author:
The Capital Region Centre for the Hearing Impaired
Title:
Violence Can Happen to You
Year:
1998
Producer: The
Capital Region Centre for the Hearing Impaired, Ottawa, ON
Type:
Video
Length:
16 minutes
Availability:
Contact the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence at 1-800-267-1291;
TTY: 1-800-561-5643. Or visit their website at
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/nc-cn. Price: $21.00.
Audience:
The video is intended for people who are deaf, people who have
been abused, and advocates for abuse prevention.
Description:
This brief video addresses various forms of abuse. It uses American
Sign Language with English language voiceover throughout. The video
begins with four women sitting around a kitchen table, chatting.
One woman, Lise, recently got a job at a women’s centre, and she
discusses what she has learned about family violence since working
there. This leads to Melanie’s story, a dramatized account of her
husband’s verbal and physical abuse toward her. Lise explains the
cycle of abuse and says that it can be perpetrated by a husband,
boyfriend, or same-sex partner. This triggers Kelsey’s story, an
account of abuse in a same-sex couple.
Kelsey’s story reiterates that there are different kinds of abuse,
some of which are hard to recognize, and it breaks the stereotype
that women do not treat each other abusively. Lise discusses the
idea that abuse takes many shapes and forms. She explains that abuse
is about power and control, and that when someone is made to feel
badly about themselves, it can leave them feeling worthless so that
they won’t act out in their own defense. This discussion leads to
Julie’s story, a dramatized account wherein her boyfriend insults
and dismisses her and her abilities in front of her mother. Lise
tells her that this is an example of verbal and emotional abuse.
The women decide to form a support group that will meet once a month
to help them as they seek to regain some of the self-esteem they’ve
lost.
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Author:
The Roeher Institute
Title:
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel Unsafe and Want to Do Something
About It
Year:
1997
Publisher: The Roeher
Institute, Toronto, ON
Type:
Booklet
Length:
48 pages, plus a separately numbered appendix
Availability:
Contact the publisher at (416) 661-9611; TDD (416) 661-2023;
1-800-856-2207. Or visit their website at
www.roeher.ca. The safety kit can be ordered on line. Price:
$5.00, plus discounts for bulk purchases.
Audience:
This booklet is for “people with disabilities who feel unsafe
and want to do something about it” (viii). The author also notes
that “This book can be used by people with disabilities, by seniors
and by anyone who wants to be out of harm’s way. It can also be
used by anyone who wants to make our surroundings a safer place
for all of us” (ix-x).
Description:
While referred to as a safety “kit,” this publication is simply
a booklet with activities and questions that guide its audience
in assessing and increasing personal safety. It is an excellent,
hands-on publication. People with disabilities who complete the
tasks in the safety kit will definitely become more aware of safe
and unsafe situations and will have taken steps to increase their
own safety.
The kit was developed with input from people with disabilities,
as the publisher acknowledges that they “have the best sense of
what changes are needed so that they can be safer” (viii). The writing
is clear and simple, and the tone is respectful. The useful and
practical nature of the questions and activities is commendable.
For example, in the section on safety and places, the reader is
asked to visit a place that has been identified as possibly unsafe
(e.g. a bus stop, a parking lot, a laundry room). The reader is
then advised to visit the location with a friend or a group of people,
to bring a camera to “take pictures of things you see that are good
or bad about the place” (4), to answer the provided questions about
the location, and to decide how it could be made safer.
While it is not overtly stated in the booklet, the activities encourage
self-advocacy and independence, as well as an increased awareness
of personal safety.
Set-Up:
The booklet has some introductory information, four chapters
that comprise the safety kit itself, a resources section, and an
appendix – which consists of the questions asked throughout the
kit, but in a format that can be photocopied. The safety kit chapters
are:
Chapter 1: How
the Safety Kit Works
Chapter 2: Safety
Kit for Places
Chapter 3: Safety
Kit for Policies and Procedures
Chapter 4: Safety
Kit for People in Your Life
Each of these chapters includes explanatory material, activities
(usually to be performed with someone the reader trusts or a group
of like-minded individuals), questions to ponder, and actions to
take.
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Author:
The Roeher Institute
Title:
The Right to Control What Happens
to Your Body: A Straightforward Guide to Issues of Sexuality and
Sexual Abuse
Year:
1991
Publisher: The Roeher
Institute, Toronto, ON
Type:
Resource booklet
Length:
29 pages
Availability:
Contact the publisher at (416) 661-9611; TDD (416) 661-2023;
1-800-856-2207. Or visit their website at
www.roeher.ca. The booklet can be ordered on line. Price: $7.00,
plus discounts for bulk purchases.
Audience:
The preface notes that this book is designed to be of use to “self-advocates,”
that is to say, the person with a developmental disability him or
herself. While this is true, some parts seem more directed at a
parent, caregiver, or other trusted person who would play a role
in guiding the individual’s use of the book.
Description:
This book provides basic and essential information about sexual
abuse to individuals with a developmental disability. The pronouns
“you” and “your” are used, not “they” or “their,” effectively including
the reader with a developmental disability in his/her learning.
As well, disclosures from people with developmental disabilities
are scattered throughout the book. The language used by the author,
for the most part, is fairly simple, and those words that may be
unfamiliar or difficult to understand are marked with an asterisk;
words so marked are defined in a “Dictionary” at the end of the
book.
At the centre of this book is an education board game called “Choice
or Abuse?” In a format akin to that of Snakes and Ladders, players
roll a dice or draw a number in order to move ahead on a board with
50 squares. A player’s piece “climbs” up stairs when it lands on
a space that indicates a choice has been made to report information
about sexual abuse or to resist abuse, or when sexual education
has been provided; alternatively, a player’s piece “slides” back
towards to a lower numbered square when it lands on a square that
indicates a failure to report abuse, when one is threatened, sterilized,
or abused. The book suggests, “People who play ‘Choice or Abuse’
learn more about control of what happens to their bodies” (13).
The book uses a variety of fonts, shadings, tables, charts, games,
and pictures that make it visually easy to read/grasp. Some of the
tables and charts in the book seem directed more at a “teacher”
guiding the person with the disability through the book, than they
do at the person with the disability him/herself.
Set-Up:
The book contains eight chapters. The chapter titles, and some
of the more substantial components of each chapter, are:
Chapter 1:
Sexuality and Sexual Abuse. (Includes “The Bodies of Men and
Women” (with drawings), and “Will Anyone Believe Me?”)
Chapter 2:
Risk of Sexual Abuse. (Includes “Nine Situations that Could
Make a Child Vulnerable,” and “Myths and Realities [of Sexual Abuse]”)
Chapter 3:
Recognizing Sexual Abuse. (Includes “Twenty Ways to Recognize
Sexual Abuse”)
The Choice or Abuse Board Game.
Chapter 4:
Effects of Sexual Abuse
Chapter 5:
Prevention of Sexual Abuse. (Includes “How Is a Baby Made?”—a
fill-in-the-blank knowledge quiz)
Chapter 6:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. (Includes graph that identifies
some common STDs, related symptoms, and known cures (if any))
Chapter 7:
Treatment After Sexual Abuse. (Explains “Medical Treatment (for
the body)” and “Psychological Treatment (for the mind)”)
Chapter 8:
Laws About Sexual Abuse.” (Encourages use of the Criminal
Code)
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Part Two: Training/Awareness-raising Materials
for Professionals, Family Members, and Friends
This section lists training/awareness-raising materials that are
directed at individuals who are involved in the lives of people
with disabilities, whether on a professional or personal basis.
The materials in this section are intended for self-guided or group
learning and raise awareness about violence against people with
disabilities while focusing on practical intervention and prevention
strategies.
How to Find
What You’re Looking For
The materials in this section are arranged alphabetically by author,
but the following audience categories will provide an efficient
means of particular materials. Consider these steps/factors:
-
Review the eleven categories of audience listed below and decide
which one is most appropriate to the training/awareness-raising
being considered for yourself, your family, your colleagues
or your client(s).
-
Remember, the materials described in this section have professionals,
family members, and friends of people with disabilities as their
primary audience. For materials directed specifically at people
with disabilities, refer to Part One:
Training/Awareness-raising Materials for People with Disabilities.
However, some of the materials listed here in Part Two may be
appropriate for people with disabilities, too.
-
Once an audience(s) is decided upon, review the entries in
that section to find an item that is suitable for the situation.
-
This document also contains a title
index and an index arranged by type
of material. The latter index identifies materials that
are available in alternate formats. If one of these indexes
would be helpful in locating materials, please refer to the
appropriate link.
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Audience: Professionals, Family Members, and Friends
Parents, Family Members, and Friends of People with Developmental
Disabilities
Making a Difference: Preventing
and Responding to Abuse of People with Disabilities–A Learning
Guide
Emerging Leaders
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
CDSS (Canadian Down Syndrome Society)
Information Series: Explaining Privacy to Children
Do? Be? Do?: What to Teach and How to Teach
People with Developmental Disabilities
I Openers: Parents Ask Questions About Sexuality
and Children with Developmental Disabilities
i to I: Self Concept and People with Developmental
Disabilities
Just Say Know: Understanding and Reducing
the Risk of Sexual Victimization of People with Developmental Disabilities
Toward a Better Tomorrow: Helping
Mentally Handicapped People Stop the Cycle of Violence and
Abuse
After You Tell
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 15:Sexual Abuse
Shared Feelings: A Parent Guide to Sexuality
Education for Children
Adolescents and Adults who Have a Mental Handicap
The Person Within: preventing Abuse
of Children and Young People with Disabilities
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel Unsafe and Want to Do Something
About It
The Right to Control What Happens
to Your Body: A Straightforward Guide to Issues of Sexuality and
Sexual Abuse
Sexuality: Your Sons
and Daughters with Intellectual Disabilities
Family
Violence Against People with Intellectual Disabilities
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide Families
and Friends in Addressing the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental
Handicap
Parents, Family Members, and Friends of People with Disabilities
(Other than Developmental Disabilities)
Sexual
Abuse Prevention for Children with Physical Handicaps
Aspects of Caring
CDSS (Canadian Down Syndrome Society)
Information Series: Explaining Privacy to Children
Violence Against
Women with Disabilities
Developing
Personal Safety Skills in Children with Disabilities
Making a Difference: Preventing and
Responding to Abuse of People with Disabilities – A Learning Guide
Emerging Leaders
Abuse of Children
with Disabilities
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 15: Sexual Abuse
Toward Intimacy
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel Unsafe and Want to Do Something
About It
Responding
to the Abuse of People with Disabilities
The Person Within: Preventing Abuse
of Children and Young People with Disabilities
Family
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Sexuality: Your Sons
and Daughters with Intellectual Disabilities
Counsellors, Social Workers, Caregivers, and Caregivers-In-Training
Who Work with People with Developmental Disabilities
Sexual
Abuse Prevention: Five Safety Rules for Persons who are Mentally
Handicapped
Making a Difference: Preventing and
Responding to Abuse of People with Disabilities – A Learning Guide
Emerging Leaders
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
The Ethics of Touch: Establishing
and Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries in Service
Do? Be? Do?: What to Teach and How to Teach
People with Developmental Disabilities
Hand Made Love: A Guide for Teaching about
Male Masturbation through Understanding and Video
I Contact: Sexuality and People with Disabilities
I Openers: Parents Ask Questions About Sexuality
and Children with Developmental Disabilities
i to I: Self Concept and People with Developmental
Disabilities
Just Say Know: Understanding and Reducing
the Risk of Sexual Victimization of People with Developmental Disabilities
Life Horizons I
Under Cover Dick: Teaching Men with Disabilities
about Condom Use through Understanding and Video
Hear, Here: Identifying and Supporting People
with Developmental Disabilities Who Have Been Abused
The Person Within: Preventing Abuse
of Children and Young People with Disabilities
Toward a Better Tomorrow: Helping
Mentally Handicapped People Stop the Cycle of Violence and Abuse
After You Tell
Child Sexual Abuse Curriculum
for the Developmentally Disabled
The Right to Control What Happens
to Your Body: A Straightforward Guide to Issues of Sexuality and
Sexual Abuse
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 15: Sexual Abuse
Family
Violence Against People with Intellectual Disabilities
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide Families
and Friends in Addressing the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental
Handicap
Circles: Intimacy
and Relationships
Circles: Stop Abuse
Counsellors, Social Workers, Caregivers, and Caregivers-In-Training
Working with People with Disabilities (Other than Developmental
Disabilities)
Easy Prey
Aspects of Caring
How to Talk About Sexuality
to Young People with Disabilities: Tips for Service Providers
Violence
Against Women with Disabilities
Abuse of Children
with Disabilities
Breaking Point
Charting New Waters: Responding to
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Don’t Tell Me to Take
a Hot Bath: Resource Manual for Crisis Workers
Double Jeopardy: Women with Disabilities
Talk about Abuse and Barriers They Face
Emerging Leaders
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 11: Sexuality and Physical Disability
(also lists other volumes)
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 15: Sexual Abuse (also
lists other volumes)
Responding
to the Abuse of People with Disabilities
The Person Within: Preventing Abuse
of Children and Young People with Disabilities
Abuse Prevention in
Long Term Care
Health Care Professionals Working with People with Disabilities
Violence
Against Women with Disabilities: Practical Considerations for Health Care
Professionals
Sexual Health
of Women with Disabilities
Teachers Working with Students with Disabilities
Sexual
Abuse Prevention for Children with Physical Handicaps
How to Talk About Sexuality
to Young People with Disabilities: Tips for Service Providers
Developing
Personal Safety Skills in Children with Disabilities
Abuse of Children
with Disabilities
Life Horizons I
Sharing Secrets
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
Child Sexual Abuse Curriculum
for the Developmentally Disabled
Legal and Law Enforcement Communities
Easy Prey
Charting New Waters: Responding to
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Admissible in Court: Interviewing
Witnesses Who Live with Disabilities
Orientation
to Disability for Crisis Service Providers
Hear, here: Identifying and Supporting People
with Developmental Disabilities Who Have Been Abused
Working
Effectively with Persons with Disabilities Against Crime
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide Families
and Friends in Addressing the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental
Handicap
Victim Services and Women Shelters
Hear, Here: Identifying and Supporting
People with Developmental Disabilities Who Have Been Abused
Double Jeopardy: Women with Disabilities
Talk about Abuse and Barriers They Face
Charting New Waters: Responding to
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
We Are Those Women: A Training Manual
for Working with Women in Shelters and Sexual Assault Centres
Don’t Tell Me to Take
a Hot Bath: Resource Manual for Crisis Workers
Orientation
to Disability for Crisis Service Providers
Working
Effectively with Persons with Disabilities Against Crime
Service Providers Working with People with Disabilities that
Affect Communication
Discovering Connections:
A Guide to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
After You Tell
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 11: Sexuality and Physical Disability (also lists other volumes)
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 15: Sexual Abuse (also
lists other volumes)
Service Providers Working with Women with Disabilities
Violence Against Women with Disabilities: Practical Considerations
for Health Care Professionals
Sexual Health
of Women with Disabilities
We Are Those Women: A Training Manual
for Working with Women with Disabilities in Shelters and Sexual
Assault Centres
Don’t Tell Me to Take
a Hot Bath: Resource Manual for Crisis Workers
Violence Against
Women with Disabilities
Double Jeopardy: Women with Disabilities
Talk about Abuse and Barriers They Face
Charting New Waters: Responding to
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Toward Intimacy
Family
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Service Providers Working With Seniors
Discovering Connections:
A Guide to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel Unsafe and Want to Do Something
About It
Abuse Prevention
in Long Term Care
Service Providers Addressing Sexual Abuse
Just Say Know: Understanding and Reducing
the Risk of Sexual Victimization of People with Developmental
Disabilities
After You Tell
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 15: Sexual Abuse
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide Families
and Friends in Addressing the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental
Handicap
Family
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Admissible in Court: Interviewing
Witnesses Who Live with Disabilities
Child Sexual Abuse Curriculum
for the Developmentally Disabled
The Right to Control What Happens
to Your Body: A Straightforward Guide to Issues of Sexuality and
Sexual Abuse
Circles: Stop Abuse
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Author:
Agency for Instructional Technology / Planned Parenthood Association
of Cincinnati
Title:
Sexual
Abuse Prevention: Five Safety Rules for Persons who are Mentally
Handicapped
Year:
1987
Type:
Instructor’s Manual and Video
Length:
Manual: 35 pages, plus 28-page appendix, Video: 24 minutes
Availability:
Inquiries regarding the manual and video should be addressed
to Kinetic Inc., 408 Dundas St. East, Toronto ON, M5A 2A5. Telephone:
(416) 963-5979; Fax: (416) 925-0653.
Audience:
The material presented in the manual is designed for instructors
“to educate persons with mental handicaps about the concept of sexual
abuse, to acquaint them with situations that have potential for
abuse, to equip them with information and skills to protect themselves,
and to decrease the frequency of sexual abuse and exploitation of
all kinds” (1).
The publisher suggests that an “instructor” is anyone who provides
training in “a school, residence, workshop, day-care facility, or
family home” (1).
Description:
The manual and video outline and provide the materials for teaching
two different levels of mentally handicapped learners about sexual
abuse. Level one learners “have limited language and conceptual
skills,” and level two learners “are assumed to be capable of logical
thinking based on concrete experience” (9).
The manual and video provide complete lesson plans and activities
to teach mentally handicapped learners about sexuality and appropriate
private and public behaviours. The program also teaches them how
to identify inappropriate behaviours and shows them how to get help
if these situations occur. The manual is clearly written and offers
many different types of learning activities to reach different levels
of learners, including games, figures for colouring, and questions.
The manual offers ways to present sensitive information, complete
with information for parents, lessons, and follow-up activities.
Set-Up:
The manual has six sections. These are:
-
The Introduction (pages 1-2): This section provides some basic
background information on sexual abuse and people who are mentally
handicapped.
-
Background Information for Instructors (pages 3-8): This section
offers teaching strategies, and physical, psychological, and
family indicators of sexual abuse. It briefly describes how
to approach victims of sexual abuse and how to report abuse.
-
Extended Activities (pages 9-27): The scripts for the video
vignettes are included in this section, as are exercises for
both levels of learners, to be used “before viewing,” “while
viewing” and “after viewing” each vignette. There are helpful
games, and drawing, speaking, or writing activities, to go along
with each video vignette.
-
Involving Parents (pages 28-32): This section includes a sample
letter to parents telling them about the sexual abuse awareness
program their children will be attending, a “suggested agenda
for a sexual abuse prevention workshop for parents,” an information
sheet, and suggestions for parents.
-
Suggested Readings (page 33): A short bibliography provides
further reading resources for instructors and/or parents.
-
Appendix “Figures” (pages 36-64): In this section, the “figures”
are black-and-white drawings that may be duplicated for each
learner to reinforce the lessons in the video. They include
anatomically correct sketches of naked men, boys, women, and
girls, as well as a variety of different scenarios, such as
being hugged or standing arm-in arm, as examples of “good touches,”
versus having your skirt tugged down, or touching your private
body parts on a bus, as examples of “bad touches.”
The Video:
The video portrays five vignettes to teach learners about sexuality
and private parts in general, about appropriate public behaviour,
and about recognizing uncomfortable or abusive situations. It moves
from the general to the specific, offering clear steps to confronting
difficult situations. The lessons taught are titled “My body belongs
to me,” “Keep your clothes on in public,” “Say no,” “Get away,”
and “Tell someone.” The vignettes include clear signs for learners:
a red X crosses the screen to indicate inappropriate behaviour,
and a green square outlines the screen when appropriate, proactive,
or respectful behaviours are shown.
The video is low quality, but it shows and explains simple, everyday
situations that viewers will be able to relate to, and, coupled
with the strong teaching tools included in the instructor’s manual,
it could be a very useful teaching tool.
The only other drawback is that the material is quite dated. It
might be a good idea to use these materials in conjunction with
more recent ones.
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Author:
Agency for Instructional Technology / Planned Parenthood Association
of Cincinnati, Inc.
Title:
Sexual Abuse Prevention for Children with Physical Handicaps
Year:
1991
Publisher: Agency for
Instructional Technology, Bloomington, IN
Type:
Pamphlet and Video
Length:
Pamphlet: 8 pages, Video: 15 minutes
Availability:
Inquiries regarding the guide and video should be addressed
to Kinetic Inc., 408 Dundas St. East, Toronto ON, M5A 2A5. Telephone:
(416) 963-5979; Fax: (416) 925-0653.
Audience:
The material presented in the pamphlet and video is designed
for instructors/teachers “to acquaint children who are handicapped
with situations that have potential for abuse; equip them with information
and skills to protect themselves; and decrease the frequency of
sexual abuse and exploitation of all kinds” (1). The publisher suggests
that the video vignettes be used as “discussion starters for other
activities” (1).
Description:
This resource outlines how to teach children with a physical
disability about sexual abuse. It provides ideas for follow-up activities
to enhance understanding about sexual abuse, but it does not provide
any supplementary teaching materials for these activities.
Set-Up:
The Pamphlet:
The pamphlet includes a description of the program’s purpose, format,
and objectives (pages 1-2). It then gives a “Summary of Vignettes/Post-Viewing
Activities” (pages 3-6). The lessons included in the vignettes are:
An introduction to body parts and the idea of sexual abuse; Your
body belongs to you; Trust your feelings; Say no; Get away; and
Tell someone (3).
Several follow-up learning activities are then described. These
include mapping out the learner’s neighbourhood to identify safe
places, and using names and phone numbers for trusted friends and
neighbours; using role-playing scenarios to help children practice
saying “no”; writing essays or poems to reinforce self-esteem; crafting
happy, sad, and questioning faces that learners use to identify
how different scenarios would make them feel. In this brief pamphlet,
some good teaching activities are offered.
The pamphlet ends with some brief, point-form “Facts about Sexual
Abuse” (pages 7-8).
The Video:
The video begins with an introduction by a man with multiple sclerosis
who explains the idea of personal safety, and who identifies male
and female private body parts. The video then portrays five different
scenarios in which people with physical handicaps are made to feel
either uncomfortable or threatened. The first two vignettes encourage
learners to trust their feelings, and attempt to empower learners
to recognize that even though their bodies may require help, this
fact does not allow another person to touch them inappropriately.
The next three vignettes portray inappropriate behaviours toward
people with physical disabilities, and offer proactive ways of stopping
the behaviour, finding one’s way to safety, and ensuring that the
behaviour does not continue.
The video is simple and brief, and while it may be an effective
and quick visual tool, it will need some reinforcing in terms of
background information, current or contemporary discussion, and
the use of some of the activities suggested in the pamphlet to reach
its program objectives. While this resource is a suggested tool
for teaching children about sexual abuse, two of the scenarios portray
adults with physical handicaps, and one of them is not sexual in
nature (as indicated in the title), although it is physically threatening.
This may not be a problem, but it would probably merit explanation.
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Title:
Aspects of Caring
Year:
1994
Producer: SME
Productions, Toronto, ON
Type:
Video
Length:
28 minutes
Availability: Contact the producer at
P.O. Box 22060, 45 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON, M4H 1N9.
Audience:
The cover case of the video suggests that this film is for “those
looking after someone with a chronic illness at home; professionals
who support caregivers; volunteers, support services, family, and
friends; students in health, social services, and pastoral care;
[and] staff in long term care facilities involved with the family
caregivers of residents.”
This video would also be helpful to and informative for those who
are either newly involved in, or experienced with, caring for someone
diagnosed with a progressive disease such as Multiple Sclerosis.
Description:
Aspects of Caring is a first-hand account of the physical,
emotional, spiritual, and practical challenges faced by a caregiver
and the person she cares for, Sue. The narrator-caregiver is present
throughout the video, but she is not named. Sue has been diagnosed
with progressive Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 46. The film begins
three summers after diagnosis and covers a period of about one and
a half years.
Aspects of Caring is an honest recounting of the challenges
these two women face as the disease progresses rapidly in the first
years after diagnosis. It covers the changing physical and caregiving
requirements Sue comes to need, and the means by which the narrator
sought to meet those needs on her own and with the assistance of
homemakers, respite care workers, physical therapists, and registered
nurses.
The caregiver’s honesty and her understanding of the conflicting
but realistic emotional impulses and needs of a caregiver are impressive.
The comments of the narrator-caregiver about the need to develop
a support network, to acknowledge and meet one’s own needs, to confront
the reality of conflicting emotional costs and rewards that come
from caring for a highly dependent person, and to develop skills
and support that sustain a sense of control and independence would
be of particular interest to those who are providing (or are about
to provide) care for a dependent friend or loved one.
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Author:
Bacon, Joanne
Title:
Violence Against Women with Disabilities: Practical Considerations
for Health Care Professionals
Year:
1994
Publisher: DisAbled
Women’s Network Ontario
Type:
Booklet
Length:
39 pages
Availability:
Order on line through the DAWN Ontario website at
http://dawn.thot.net/. Click on “Resource Catalogue.” Scroll
to bottom for order information. Price: $5.00.
Audience:
The booklet is intended to help “health care professionals respond
effectively to women with disabilities who have been physically,
sexually, and emotionally abused or neglected” (1).
Description:
This booklet acknowledges the important role that health care
professionals play in the lives of women with disabilities and asserts
that these professionals “are in a unique position to help us recover
from the effects of assault and regain control of our lives” (1).
However, in order to make full use of this position, health care
facilities need to be accessible, both physically and in terms of
the attitudes of health care workers toward people with disabilities.
The booklet is clearly and simply written. It is not a long document,
and health care professionals who consult the booklet will learn
basic information in a short period of time. The “practical considerations”
referred to in the title are covered in a 10 page section in the
middle of the booklet. The point-form tips, strategies, and explanations
presented in this core section provide health care professionals
with a concise, useful guide to improving accessibility to the health
care system.
At times, the tone of the introductory information runs the risk
of alienating health care professionals. For example, “Health care
professionals tend to ‘medicalize’ disability and pathologize our
symptoms. They rarely listen or believe us when we share our concerns”
(3). While the information is accurate, health care professionals
reading this information early in the booklet may be discouraged
from reading further.
Later, the author states, “We recognize that many of the barriers
to access in health services exist because of health professionals’
lack of awareness, and not because of deliberate discrimination”
(8). This approach seems much more effective in persuading the health
care community to consider changes. The booklet may be most useful
if people using it for training pick and choose sections for the
reader/audience. In particular, the “practical considerations” section
would be most useful.
Set-Up:
Introductory and background information is provided in seven
short sections. These are:
-
Why we wrote this booklet
-
Is the health system accessible to disabled women?
-
Definition of terms
-
Historical overview
-
The impact of assault on women with disabilities
-
Women with disabilities’ Health Bill of Rights
-
What you can do to help
The information that is most pertinent to health care professionals
is included in a section called “Practical Considerations for Health
Professionals.” This section covers strategies for improving services
in several areas. Each of the following subheadings includes a brief
description and several bulleted points that provide specific tips,
strategies, or ideas for consideration.
-
Communication, access, and accommodation
-
Assessment
-
Treatment and intervention
-
Advocacy and support
-
Staffing policies
-
Research
-
Prevention
Concluding information includes a summary of recommendations (many
of these seem directed more at the various levels of government
or at advocacy organizations, than at health care professionals
themselves), contacts and resources, and a bibliography of related
publications.
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Author:
Basson, Rosemary
Title:
Sexual Health
of Women with Disabilities
Year:
1998
Publisher: Canadian
Medical Association Journal, Ottawa, ON
Type:
Article
Length:
4 pages
Availability:
A PDF version of this article is available at
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/159/4/359.pdf. The article can
also be found in the August 25, 1998 edition of the Canadian Medical
Association Journal.
Audience:
This article is intended for doctors and other medical professionals
who will encounter women with disabilities in their practices.
Description:
Unlike the other entries in the inventory, this article is scholarly
in nature. It is a peer- reviewed article from the Canadian Medical
Association Journal. The intent of the article, however, is clearly
to raise awareness in the medical field about the “often neglected”
sexual health of women with disabilities. The author notes,
Most physicians will be involved in the care of physically or mentally
challenged women. Nevertheless, there is little in the medical literature
about sexuality and disability, and many medical school curricula
have only recently begun to address the issue in any detail. Various
myths about sexuality and disability prevail in our society, with
the result that the sexual well-being of disabled women is often
neglected” (359).
Along with information that raises awareness about sexuality and
disability, Basson suggests ways for physicians to improve the service
they provide to patients with disabilities. For example, she recommends
that “The physician can provide validation by initiating discussion
of the woman’s sexual function and of safer sexual practices” (359).
She also states, “Encouragement to explore non-penetrative and non-genital
stimulation may need to be explicit.” These practical suggestions
occur throughout the article.
Basson’s tone is frank and direct as she addresses her colleagues.
Perhaps physicians who read this article would be more inclined
to take an interest in the topic simply because it is presented
by a peer. This article could be used successfully in a campaign
to raise awareness among health professionals about the sexual health
of women (or men) with disabilities.
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Author:
British Columbia Institute Against Family Violence
Title:
How to Talk About Sexuality
to Young People with Disabilities: Tips for Service Providers
Year:
1996
Publisher: BC Institute
Against Family Violence (BCIFV), Vancouver, BC
Type:
Pamphlet
Length:
3 pages
Availability:
An HTML version of the brochure is available on the BC Institute
Against Family Violence website at: www.bcifv.org/resources/newsletter/1996/fall/sexandyouth.shtml
Audience:
As the title suggests, this publication is for service providers
who work with young people with disabilities. Service providers
could include those who work in group homes, provide counselling,
provide health services, or teach youth with disabilities.
Description:
This brochure provides ten tips to consider when speaking about
sexuality with young people with disabilities. The tone is clear
and respectful, but the general nature of the information is meant
only to raise awareness or stimulate interest. The brochure does
not go into detail about the points it raises, but does provide
a short bibliography of supporting materials that readers can access
to learn more.
For example, the second tip states, “Effective sexuality education
should include information about feelings, communication, boundaries,
and building relationships” (1). No details are provided on how
to accomplish this task, but the bibliography refers to materials
that explain these concepts.
Set-Up:
Ten different tips are suggested for guiding the ways service
providers talk to young people with disabilities. The tips appear
in bold face and are followed by a few lines of explanation. The
last page lists materials on sexuality and disability that can be
borrowed from BCIFV through the Sunny Hill Health Centre.
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Author:
Brown, Jacqueline and Pat Mirenda
Title:
Making a Difference: Preventing
and Responding to Abuse of People with Disabilities–A Learning Guide
Year:
1997
Publisher: British Columbia
Ministry for Children and Families
Type:
Learning guide
Length:
48 pages
Availability: Acquire through a library
or interlibrary loan
Audience:
The publication identifies its target audiences as “paid caregivers
and social workers” but suggests that “the information will also
be beneficial to self-advocates, friends, family members, and other
supporters” (4) of people with developmental disabilities. It seems
to be intended as a self-study guide.
Description:
This manual is well organized. It defines, identifies, and addresses,
in concrete terms, the abuse issues that caregivers and social workers
need to be aware of regarding clients with developmental disabilities.
It also identifies, in accessible language, the signs and effects
of abuse and neglect, as well as what can be done to recognize and
prevent abuse from occurring. Its aim is to “provide practical information
and strategies” for its readers.
Along with background information about the kinds of abuse and
the common forms they can take, the manual provides a combination
of legal and medical definitions, hypothetical situations and examples,
and occasional brief, anonymous accounts of individuals who have
experienced or witnessed abuse. The hypothetical examples and the
real life accounts, which personalize the information, would be
particularly appealing to the caregivers and social workers reading
this learning guide. The blend of formats effectively communicates
a range of perspectives about critical issues and practices.
The underlying philosophy guiding the development of the manual
is that “people with development disabilities are entitled to the
same rights and freedoms that nondisabled people take for granted:
to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect; to participate
fully in the community and the workforce; and to make informed lifestyle
and relationship choices” (4).
Set-Up:
The manual consists of some preliminary information and five
parts:
Part 1: Understanding the Issues
Part 2: Recognizing the Signs, Understanding the Effects
Part 3: Working Together for Change
Part 4: Dealing with Suspected Abuse
Part 5: Resources
The preliminary information section includes the headings “About
This Manual,” “Acknowledgements,” and “Terms and Definitions.”
Parts 1 to 4 begin with learning objectives and conclude with a
quiz that reviews the content of the section. The questions are
fairly straightforward and provide a convenient and immediate means
of reviewing and reinforcing the information covered in any given
part of the manual. These first four parts contain the primary,
awareness-raising content.
Part 5 lists relevant resources, both print and community based.
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Author:
Chapman, Connie
Title:
Charting New Waters: Responding
to Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Year:
1996
Publisher: Justice Institute
of British Columbia
Type:
Workshop Facilitator’s Guide and Video
Length:
Guide: 23 pages, plus handouts, Video: 35 minutes
Availability:
Non-profit and community organizations can send a cheque or money
order for the guide and video to the Justice Institute of British
Columbia, 715 McBride Blvd., New Westminster BC, V3L 5T4. The cost
is $65.00. Include name, mailing address, company name, phone number,
and fax number with the order; as well, indicate whether or not
a request is being made for a close captioned version of the materials.
Audience:
The material presented in the workshop and the scenarios in
the video are directed at “police, Crown council, victim service
workers, caregivers, social service workers, and others who work
with women with disabilities” (2). The publisher explains that “the
content of the workshop assumes that participants are familiar with
the nature and dynamics of violence against women” (2).
When delivering the workshop, the publisher recommends that it
be “co-facilitated by a person who has experience in the justice
system in responding to violence against women and a person who
is an advocate for women with disabilities or is experienced in
working with women with disabilities” (6).
Description:
This resource outlines and provides the materials for hosting
a six-hour workshop on the issue of violence against women with
disabilities. It can be offered as a one-day session or two three-hour
sessions.
The workshop materials and the video present concrete practical
steps that can be taken to support women with disabilities who have
experienced or are experiencing violence. Workshop participants
are taught to recognize barriers and play a role in breaking them
down.
Set-Up:
The Facilitator’s guide is clearly written, well organized,
and beautifully formatted. It uses a step-by-step approach to direct
the facilitator in leading a successful workshop .The guide has
three parts:
1. Introduction (pages 1-8):
This section briefly outlines pertinent details about the issue
of violence against women with disabilities (e.g. definitions of
abuse and disabilities, statistics). It also provides valuable tips
and suggestions for hosting the workshop.
2. Workshop Guide (pages 9-23):
This section walks the facilitator through the six-hour session.
The topics that will be discussed throughout the day are listed,
and each topic is accompanied by a suggested time frame, a purpose
statement, a selection of activities, and content notes. The topics
and time frames are:
-
Overview of the Workshop
30 minutes
-
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
30 minutes
-
The Nature of Disabilities
30 minutes
Responding to Violence Against Women with Disabilities
75 minutes-
Vulnerability and Disability
30 minutes
-
Systemic and Personal Barriers
30 minutes
-
Adapting and Modifying Existing Approache
60 minutes
-
Supporting Strategies
45 minutes
-
Debrief and Closure
15 minutes
The Overview of the Workshop component includes the learning
objectives, the activities to use, and directions for when to take
breaks. In the Responding to Violence Against Women with Disabilities
component, the facilitator is instructed to show the accompanying
video.
3. Workshop Materials:
This last section includes overheads, worksheets, and handouts to
use with the workshop. They are enclosed in plastic page protectors
and are not hole-punched like the rest of the guide.
The Video:
The “dramatized vignettes” in this video introduce the viewer to
three women with disabilities who are experiencing abuse. The scenarios
are all different and focus on the uniqueness of each individual’s
situation. After each situation is played out, various advocates
for women with disabilities, some of them with disabilities themselves,
thoughtfully and compassionately explain the factors that contribute
to each individual’s vulnerability. They also offer practical, sometimes
simple, strategies for playing a role in breaking down the barriers
the women face.
The scenarios sensitively portray the women and those who are
trying to help them. The police, the victim service providers, and
the family members are all attempting to assist the women, but find
themselves frustrated by the personal and systemic barriers the
women are struggling against.
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Author:
Eastcott, Doris Rajan
Title:
We Are Those Women: A Training
Manual for Working with Women with Disabilities in Shelters and
Sexual Assault Centres
Year:
1994
Publisher: DisAbled
Women’s Network Ontario
Type:
Training Manual
Length:
44 pages
Availability:
Order on line through the DAWN Ontario website at
http://dawn.thot.net/. Click on “Resource Catalogue.” Scroll
to bottom for order information. Price: $30.00.
Audience:
Two audiences are identified for the training manual. It is
intended for facilitators to use in training women with disabilities
who will then visit women’s shelters and sexual assault centres
to raise staff awareness about violence against women with disabilities.
It is also intended for the shelter and assault centre staff
themselves. The binder format of the manual was chosen specifically
for this second group. The author states, “Since women working in
these types of agencies do not have the time to sit down and read
a comprehensive report-like document, we have presented this manual
in a binder for your convenience. One can pull sections from the
binder and read these … without having to read the entire document”
(8).
Description:
While the author identifies this binder as a training manual,
the material within it does not include lesson plans, learning objectives,
or workshop activities. In some ways, it is more of an awareness-raising
manual with background information for a workshop facilitator to
consult when designing a session.
Set-Up:
The manual is divided into six sections. These are:
Section One: Who We Are
This section describes the community of women with disabilities:
“Like you, we are from many ethno-racial, First Nations’, and linguistic
backgrounds. We are heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, old and young,
rich and poor. ... We may be married, divorced, with a same-sex
partner, or single” (1). Then this section goes into detail about
some of the circumstances that lead to the discrimination faced
by women with disabilities, such as racism, sexism, and ableism.
Section Two: About This Manual
This section explains how the manual evolved out of previous DAWN
projects that raised the issue of accessible services for women
with disabilities who face violence. It also explains how to use
the manual in various settings.
Section Three: The Issue
This section provides definitions of and information about violence
in general and violence against women with disabilities in particular.
Section Four: Problem Areas
This section defines the term accessibility and then outlines access
problems that women with disabilities face when they attempt to
access women’s shelters or sexual assault centres. Several short
case studies in this section provide a compelling glimpse of the
effects that inaccessible shelters have had on women with disabilities.
Section Five: Is Your Organization Accessible?
This section provides checklists that will help shelters and sexual
assault centres determine how accessible their services are. The
checklists cover two areas: Physical Access and Sensitive Practices
and Service.
Section Six: Resources
This section provides contact information for disability advocacy
organizations in Ontario as well as relevant literature. If using
the contact information provided, some of it may be out of date
because the manual was published in 1994.
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Author:
Frazee, Catherine with the assistance of Patricia Seeley
Title:
Abuse of Children with Disabilities
Year:
2000
Publisher: National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Ottawa, ON
Type:
Booklet/pamphlet
Length:
16 pages
Availability:
HTML version available on line at
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/familyviolence. Formatted/designed
version can be obtained by calling the National Clearinghouse at
1-800-267-1291. TTY: 1-800-561-5643. Available in alternate formats
upon request.
Audience:
This publication is intended for people who support or work
with children with disabilities. This could include caregivers,
parents, friends, service providers, educators, social workers,
etc.
Description:
This booklet provides an overview of the issue of child abuse,
focusing on the abuse of children with disabilities. It emphasizes
the increased vulnerability of children with disabilities as well
as the role that we all play in addressing the issue. The author
adamantly states, “Although some people think child abuse is a private
family matter, it is not. Every member of the public has a responsibility
to safeguard the well-being of all children, including children
with disabilities.”
The booklet provides only a very brief overview of the issue, about
four pages. Its intent seems to be to direct readers to other, more
detailed, resources on this topic.
Set-Up:
The primary content is divided under five different headings:
The remainder of the publication provides information on resources
(community, organizational, print, and audiovisual) for learning
more about child abuse intervention and prevention.
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Author:
Harber, Mary and Dave Hingsburger
Title:
The Ethics of Touch: Establishing
and Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries in Service to People with
Developmental Disabilities
Year:
1998
Publisher: Diverse City
Press, Richmond Hill, ON
Type:
Videos and Guide
Length:
Video One: 68 minutes, Video Two: 60 minutes,
Guide: 28 pages
Availability:
For information on the videos and their availability, contact Diverse
City Press at (514) 297-3080. Or visit their website at
www.diverse-city.com/display.htm. Order on line by clicking
on “The Store” icon. Price: $110.00 U.S.
Audience:
The videos and guidebook are directed at new or experienced staff
who work with people with developmental disabilities.
Description:
The Ethics of Touch guide corresponds directly with the
training videos. Essentially, the guide is a workbook. It consists
of four modules that will guide the learner through the topic areas
covered in the videos. The resource can be used in two ways: as
a self-study guide to be worked through at an individual’s pace,
or in a group format with a trainer or facilitator. Clip-art characters
in the workbook indicate questions for individuals or groups.
Set-Up:
The first three modules are integrated with the videos. As you
work your way through the guide (or as a facilitator guides you
through it), you will be directed to start and stop the video. Each
module begins with a story related to the topic being presented.
Then the reader is encouraged to consider specific questions/scenarios
while watching a segment of the video. When the video gives the
direction to pause, viewers are asked to complete exercises relevant
to the segment they’ve just watched. Small group activities often
involve brainstorming and discussion.
The authors emphasize that the questions the reader/participant
are asked “are not a test. These questions will provide you with
the opportunity to reflect on the issues that you are dealing with
every day as a person who supports people with disabilities” (4).
The four modules in the guide are:
Module 1: Privacy Issues
This module explores issues relating to privacy and identifies five
areas of privacy that must be understood in order to provide respectful
service to people with developmental disabilities. This module coincides
with the first video.
Module 2: Relationships and Affection
This module, which coincides with the first part of the second video,
examines the relationships that staff have with the people they
serve and the use of affection in these relationships. This module
helps to establish boundaries and clarify roles for staff and others
as they develop relationships with the people they serve.
Module 3: Intimate Care
This module assists staff members in identifying issues in the provision
of personal care, as well as strategies for increasing the safety
of environments and developing sound practice guidelines. This module
coincides with the second part of the second video.
Module 4: Practice Guidelines for Managers and Administration
This module does not have a video component. It provides information
on the need for developing practice guidelines and protocols for
staff members and administrators. This section is about setting
standards of practice to ensure the safety and rights of the people
being served.
Videos:
When the video begins, a title and bulleted points appear that outline
the material that will be covered. The information on the screen
corresponds with the information in the workbook.
Essentially, the videos are taped versions of a workshop conducted
by Dave Hingsburger. As such, the viewer observes Hingsburger as
he speaks to a variety of people who support people with developmental
disabilities (caregivers, group home administrators, etc.). Hingsburger’s
presentation is shaped by his experience in the field, practical
tips and suggestions, and demonstrations. Occasionally, members
of the audience illustrate a point through role play. While the
camera generally remains focused on Hingsburger, we occasionally
see shots of the audience. He encourages questions from the audience,
so parts of the video follow a question and answer format.
During the video, you will be prompted to stop the tape and answer
various questions in your workbook. The authors state, “This is
to ensure that you feel like a part of the audience and can participate
in the workshop learning experience” (4).
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Author:
Hingsburger, Dave
Title:
Do? Be? Do?: What to Teach and How to
Teach People with Developmental Disabilities
Year:
1998
Publisher: Diverse City
Press, Inc., Richmond Hill, ON
Type:
Guidebook
Length:
124 pages
Availability:
Contact the publishers at (514) 297-3080. Or visit their website
at www.diverse-city.com/display.htm.
Order on line through “The Store” link. Price: $15.00.
Audience:
This book is aimed at professionals who teach people with developmental
and learning disabilities, whether in long-term care facilities,
group homes, or schools. It would be of interest to those who seek
to develop a pragmatic, attentive approach to teaching skills that
will contribute to the development of meaningful abilities for their
students/clients.
Description:
Hingsburger writes as a person with considerable professional,
hands-on experience teaching individuals with learning and developmental
disabilities about relationships, sexuality, and self-protection.
He also teaches other professionals who work with these people with
these disabilities. His writing is affable and informal, and the
book draws energy from a healthy skepticism about teaching methods
and programs that focus only on acquiring skills and not on contributing
something meaningful to the learner.
Hingsburger proposes that “A skill is a task that you can do with
your hands. An ability is a competence that comes from heart, mind,
soul and personality” (8). As a result of his experience with a
serious, life-threatening illness, the author’s approach to the
content and processes of teaching individuals with developmental
disabilities is keenly pragmatic. Why, he asks, would one spend
years teaching an individual to make a bed perfectly if this skill
will not contribute to that individual’s life in a meaningful and
rewarding way? Hingsburger notes, “If I had to make a choice between
making a bed and making a friend, it would be an easy choice” (3).
In this spirit, Do? Be? Do? proposes a 10-point “radical
plan” to counter the unproductive, anxiety-producing experiences
that have affected and restricted fruitful learning for many people
with developmental disabilities. This plan addresses the importance
of minute-by-minute evaluation on the part of the instructor to
determine the appropriateness, practicality, and effectiveness of
the means of instruction in order to provide—rather than impose—learning.
This can be achieved, Hingsburger maintains, by respecting the individual
and interacting with him or her in a manner responsive to the requirements
of his/her disability.
This guidebook does not directly address the issue of violence
and disability. But by identifying how and what to teach people
with developmental disabilities, it aims to increase independence
and self-esteem, traits that will reduce the likelihood of abuse
occurring.
Set-Up:
The book contains eight chapters, the titles of which reveal
little about their actual content. Briefly outlined here, the chapters
include the following:
Chapter 1:
Explores the history of teaching skills rather than abilities
to individuals with developmental disabilities.
Chapter 2:
Includes anecdotes that highlight the importance of interpreting
the behaviour of individuals with developmental disabilities to
better understand their meaning and the best ways to meet the needs
of such individuals. Hingsburger’s “Radical Plan” is in this chapter.
Chapter 3:
Makes use of anecdotes to elaborate upon two teaching strategies:
to evaluate constantly and to respect the disability (31).
Chapter 4:
Outlines the appropriate uses of “12 Teaching Tools.”
Chapter 5:
Focuses on learning strategies that are fun, including
“Video Self Modelling” and “Game Approaches.”
Chapter 6:
Comprises a brief discussion of appropriate uses of data and its
relative importance.
Chapter 7:
Provides an extended discussion of the use of reinforcers: the
kinds of reinforcers, their appropriateness and conditions for use,
and the ethical concerns regarding their misuse.
Chapter 8:
Summarizes the general lessons contained in Do? Be? Do? by
presenting “22 Principles of Good Teaching.”
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Author:
Hingsburger, Dave
Title:
I Contact: Sexuality and People with Disabilities
Year:
1992
Publisher: Vida Publishing,
Lake Park, FL
Type:
Book
Length:
107 pages
Availability:
This book can be ordered from the Mental Health Aspects of Developmental
Disabilities web sit at
www.mhaspectsofdd.com/, then click on “other publications”,
or phone: (336) 581-3700. The cost is $15 US plus shipping. You
may also borrow the book through a library or an interlibrary loan.
Audience: People who
work with people with developmental disabilities.
Description:
This book has been included as a training/awareness-raising
resource because each chapter, in a “What Can You Do” section, contains
tips for professionals who work with people with disabilities. But
it is Hingsburger’s sense of humour, compassion, and sensitivity
to his clients’ right and need to love that make this book such
an important tool. As a counselor working with people with disabilities,
Hingsburger relies on personal experiences to make his points about
love and sexuality. In the preface, he notes,
The basic message of this book is that all people can love and
all people can make human contact with other people. This book is
written for the people who work closest with clients. In a sense
it is dedicated to those who have the greatest impact in this field,
those who have personal contact with people with developmental disabilities.
I learned most of what I know about people with disabilities from
this kind of contact.
In this short, easy-to-read book, Hingsburger shares “a few case
stories” and offers “suggestions for how these lessons can affect
our direct, person-to-person work” (Preface). The suggestions he
makes are simple, but he hopes that they will “make some changes
that will enable people with disabilities to feel with integrity”
(Preface).
As with other Hingsburger publications, his conversational tone,
his power as a storyteller, and his willingness to learn from his
clients combine to create a wonderful, and moving, read.
Set-Up:
The book has six chapters. Each chapter ends with a “What Can
You Do” section that provides practical tips and strategies and
a summary section. The chapters are:
-
My Mistake: While working with a client, the author
realizes that he’s made a terrible mistake – he’s forgotten
about his client’s capacity to love and care for others.
-
The Basis of Love: In order to love others
in a healthy and appropriate fashion, we first must learn to
love ourselves. How do people with disabilities learn to love
themselves?
-
Privacy: Privacy is a learned concept. Understanding
privacy is essential for developing healthy, respectful boundaries
on a personal and sexual level. What factors influence the “private”
world of a person with developmental disabilities?
-
Relationships: Relationships are an important aspect
of anyone’s life. But for many people with disabilities, relationships
are with paid professionals. How does this affect/alter the
idea of a relationship?
-
Yes … But: This chapter looks at the questions raised
by professionals who work with people with disabilities, especially
in terms of sexuality.
-
What’s Love Got to Do With It?:
In this concluding segment, Hingsburger challenges all of us to
examine our attitudes toward love, sex, and sexuality. His words
here are affirming and inspiring, but he cautions that loving takes
courage and perseverance.
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Author:
Hingsburger, Dave
Title:
I Openers: Parents Ask Questions About Sexuality
and Children with Developmental Disabilities
Year:
1993
Publisher: Family Support
Institute Press, Vancouver, BC
Availability:
Contact the publisher at #300 – 30 East 6th Ave., Vancouver
BC, V5T 4P4. Or call them at (604) 875-1119 (Voice and TTY). Cost:
$5.35 plus shipping and handling.
Type:
Book
Length:
86 pages
Audience:
This book is aimed at parents of, and those who take care of,
young individuals with developmental disabilities. The book might
also be a useful resource for caretakers and/or educators who work
in long-term care facilities or group homes, and for healthcare
professionals who are sought out for advice about dealing with the
sexuality of young individuals with developmental disabilities.
Description:
In a direct, caring, professional, respectful, and humorous
manner, this book addresses a wide range of issues associated with
sexuality and with the sexuality of children with developmental
disabilities. Although Dave Hansberger is identified as the author,
he has worked in partnership here with a number of individuals with
relevant professional, personal, and educational experience to produce
this volume.
Rather than guess at questions that parents of children with developmental
disabilities might have about sexuality, or seek to answer questions
that “should” be asked, I Openers responds directly to questions
about sexuality that parents submitted to the Family Support Institute.
As such, the questions and concerns of parents serve as the “driving
force behind the book” (vii). Furthermore, the first draft of the
book was “sent to parents for review [,] and their comments [were]
incorporated into the book” (viii). This review was meant to ensure
that “the tone of the book was respectful and the answers practical.”
Significantly, “this is not so much a book on sexuality as it is
a book on teaching about sexuality and learning to
talk to children with different learning styles about sexuality”
(2).
Beginning from the general principle that all humans are inherently
sexual, and that the recognition of this fact contributes to the
acknowledgement and protection of a child’s developing sexuality,
I Openers begins by answering questions that range from queries
about why such a book is necessary (2), to the questions “When do
I have to start [educating my child about sexuality]?” (13) and
“…should my husband be involved in sex education with our child
who has a disability?” (36).
Set-Up:
As mentioned above, this book provides answers to specific questions
raised by parents of children with developmentally disabled children.
Questions appear in boldface type, while answers follow in normal
font. Answers often include a mix of professional experiences, statistics,
stories and analogies, medical facts, and personal insight.
I Openers begins by answering general questions about sexuality
and moves towards queries about the following concerns: dating;
the appropriateness of getting a pet for companionship for a child
who is unlikely to have many close relationships; puberty for boys
and girls; sexual drive; the concerns of parents with conservative
religious beliefs; masturbation; menstruation; and much more. In
all, 30 questions are asked and responded to in a frank and comprehensive
manner.
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Author:
Hingsburger, Dave
Title:
i to I: Self Concept and People with Developmental
Disabilities
Year:
1992
Publisher: Vida Publishing,
Richmond Hill, ON
Type:
Book
Length:
124 pages
Availability:
This book can be ordered from the Mental Health Aspects of Developmental
Disabilities web sit at
www.mhaspectsofdd.com/, then click on “other publications”,
or phone: (336) 581-3700. The cost is $15 US plus shipping. Book
also available through library or interlibrary loan.
Audience:
Persons who provide care and/or counseling services for people
with developmental disabilities.
Description:
Like other Hinsgburger books, this one is written in a warm,
witty, and very human manner. While it does not focus on the issue
of abuse and disability, the premise – that “A strong sense of self
is needed for people with disabilities, indeed any minority group
member, to carve out a place in society” (30) – holds true for developing
a positive and healthy sexual identity.
The real strength in Hingsburger’s books is that they are easy,
even delightful, to read. He has worked his entire career providing
support to individuals with developmental disabilities, so he knows
what he is talking about. He draws on his own experiences, ones
that will ring true for his audience. This book, slightly over 100
pages, moves along quickly. His stories raise awareness, but they
are also funny, interesting, and full of helpful suggestions.
He shares this philosophy: “Yes there are problems, but we are
building something much greater than ourselves. We are trying to
build a society in which all people have a place. We are trying
to build a system in which all people can learn to love themselves
and others. We are trying to create a means for individuals with
developmental handicaps to free themselves of systemic and societal
bigotry and enter the world full of pride in who they are and what
they have achieved” (75).
Set-Up:
The book is divided into a preface, six chapters, and an epilogue.
Each chapter ends with a summary and a bulleted “What You Can Do”
section with practical suggestions for improving the current system.
The chapters address the following issues:
Chapter 1:
The importance of self-concept in creating societal change.
Chapter 2:
The complex relationships between parents, children, and staff.
Chapter 3:
The concept of “self” versus the concept of “authority”.
Chapter 4:
The role workers play in promoting a positive self-concept.
Chapter 5:
Nine clear steps for setting up a success-filled environment.
Chapter 6:
A success story.
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Author:
Hingsburger, Dave
Title:
Just Say Know: Understanding and Reducing
the Risk of Sexual Victimization of People with Developmental Disabilities
Year:
1995
Publisher: Diverse City
Press, Inc., Richmond ON
Type:
Book
Length:
93 pages
Availability:
Contact the publishers at (514) 297-3080. Or visit their website
at www.diverse-city.com/display.htm.
Order on line through “The Store” link. Price: $15.00.
Audience:
A note on the back cover indicates that this book provides “information
that can be used immediately by anyone who wants to help or heal.”
It is directed at caregivers, counselors, front-line workers, and
others who work with people with developmental disabilities. It
would also be useful for friends, family members, or anyone whose
life has been touched by an individual with a developmental disability.
Description:
The aim of this book is to raise awareness about the sexual
victimization of people with developmental disabilities and to educate
the caregivers, social workers, counselors, and people who work
with these individuals.
In this book, Hingsburger writes with wit, warmth, and passion.
He discusses the damage that our practices and assumptions about
vulnerability and sexuality have done to people with developmental
disabilities. Then, he offers suggestions for ways that we can counter
this damage. He writes clearly and, at the end of each chapter,
summarizes his arguments in a few points under the heading “Plain
Language.”
He encourages us to look beyond what has traditionally been considered
acceptable in the care provided to people with developmental disabilities,
and he doesn’t flinch at recognizing the role “the system” plays
in fostering sexual abuse. Nonetheless, his message is optimistic,
and he believes the steps needed to reduce the risk of sexual abuse
in his clients’ lives are achievable. In a short, introductory section
titled “The Source,” he writes:
Sexual victimization is a subject that people avoid. The fact that
you are reading this book means that you are part of the solution.
I hope that you will get at least one “Do-able” idea. If you do,
then I have done my job. We all must do what we can when we can.
Inaction in the face of inhumanity may be the greatest sin. (ix)
Set-Up:
The book is divided into five chapters. Each of these chapters
has the following sections: a “Plain Language” section that summarizes
the main points in the chapter; a “What can You Do” section that
provides practical and affirming strategies to incorporate into
your relationships (professional or otherwise) with people with
developmental disabilities; and a “Summary” section that winds up
each chapter. The five chapters address the following topics:
Chapter 1:
This chapter presents two ideas. The first cautions administrators
about developing policies that forbid the possibility of consenting
loving relationships, and the second recognizes the punishment of
appropriate sexual expression as a form of sexual abuse.
Chapter 2:
This chapter focuses on the importance of sex education. Hingsburger
insists that sex education must “begin early and teach . . . the
things that all children need to learn in order to be safe, feel
good about, and understand themselves as sexual beings” (20).
Chapter 3:
This chapter discusses the link between power and abuse.
Chapter 4:
This chapter reminds us that abusers and victims can be anybody.
Just because someone may not “seem” to be an abuser doesn’t mean
he/she isn’t.
Chapter 5:
This chapter explores the reasons that people with developmental
disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse. Hingsburger challenges
his readers to play an active role in “creating a means for people
with disabilities to learn how to meet affectional needs” (65).
The book also includes several visual aids, such as the Ring of
Safety, the Behavioral Indicators of Sexual Abuse chart, and the
Prison of Protection graphic.
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Author:
Jacobson, Kay (Project Coordinator)
Title:
Toward a Better Tomorrow: Helping
Mentally Handicapped People Stop the Cycle of Violence and Abuse
Year:
1993
Publisher: Medicine
Hat Regional Association for the Mentally Handicapped
Type:
Training manual
Length:
91 pages, plus a sizable appendix with resource and activity materials
Availability:
Contact the publisher at 412 - 3rd Street S.E., Medicine
Hat AB, T1A 0H1. Or call (403) 527-3302. Contact Person: Executive
Director.
The publisher notes that all or parts of the manual can be reprinted
with permission. Therefore, you may want to acquire the manual through
a library or interlibrary loan and simply copy the sections that
you want to use.
Audience:
This training manual is designed primarily as a teaching resource
to be used directly with individuals with developmental disabilities.
The publisher notes that the manual “was designed to help front
line workers, volunteers, families, parents and the general public
understand the many aspects of abuse of the mentally handicapped
person and to give them ways to teach prevention” (1).
The publisher’s idea of an appropriate audience may be too broad.
The manual provides a solid material and instructional foundation
for those who are knowledgeable about and trained in teaching techniques
suitable for persons with developmental disabilities. It does not
suggest strategies for educating people with developmental disabilities;
therefore, individuals who may not have this knowledge (e.g. the
general public, some parents, some professionals) may not be able
to use the material effectively.
Description:
Written in 1993, this training manual uses the term “mental
handicap” instead of “developmental disability.” Nonetheless, Toward
a Better Tomorrow is a useful resource. It covers a comprehensive
variety of topics that range from raising awareness about appropriate
and inappropriate touch to discussing the ins and outs of financial
abuse.
The authors point out that “Every attempt has been made to write
this manual in ‘plain simple’ language. The activity sheets have
been written to reflect the developmental level” (2) of the audience.
Set-Up:
Published in a binder, Toward a Better Tomorrow comprises
eight sections. Five of these (sections two to six) are training
components that are designed to empower individuals with developmental
disabilities to identify acceptable actions and inappropriate behaviours
and to say “no” to abusers. The sections are:
Section One:
Introduction
Section Two:
Empowerment
Section Three:
Physical Abuse
Section Four:
Sexual Abuse
Section Five:
Emotional Abuse
Section Six:
Financial & Material Abuse
Section Seven:
Legal Issues & Reporting
Section Eight:
Appendix
The introduction provides background information on the development
of the training manual as well as information for the facilitator
regarding language used in the document, issues related to disclosure
and confidentiality, facilitator and participant considerations,
etc.
The sections that address physical, sexual, and financial and material
abuse each begin with a “True/False” questionnaire that is followed
by a few pages that provide answers and explanations. These are
followed by 3–4 lesson plans specific to each subject area. These
three chapters, along with the one that addresses emotional abuse,
also include a brief review of the empowerment chapter located at
the beginning of the manual.
The section on “Legal Issues” identifies the responsibilities of,
and potential courses of actions to be taken by, those who witness
or are informed of abuse committed against people with developmental
disabilities. The “Legal Issues” chapter also covers reporting abuse
and how to best provide support to those who have experienced abuse.
The Appendix contains resource materials (e.g. pictures, graphs,
diagrams, phrases, and activities) intended to teach individuals
with developmental disabilities to better distinguish between normal
and abusive situations. For example, charts of the male and female
body are provided to identify “good touch” areas and “private” or
“don’t touch” areas (depending on context). These charts, paired
with sheets that list characteristic symptoms of abuse, may also
serve to document abuse should it occur or be occurring.
As well, the appendix contains a list of support services, resources
and references. It is worth noting that this work was published
in 1993 and that resources and reference materials have likely changed
considerably in the last decade.
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Author:
Kempton, Winnifred
Title:
Life Horizons I
Year:
1988
Publisher: James Stanfield
Publishing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Type:
Teacher’s Guide with Slides
Length:
85 pages
Availability:
Contact the publisher at 1-800-421-6534. Or visit their website
at www.stanfield.com. Price:
$399.00 (US).
Audience:
These materials are for teachers or counsellors who work with
people “who have difficulty learning” about “the various aspects
of human sexuality” (i). The author notes, “If we must label our
students, we would include people who are developmentally, intellectually,
emotionally and mentally disabled. People who are dually diagnosed
or multi-handicapped” should also benefit from this program (ii).
Description:
Life Horizons I focuses on “the physiological and psychological
aspects of sexuality and socialization” (i). The materials consist
of five sets of slides and a teaching guide that provides a script
for the instructor to use with the slides. The author emphasizes
the flexibility the slide format gives to the teacher. By previewing
the slides, the instructor can pick and choose the areas that are
most appropriate for a variety of audiences.
Some of the slides are explicit and may make viewers (or teachers)
uncomfortable. In the introductory slide for each section, the author
offers this advice: “The programs are distributed in slide format
so that they can be edited to conform to student levels of understanding
and community standards of taste. Please preview before presenting
to students” (31). In order to provide a sense of some of the topics
presented in the slides, a sampling of slide titles are included
in the section descriptions below.
Set-Up:
Life Horizons I consists of six sections. They are:
Preface
The preface provides a detailed overview of the materials and also
discusses Life Horizons II, a companion resource that follows
the same format as Life Horizons I. (See note at bottom of
this entry.) The preface also provides a detailed, step-by-step
explanation of how to most effectively use the slides and the accompanying
“script.” Essentially, the scripts outline what the teacher should
say as each slide is shown to the student(s). The language in the
script is clear, straight-forward, and sensitive to its audience.
For example, in the first set of slides (Parts of the Body), the
fourth slide is a picture of a man and woman. The script for the
teacher reads:
Who would like to tell me what you see in this picture? How are
these two people different? (Point out male, female.) We are going
to show you pictures of people like this, and talk about how they
differ and how they are the same. (2)
Then the teacher is directed to go to the next slide and read the
accompanying script.
The preface also contains tips and strategies for keeping student
attention, involving students in the lesson, and reinforcing the
information learned. It also provides ideas for how to use the slides
for one-on-one counselling and how to edit the slides. This section
emphasizes that teachers need to teach only short sections of the
curriculum at a time. There is too much information in each section
to cover in a single time period. In many ways, the preface is a
“how-to manual” for the program.
Parts of the Body
This section accompanies the first set of slides. It is factual
and contains basic information for identifying men and women. It
also explains how people should care for their bodies, and it discusses
“in a broader sense, the meaning of being male and female” (ii).
Some of the slide titles in this section are: Male Partially Dressed,
Circumcised and Uncircumcised Penises, Nude Woman, and Girl on Toilet.
There are 39 slides in this set.
The Sexual Life Cycle
This section explains the changes that people’s bodies undergo as
they grow. The student learns how these changes affect people on
a day-to-day basis. Some of the slide titles in this section are:
Babies Being Diapered, Going to School, Underarm Care, Female Internal
Organs, Talking with Friends About Menstruation, Sexual Feelings
– Male, Growing Facial Hair, and Masturbation. There are 113 slides
in this set.
Human Reproduction
The set of slides for this section “tells the story of how babies
are conceived, develop during pregnancy, and are born” (30). Some
of the slide titles in this section are: Babies in Nursery, Female
Reproductive Organs, Male Reproductive Organs, Foreplay, Couple
Having Intercourse, View of Vagina Just Before Birth, and Doctor
Suctioning Baby’s Mouth. There are 74 slides in this set.
Birth Control
This section describes the main methods of birth control used by
sexually active persons. Some of the slide titles in this section
are: Discussing Birth Control, The Internal (Pelvic) Exam, Close
Up of Examination, The IUD, Buying Condoms, The Vasectomy, and Alternatives
to Unwanted Pregnancy. There are 82 slides in this set.
Sexual/Reproductive Health
This section deals with various sexually transmitted diseases as
well as the links between “general good health and sexual aspects
of the body” (63). The content is technical, and the author notes,
“Because of the complicated content and terminology of the medical
field, some of the information in this set of slides may be uninteresting
and too difficult for your lower functioning students to absorb.
This series may be used as a background for personal use and only
show the slides dealing with the simpler concepts” (63). Some of
the slide titles in this section are: Care of the Sex Organs, A
Testicle Exam, Pelvic Exam – The Examining Table, Kidney Problems,
Prevention of Vaginal Infections, Later Symptoms and Dying of AIDS,
and Herpes. There are 119 slides in this set.
Notes:
Life Horizons II (same author and publisher) addresses the
“moral, social, and legal aspects of sexuality” (i). The materials
follow the same format as Life Horizons I. If you are interested
in Life Horizons II, a brief description can be found on
the publisher’s website (see address above). Length: 108 pages.
Cost: $399.00 (US).
A video accompanies a more recent edition of Life Horizons
I. Contact the publisher for details (see above).
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Author:
MacLean, Laura Hutchison (Project Coordinator)
Title:
Admissible in Court: Interviewing
Witnesses Who Live with Disabilities
Year:
1998
Publisher: Hutchison
MacLean Productions, Lethbridge, AB
Type:
Video and Script
Length:
1 hr. 48 minutes
Availability:
Contact the publisher at 111 - 23rd St. South, Lethbridge AB,
T1K 2K5
Audience:
This video has been developed to train police officers and police
investigators who will or are likely to come into contact with individuals
with physical and/or developmental disabilities who have been sexually
or physically abused. It might also be of use to lawyers and prosecutors
who work in the criminal justice system.
Description/Set-Up:
The Script:
The document that accompanies this video is, primarily, the script
for the video. It provides a transcript of all comments, voiceovers,
and conversations, as well as brief descriptions of the interactions
represented in the video.
Additional sections in the script include:
-
Summaries drawn from each of the seven sections of the video.
-
A needs assessment that an interviewer should complete before
meeting with a victim–witness who has a disability.
-
A section called “Coles’ Notes” that “represents an edited
and sometimes paraphrased synopsis” of Walter Coles’ 1997 article
“Interviewing Persons with Disabilities: An Investigational
Report.”
-
A list of references
-
Suggested readings
-
An evaluation form with which to assess Admissible in Court.
The Video:
This video identifies several issues that police officers and police
investigators must be aware of when dealing with “victim–witnesses”
who have physical and/or developmental disabilities and have been
sexually or physically abused. Designed specifically as a training
tool, Admissible in Court incorporates the commentary of
several professionals who have worked with people with physical
and/or developmental disabilities. These figures include a community
development advocate, a former RCMP officer with considerable investigative
experience in sexual abuse cases, a speech pathologist, a public
speaker with a physical disability, a university professor who specializes
in the sociology of physical and developmental disabilities, and
a chief prosecutor.
The Admissible in Court video explores elements that affect
the healthy development of self-concept and social interaction of
people with physical and/or developmental disabilities – particularly
the influences that can result from living in institutional settings,
which tend to foster compliance. It identifies areas of social interaction
in which police and investigating officers must be sensitive to
their ability to influence victim–witnesses. By wearing civilian
clothes, for example, and respecting the fears, concerns, abilities,
and contributions of the victim–witness, an investigating officer
can increase the probability that he or she will be perceived as
an advocate and not merely as an authority figure who must be obeyed.
The particular nature of the vulnerability of people with physical
and/or developmental disabilities is also explored, including the
comparative isolation of individuals with a disability and their
greater reliance on the assistance of others in their lives.
The advice and information provided in this video about what steps
are necessary to prepare for and interact with victim–witnesses
(and their non-offending caregivers) is very practical, compelling,
and instructive.
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Author:
Maksym, Diane
Title:
Shared Feelings: A Parent Guide to
Sexuality Education for Children, Adolescents and Adults who Have
a Mental Handicap
Year:
1990
Publisher: The Roeher
Institute, Toronto, ON
Type:
Book
Length:
181 pages
Availability:
Contact the publisher at (416) 661-9611; TDD (416) 661-2023;
1-800-856-2207. Or visit their website at
www.roeher.ca. The book can be ordered on line. Price: $16.00,
plus discounts for bulk purchases.
Audience:
This guide evolved out of a project to “train parent educators to
help groups of parents […]. to become influential in the sexuality
education of their children” (preface). As such, this resource is
directed at parents of children and adolescents who have a developmental
disability.
This guide would also likely be of use to professionals in the
health care field who work with and provide information to parents
of children and adolescents who have a developmental disability.
Description:
The strength of Shared Feelings lies primarily in its
concentration on how parents can interact with their children with
developmental disabilities in ways that increase each child’s sense
of self-confidence and understanding of social boundaries. The tone
of the work is understanding, encouraging, and non-judgmental.
The book has one chapter on the issue of abuse, but otherwise is
a tool for teaching children the skills that will serve them well
in reducing the risk of abuse in their lives. The book teaches parents
how to establish and increase a child’s knowledge and understanding
of what constitutes acceptable social practices and topics of conversation.
It also educates parents about how to teach social skills and how
to strengthen a child’s ability to understand what his or her feelings
are in a given situation and then decide what is right for him or
her to do in response. All of these skills will contribute to the
development of a more confident individual, who is able to assess
and respond to violent or inappropriate situations.
Throughout, Shared Feelings includes the comments of many
parents about their own self-discovery, the situations and challenges
they have confronted with their children, and their experiences
with their children’s social and physical development. In addition,
the work includes their questions and conundrums about teaching
children to cope appropriately with particular social interactions
and social and physical development.
Set-Up:
Shared Feelings has a detailed table of contents that provides
a precise guide to chapter titles and important subsections. The
chapter headings are:
Chapter 1: How
Do You Feel?
Chapter 2: Putting
Sexuality into Perspective
Chapter 3: Listening
and Talking
Chapter 4: Teaching
Social Skills
Chapter 5: Talking
to Children about Bodies and Feelings
Chapter 6: Decisions
Chapter 7: Facts
about STDs
Chapter 8: Sexual
Abuse
Several of these chapters provide summaries, in bulleted form,
of the key information they have presented.
Chapter 2, “Putting Sexuality into Perspective,” seems particularly
unique/useful, primarily because not many of the documents in this
inventory are directed specifically at parents (only Dave Hingsburger’s
I Openers). Chapter 2 initially focuses on the steps parents
must make mentally and behaviourally to understand the sexuality
of their children as normal. It does so by asking individuals to
reflect on how they learned about their own sexuality, an evolution
that “include[s] how we feel about ourselves as male or female,
how we feel about our social role as man or woman, and how we feel
about our relationships with others of our own or the opposite sex”
(17).
Lists of additional reading suggestions, in English or French,
are provided “For Parents,” “For Children,” for “Young Teens,” and
for “Older Teens and Young Adults.
A list of References concludes the work.
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Author:
Masuda, Shirley
Title:
Don’t Tell Me to
Take a Hot Bath: Resource Manual for Crisis Workers
Year:
1995
Publisher: DisAbled
Women’s Network Canada, North Bay, ON
Type:
Resource Manual
Length:
159 pages
Availability:
For information about this resource, check the DAWN Canada website
at www.dawncanada.net.
Audience:
The author states that “This manual is written for suicide crisis
workers.” (15) However, its focus is not on “telling” the crisis
workers “how to do their jobs.” (15) Instead, it attempts to help
them “understand what it is like to have a disability.” (15) The
hope is that raising awareness will help to improve the services
that women with disabilities receive from crisis workers. Many professionals
who work with persons with disabilities would benefit from the manual.
Description:
In preparing this publication, DAWN surveyed 225 women with
disabilities. “Although 60.6 % of the women surveyed thought about
suicide and 45% of those women attempted suicide, none of the women
wanted to die” (16). These statistics emphasize the importance of
the crisis intervention worker in the lives of women with disabilities.
Through various research projects, DAWN learned that “In the past,
women with disabilities have received help from crisis telephone
workers and from counsellors at crisis centres. They felt the help
fell short because of their disabilities” (15). The hope for this
manual is that having women with disabilities share their stories
and experiences with crisis workers will increase the latter’s understanding,
leading to improved crisis counselling for women with disabilities.
The author encourages crisis service providers to use this manual
as a self-study guide. She explains, “The onus [is] on you to educate
yourselves about how to become more accessible to women with disabilities
on the crisis line and in person-to-person or group counselling”
(15).
Set-Up:
The manual is divided into five sections. The introductory information
and the appendices concentrate on background information and details
that are required in this type of project, but they are not as relevant
to the crisis worker. Sections Two, Three, and Four focus on the
goal of helping the crisis worker to “understand what it is like
to have a disability” (15) and therefore provide the most relevant
information.
Section One: Introductory Information
This section includes acknowledgements, research guidelines, advisory
committee member names, preface, researcher’s note, introduction,
and recommendations.
Section Two: The Women Speak
This section interweaves the stories of ten women with disabilities
who have had suicidal thoughts.
Section Three: Don’t Tell Me to Take a Hot Bath
This section discusses the needs of women with disabilities who
are seeking help, ways in which counselling can address these needs,
and ways of helping women with disabilities build support networks
in the community.
Section Four: Who We Are
This section provides an overview of types of disabilities and raises
the reader’s awareness about the unique situations that affect the
lives of people with these disabilities.
Section Five: Appendices
Six separate appendices provide the following information: research
methodology, organizations that assisted with the project, a discussion
of current suicide issues, and a list of disability organizations,
bibliography, and endnotes.
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Author:
Maurer, Erna Wine (producer)
Title:
Breaking Point
Year:
1994
Producer: Wise
Owl Productions in cooperation with The Generation Connection Society,
Vancouver
Type:
Video
Length:
22 minutes
Availability:
Inquiries regarding the video should be addressed to the distributor
Kinetic Inc., 408 Dundas St. East, Toronto ON, M5A 2A5. Telephone:
(416) 963-5979; Fax: (416) 925-0653. Preview videos will be sent
upon request.
Audience:
This video would benefit any family caregivers, persons training
as paid caregivers, and people who know someone who is providing
care to a family member.
Description:
In this video, Nancy Hansen describes her own “breaking point”
in the care she provided for her mother, who had suffered a stroke.
Nancy cared for her mother for several months before seeking help,
but found herself increasingly abusive of her mother. She describes
the anger she felt at the time, and the guilt and remorse she now
feels are evident throughout the video.
In Breaking Point, Nancy bravely tells her story.
She is, we assume, at her home as she narrates her own deterioration
and the escalating violence as she provides 24-hour care for her
mother (who has since passed away). The video encourages people
who are providing care to seek assistance if they find they are
unable to cope with the role they’ve been asked to fulfill.
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Author:
McPherson, Cathy
Title:
Responding
to the Abuse of People with Disabilities
Year:
1990
Publisher: Advocacy
Resource Centre for the Handicapped (ARCH), Toronto, ON
Type:
Booklet
Length:
34 pages
Availability:
The publisher notes that this booklet can be reprinted in its
entirety, with permission. You may acquire the booklet through a
library or interlibrary loan.
Audience:
The introduction notes that “This manual is designed to help
those who have contact with people with disabilities respond to
situations of abuse. […] It is our hope that this manual will assist
those in contact with disabled victims to help them deal with the
abuse and overcome the experience to become a ‘survivor’ ” (Introduction).
The phrase “those in contact with” could refer to professionals
(counselors, rehabilitation workers, and caregivers), family members,
or friends.
Description:
This booklet uses clear, simple language to raise awareness
about the increased vulnerability to abuse of people with disabilities.
It also outlines what action to take should you suspect, or know,
that abuse is occurring.
The logical, visually-appealing set-up of this booklet, along with
its sensitivity to its audience, makes it a very useful tool. Along
with the usual, quite practical headings (What is Abuse? Indicators
of Abuse, etc.), this booklet contains headings and subheadings
that acknowledge that abuse involves sensitive and devastating circumstances
for the individuals experiencing abuse. For example, sections of
the booklet emphasize confidentiality, the right of people with
disabilities to experience affection and make decisions about sexual
activity, and the importance of listening.
Set-Up:
While the Table of Contents introduces us to a number or topics,
the booklet is essentially divided into two parts: content on disability
and abuse, and a resource section.
Disability and Abuse Section:
This section outlines pertinent definitions and indicators of abuse,
a step-by-step approach to addressing abuse, and a flow chart that
explains the steps in the legal process. These last two components
are particularly practical and are, as with the rest of the booklet,
sensitively written.
The step-by-step approach explains, in very practical terms, what
action to take should “a person with a disability choose to tell
you about abuse, or you have evidence that abuse has taken place”
(6). Sidebars outline the actions to take, while further content
offers advice on how to compassionately assist the person who has
undergone such a traumatic situation. For example, under the subheading
“Listen to the Individual,” McPherson writes,
Make sure that you let the person tell you what happened. Don’t
put words in the victim’s mouth. . . . You can reassure and offer
refreshment or other small courtesies to relax the individual. Make
sure you tell the individual disclosing the abuse that they are
not bad or responsible for what happened. Find out what they want
and need. But do not promise to keep it a secret. You have a responsibility
to inform the proper authorities. (8)
The flowchart presents a clear, visual aid that explains how the
criminal justice system deals with assault.
Resources Section:
This section includes two pages listing other resources, six pages
outlining contact organizations, and an eight-page appendix summarizing
the laws pertaining to assault, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and
provision of evidence. Since this is a 1990 publication, some of
the information may be outdated.
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Author:
Moorey, Kelli
Title:
Orientation to Disability for Crisis Service Providers
Year:
2001
Publisher: The Independent
Living Resource Centre of Calgary
Type:
Orientation manual
Length:
113 pages
Availability: Call (403) 263-6880 to
order (available to crisis service providers)
Audience:
This manual offers guidance to crisis service providers so that
they can design and provide fully accessible services to individuals
with a range of disabilities.
This resource would also be suitable for laypersons and professionals
who want to better understand “the specific issues that persons
with disabilities face when dealing with crises such as crime, violence
and/or abusive situations” (7).
The manual could provide a group facilitator with useful background
information on this topic, but the intent seems to be more one of
independent study. By reading the document, a crisis service provider
will become more aware of the situations of people with disabilities.
Description:
As an “orientation manual,” this document provides general information
about a range of subjects intended to raise awareness about the
issues and barriers that people with disabilities face in crisis
situations. This work emerges from an Independent Living (IL) perspective
that values and promotes a consumer-control model. This model upholds
the principle that those who use services provided for people with
developmental or physical disabilities should exercise control over
“what services they have access to and how these are delivered”
(10).
The manual is cleanly and professionally formatted, contributing
to the accessibility of the content. Tabs with subheadings also
make the manual an easy-to-use reference.
Set-Up:
The first three sections of the manual provide introductory
information (Table of Contents, Acknowledgements, About this Manual).
The last two sections of the manual contain appendices with charts,
graphs, and practical information for service providers, as well
as a reference section. The main content is provided in the middle
six sections. These sections are:
Part D:
Introduction to Independent Living
Part E:
Statistics
Part F:
Relationships Between Myths, Barriers, and Risks
Part G:
What is Accessibility?
Part H:
A Safe and Supportive Community Project
Part I:
Toward Change
The discussion of the “Relationship between Myths, Barriers and
Risks” (pp. 21-40) that affects individuals with disabilities is
particularly well-developed as it goes beyond simply outlining the
myths. This section outlines different kinds of barriers (i.e.,
communication, social, physical, financial, and self-esteem barriers)
that confront individuals, and it also presents real-life or hypothetical
examples of events that seek to explain how socio-cultural beliefs
stifle and/or isolate individuals with disabilities.
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Author:
Peel Regional Police
Title:
Hear, here: Identifying and Supporting
People with Developmental Disabilities Who Have Been Abused
Year:
1997
Producer: Diverse
City Press, Inc., Richmond Hill, ON
Type:
Video
Length:
35 minutes
Availability:
Contact Diverse City Press, Inc. at BM 272, 33 des Floralies,
Eastman, Québec J0E 1P0. Telephone: (514) 297-3080.
Audience:
Early in the video, the audience is identified as “police officers
and child abuse investigators” who will be working with people with
developmental disabilities. The video would also be useful to others
who work with or care for people with developmental disabilities.
Description:
This video is set up as a question and answer session between
three individuals: Jim Craig, a police officer with Peel Regional
Police; Michelle Burns, a behaviour therapist at Mississauga Hospital;
and Dave Hingsburger, a counselor who has been working with people
with developmental disabilities since 1975. For the most part, Craig
and Burns ask Hingsburger questions related to the issue of the
abuse of people with developmental disabilities.
Hingsburger responds to questions regarding vulnerability, communication,
definitions, myths, warning signs, and disclosure. Many of the ideas
he shares are those discussed in his book Just Say Know (see
entry in this inventory). However, his ideas are re-shaped somewhat
so that they are practical and relevant to this particular audience
– police officers or child abuse investigators. For example, he
explains how many people with disabilities have not been taught
how to say “no.” Therefore, a police officer speaking with such
a person about an abusive situation should avoid questions that
require yes or no answers, because people who are uncertain of the
answer may answer “yes” if that is how they’ve been taught to respond.
This video is a very useful resource. It covers the primary issues
discussed in many publications (disclosure, indicators, etc.), but
the question and answer format it uses makes it a particularly good
training tool. For busy professionals, staff, and volunteers, it
may be easier to watch this video and talk about it than to read
about the same topics.
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Author:
Phillips, Cassandra
Title:
Working Effectively with Persons with Disabilities Against Crime
Year:
2000
Publisher: Canadian
Association of Independent Living Centres, Ottawa, ON
Type:
Curriculum Guide
Length:
25 pages
Availability:
An HTML version of the guide is available at
www.cailc.ca/CAILC/graphic/sidebar/curriculum_e.html . It can
also be ordered from the CAILC website as part of a larger tool
kit of materials. Click on the “Publications” icon for order information.
Cost of tool kit: $65.00.
Audience:
In the preamble, the publisher notes, “This curriculum guide is
aimed at front-line professionals [in crime prevention] and can
be inserted into any federal, provincial, or regional formal training
program for police service workers, fire fighters, home care workers,
ambulance workers, etc.” (3). The guide also uses the term “first
responders” to refer to this group of professionals.
Description:
In this guide, the Canadian Association of Independent Living
Centres asserts the value of the trend toward community policing
in crime prevention. However, CAILC also points out that people
with disabilities have been largely left out of this shift toward
a more “proactive, collaborative approach” to policing. This guide
aims to address this situation by providing crime prevention professionals
with some of the information they need to make community policing
more inclusive. CAILC states, “It is only by opening up the lines
of communication between community advocacy groups, people with
disabilities, police and victim services, and allied professionals
that crime prevention initiatives will succeed” (3).
CAILC suggests the material in the curriculum can be used by individuals
who seek to improve their knowledge and awareness of disability
issues or by a facilitator in a classroom setting. If a classroom
setting is used, the publisher encourages the facilitator to invite
“community advocates, victim service agencies, and persons with
disabilities to participate” (3). This way, the first responders
to crime will have an opportunity to directly interact with people
with disabilities. This will begin the process of breaking down
stereotypes and destroying the myths that shape societal and individual
perceptions of people with disabilities.
Set-Up:
Twenty three headings divide the information in the guide, but
these can be grouped into four sections as follows:
-
This section covers general information about disabilities
and disability issues, including violence against people with
disabilities. The headings in this section are:
-
Working Effectively with Disabilities Against Crime
-
Learning Objectives
-
Statistical Overview
-
Introduction
-
Disability and the Law
-
What is a Disability?
-
Words of Dignity
-
Attitudes and Myths about Persons with Disabilities
-
Changing Attitudes and Independent Living
-
Distinct Issues Facing Persons with Disabilities and Crime
-
Disclosure
-
This section covers specific information intended to guide
first responders’ when interacting with individuals with disabilities
who have experienced crime. This section provides practical
tips and suggestions for first responders. The headings in this
section are:
-
Key Points to Remember When Taking Information from a Person
with a Disability
-
Communicating with Someone Who Has a Hearing Impairment
-
Communicating with Someone Who Has a Visual impairment
-
Communicating with Someone Who Has a Mobility Impairment
-
Communicating with Someone Who Has a Speech Impairment
-
Communicating with Someone Who Has a History of Mental
Illness
-
Communicating with Someone Who Has a Developmental Disability
-
Communicating with Someone Who Has a Brain Injury
-
The Role of First Responders in Crime Prevention
-
Conclusion
-
This section provides teaching materials that include
questions for discussion, activities, and a sample scenario.
It offers group facilitator options for in-class activities.
(Overheads and graphics are not provided in the HTML version
of the publication.). This section covers:
Self-Examination
This section includes additional resources regarding disability
issues and crime:
Bibliography
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Author:
Rappaport, S. R., Burkhardt, S. A., & Rotatori, A. F.
Title:
Child Sexual Abuse Curriculum for the Developmentally Disabled
Year:
1997
Publisher: Charles C.
Thomas, Ltd., Springfield, ON
Type:
Book
Length:
156 pages, including two appendices and a list of references
Availability:
Contact the publisher at 2600 South First Street, Springfield
IL, 62794-9265 USA.
Audience:
This book identifies its primary audience as “special education
teachers, social workers, nurses, and psychologists who provide
services to children with developmental disabilities. A secondary
audience is administrators and other educators who provide consultation
and program development services for agencies and schools who service
children with developmental disabilities” (ix).
In general, the content is aimed at professionals but may also
be of use to adults interested in learning about the circumstances
and prevalence of the sexual abuse of children with developmental
disabilities, treatments for such children, the short- and long-term
effects of sexual abuse, and the effects of the age and gender of
the children abused.
Description:
Produced by three persons with PhDs in psychology, Child
Sexual Abuse Curriculum for the Developmentally Disabled is
a well-written and thorough guide for professionals involved in
teaching children with developmental disabilities how to avoid sexual
abuse. As the information in the “Set-Up” section below indicates,
the work seeks to be comprehensive in its approach, focusing on
the causes of child sexual abuse, the treatment of children who
have been abused, the effects that such abuse commonly has on children,
and how the effects are mediated by factors such as age and gender.
The work has a decidedly academic tone and approach to the material
that it addresses; it also reflects an astute understanding of the
complexities and nuances of the subject on which it is focused.
In the preface, the authors acknowledge the following about sexual
abuse prevention programs:
Sexual abuse prevention programs for children with developmental
disabilities are charged with the difficult task of focusing on
sexual abuse as a negative example of sexual behavior [sic] while
preserving a positive image of sexuality. At the same time, the
programs must teach at the developmental and social reasoning level
of children with developmental disabilities. (viii)
The authors focus on teaching children with developmental disabilities
about sexual abuse prevention skills “at a level consistent with
their reasoning abilities.”
While relatively compact in length, Child Sexual Abuse Curriculum
makes a conscientious effort to address the many elements that contribute
to child sexual abuse, different contexts in which abuse is prevalent
(i.e. familial, institutional), the consequences and treatment of
abuse, and, its prevention through the provision of an educational
curriculum that is specific to children with developmental disabilities.
Given the prevalence of sexual abuse committed against children
with developmental disabilities, the book’s discussion of the long-term
effects of childhood sexual abuse will also be of interest to those
working with adults who have developmental disabilities and report,
or are known to have had, abusive experiences as children.
This book is an excellent training resource even though it is more
detailed than many of the others in this inventory.
Set-Up:
Chapter 1:
Understanding Child Sexual Abuse of the Developmentally Disabled
Chapter 2:
The Treatment of Sexually Abused Children
Chapter 3:
Sexual Abuse: The Emotional and Behavioural Sequelae
Chapter 4:
Factors that Mediate the Sequelae of Child Sexual Abuse
Chapter 5:
The Rappaport Curriculum for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse
in Children with Developmental Disabilities (See note below.)
Appendix A:
Includes Parent/Caretaker Review Sheets and Introduction to Prevention
Lessons
Appendix B:
Includes Safety Stories to be used with lessons 6–10 in Chapter
5.
Note: Chapter 5 and the two appendices teach children and children
with developmental disabilities about their bodies, puberty, and
sexuality. These sections, with their focus on training, are the
reasons this somewhat academic document is included in our inventory.
The sections aim to instruct children about rules and methods they
can use to distinguish between and determine what constitutes appropriate
and inappropriate touching based on social context, location, body
parts, and the person or people involved.
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Authors:
Rogow, Sally and Julie Hass
Title:
The Person Within: Preventing Abuse
of Children and Young People with Disabilities
Year:
1999
Producer: British
Columbia Institute Against Family Violence, Vancouver, BC
Type:
Video and Handbook
Length:
Video: 28 minutes, Handbook: 45 pages
Availability:
To order a video and handbook, contact the British Columbia
Institute Against Family Violence at (604) 669-7055. Or visit their
website at www.bcifv.org. Click on “Publications” and then scroll
down to “Video Packages.” Price: $50.00, or $7.00 for handbook only.
Audience:
The video and handbook are directed at people with disabilities,
their advocates, and a general audience.
Description:
Both the video and the handbook are informative resources about
the abuse of children and young people with disabilities. This resource
asks people to look at the person within rather than at the disability.
It provides statistics on the abuse of children with disabilities
and attempts to educate people about their own prejudices, the extent
of abuse, and the long-term effects of abuse on children as they
develop.
Set-Up:
The handbook provides brief introductory information, an appendix
that defines disability-related terms and outlines British Columbia’s
child protection legislation, and a list of resources. The main
content is in four central sections. These are:
Part One: Abuse of Children and Young People with Disabilities
This section discusses the historical move from large institutions,
where children were often isolated and neglected, to the smaller,
community-based institutions that are designed to alleviate these
problems. Information is provided on “Family and Caregiver Stress,”
“Conflicts between Parents and Professionals,” and “Issues in Specialized
Care.”
Part Two: When Abuse and Neglect Occur
This section explains the effects and the impact of abuse and neglect
on children and young people with disabilities. It explains “Legal
and Protection Issues” and the procedures that need to be followed
when abuse is reported. It also discusses “Helping Children Who
Have Been Abused” and explains that children who have suffered abuse
require treatment. The handbook encourages the development of accepting,
nurturing foster care environments, which can be key in helping
children with disabilities who have been abused, sometimes repeatedly,
to learn to trust again and to build a positive self-image.
Part Three: A Framework for Prevention
This section makes recommendations for the prevention of child abuse.
It includes “Considerations for Caregiving” and focuses on the various
settings in which children with disabilities are found, such as
schools and clinical institutions. It offers preventive strategies,
such as advocacy and the empowerment of children to protect themselves.
This section concludes that children and young people with disabilities
have the same rights to protection and respect as other children
and young people.
Part Four: Questions to Ask:
This section provides parents with the questions they should/could
ask about their child’s care and progress in different care settings,
or in their research for an appropriate care setting.
The Video:
The video includes discussion by community-care providers, professors,
and families of children and young people with disabilities. The
professionals provide the background information about the cyclical
nature of abuse by caregivers and discuss the factors that increase
a child’s vulnerability: segregation, isolation, or marginalization
in institutions.
The families provide a compassionate viewpoint as we see them interacting
with their children, discussing the difficulties within the system.
Often these difficulties stem from caregivers who regard the child
as representative of their disability rather than as an individual
with opinions about the world. One mother says, “You need to learn
to accept your children so they can learn to accept themselves.”
Overall, this resource is effective in creating awareness of and
compassion for children and young people who suffer abuse. It examines
the historical background of the systems that are in place today,
to show both the progress that has been made, and the progress that
still needs to be made. The handbook is effective in considering
the difficulties of being a caregiver to a disabled child, and in
examining the issue from various points of view (i.e. children with
disabilities, their families, caregivers, and institutions).
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Author:
Schweir, Karin Melberg.
Title:
Sexuality: Your
Sons and Daughters with Intellectual Disabilities
Year:
2000
Publisher: Paul H.
Brookes, Baltimore, Maryland
Type:
Book
Length:
196 pages, plus references, index, and recommended reading list
Availability:
Contact the publisher at Box 10624, Baltimore, Maryland. Or
visit their website at
www.brookespublishing.com.
Audience:
This book is directed specifically at parents who have a child/children
of any age with a developmental disability, but for “all concerned
about preparing children who have challenges for the sometimes cruel
world, this book is a MUST” (ix).
Description:
The premise of this book is that “everyone needs to be treated
with respect and understanding, and in that way, we learn to attend
to all our needs, including sexuality, in a proper and private way”
(ix).
The book recognizes the central role that parents play in their
children’s development, and parents from a variety of backgrounds
and family situations are the primary contributors to this book.
These families share their experiences so that other families can
learn from their successes and their mistakes. By sharing their
own fears and joys, these families guide readers in the decisions
they will be making with their children.
Set-Up:
The book is divided into eight chapters. The first three provide
introductory and background information, and the remaining five
focus on the different stages that parents will encounter in a child’s
developing sexuality. The eight chapters are:
Chapter 1: Your
Journey
Chapter 2: Your
Guides
Chapter 3: A Place
to Start
Chapter 4: Hold
Me Tight
Chapter 5: Put
Me Down
Chapter 6: Leave
Me Alone
Chapter 7: Let
Me Go
Chapter 8: A New
Future for You and Your Child
Chapter 3 introduces the reader to the twenty families who will
share their stories and experiences throughout the book. Chapters
4 through 7 provide the reader with a mix of anecdotes, exercises,
checklists, and question and answer sections, all of which focus
on various topics related to sexuality and healthy self-concept.
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Author:
Sisters of Charity of Ottawa Health Service Inc.
Title:
Abuse Prevention
in Long Term Care
Year:
1997
Publisher: Sisters
of Charity of Ottawa Health Service Inc.
Type:
Facilitator’s Guide and 2 videos
Length:
Facilitator’s manual: 106 pages, plus overheads and handouts,
Each video: 22 minutes
Availability:
For information on the videos, call the National Film Board of Canada
at 1-800-267-7710. Price: $39.00.
Audience:
The videos and manual are directed at facilitators who wish
to run an information session or a support group for residents,
staff, and families of residents in long-term care facilities.
Description:
This resource outlines and provides the materials for facilitating
discussions about abuse and its prevention in long-term care. The
manual and the videos provide complete module plans, including supporting
overheads and handouts. The content covers definition and prevention
of abuse and neglect, and ways to foster a supportive and respectful
environment in long-term care facilities. The modules are clear,
and they consider the needs of residents, staff, and families of
residents in long-term care. The manual is clearly written and well-organized.
Ideally, a facilitator would work module-by-module through all of
the topics, showing segments from the videos and following up with
a guided group discussion. However, the manual is also designed
for facilitators who must select only a few modules.
Set-Up:
The facilitator’s binder consists of an Introduction, nine Modules,
Appendices, Overheads, and Handouts. The introduction provides background
information, advice, and suggestions for facilitators about how
to best set-up and select modules, work with the videos, and use
handouts and overheads. The overheads and handouts highlight the
important points in the discussion and provide supplementary information
to the modules. The appendices include contact information, resource
lists, and evaluation forms. Each of the nine modules includes module
goals, a list of supporting materials (referring to the handouts
and overheads provided in the binder), topics for discussion, and
a list of selected resources. The modules are:
Module 1: Defining Abuse and Neglect
Module 2: Intervention
Module 3: Resident Rights and Responsibilities
Module 4: Advocacy and Conflict Resolution
Module 5: Preventing Abuse and Neglect
Module 6: Fostering a Supportive and Respectful Environment
Module 7: Responding to Losses and Grief
Module 8: Resident Empowerment
Module 9: Effective Communication and Interactions Within
Long Term Care
The Videos:
The first video, “Abuse and Neglect in Long Term Care: Intervention
and Prevention,” defines abuse and explains that abuse and neglect
are complex social problems. Long-term care residents have had to
give up a lot of control over their personal care when they enter
an institution. The video lists different types of abuse—financial,
sexual, psychological, neglect, medical, physical, systemic, and
civil rights—and then provides an on-screen definition of each kind
of abuse, and shows a dramatization of that type of abuse.
The second video, “Abuse and Prevention in Long Term Care: Fostering
a Supportive and Respectful Environment in Long Term Care,” involves
long-term residents speaking about how they felt moving into a long-term
care facility, about losing their independence and their health
all at once, and about adjusting and adapting to the new rules and
routines of an institution. The video defines a supportive environment
as one that builds on people’s strengths and abilities by providing
good physical care and emotional support. The video encourages long-term
care staff to allow residents some control, by letting them choose
which clothes they want to wear or helping them make a phone call.
It suggests that feelings of powerlessness can be overcome by making
decisions, expressing individuality, speaking for oneself, caring
for oneself, and having a sense of purpose. The video also looks
at the social, physical, and organizational environments of the
facilities to show positive examples of long-term care facilities
and ways of improving conditions for residents.
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Author:
Sobsey, Dick
Title:
Family Violence Against People with Intellectual Disabilities
Year:
2002
Publisher: National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Ottawa, ON
Type:
Booklet/pamphlet
Length:
13 pages
Availability:
PDF and HTML versions available on line at
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/familyviolence/ As well, the booklet
can be copied, with acknowledgements, as long as it is not for a
commercial purpose. Available in alternate formats upon request.
Audience:
People who support or work with people with developmental disabilities.
This could include caregivers, parents, friends, service providers,
educators, social workers, etc.
Description:
This booklet provides basic information about family violence
and people with intellectual disabilities. The tone is straightforward,
and the material is presented clearly and concisely. Intellectual
disability and related terms are defined early in the booklet. This
addresses some of the questions the reader may have about how the
term intellectual disability differs from terms like developmental
disability, learning disability, cognitive impairment, etc. A person
has an intellectual disability “if there are limitations affecting
several areas of cognitive function to a degree that interferes
with the demands of daily life.”(1).
As with other National Clearinghouse booklets, the material here
is quite introductory. It raises awareness of the issue and provides
a good starting point for those who want to learn about violence
against people with intellectual disabilities. The extensive suggested
reading list and the sources used in developing the document provide
additional pertinent information.
Set-Up:
The first eight pages provide the content, and the last four
outline further readings and publication details. The document is
cleanly and simply formatted. Clear headings are used to divide
the information into short, well-structured chunks of information.
Major headings are: Prevalence, Related Terms, Other Disabilities,
Family Violence; Varieties of Violence, Connections [between violence
and disability], Implications, Intervention, and Research.
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Author:
Ticoll, Miriam
Title:
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide
Families and Friends in Addressing the Sexual Abuse of People with
a Mental Handicap
Year:
1992
Publisher: The Roeher
Institute, Toronto, ON
Type:
Information manual
Length:
97 pages, including five appendices
Availability:
Contact the publisher at (416) 661-9611; TDD (416) 661-2023;
1-800-856-2207. Or visit their website at
www.roeher.ca. The manual can be ordered on line. Price: $10.00,
plus discounts for bulk purchases.
Audience:
The manual describes itself as being “designed for people who
work with, are friends with, or have as a family member, a person
who has a mental handicap. It is equally meant for people who, as
professionals, come into contact with individuals with a mental
handicap who are survivors of sexual abuse” (1).
This manual would also be an excellent resource for anyone with
an interest in learning more about the conditions and circumstances
that facilitate and contribute to the sexual abuse of individuals
with intellectual disabilities.
Description:
Written in 1992, this publication that uses the term “mental
handicap” instead of “developmental disability,” but the content
remains relevant today. In the hope that “this manual will provide
insight into the lives of people with a mental handicap” (1), No
More Victims presents a wide range of factual and statistical
information about the housing, living conditions, and income situations
of those with developmental disabilities. As one book in a series
of similar works (see note at end of this entry), the series acknowledges
that in order to achieve positive changes in the effective prevention
of sexual abuse of people living with a developmental disability,
“cooperation and coordination” among all parties is required.
The manual provides practical definitions of relevant terms and
general information about where and how people with developmental
disabilities live. It also includes first-person stories that relate
distressing tales of abuse, and related or subsequent encounters
with care facilities and social, legal, or medical service workers
and departments. Some relevant newspaper stories and articles culled
from journals are also included in the volume.
Set-Up:
After a brief introduction, this manual is divided into 13 sections
and 5 appendices. Because this resource is intended to be of use
to family members and friends of individuals with developmental
disabilities, section “x” is directed specifically at this segment
of the population. The sections are:
Section 1:
Introduction
Section 2:
About Mental Handicap
Section 3:
Facts About Sexual Abuse
Section 4:
Facts About People with a Mental Handicap and Sexual Abuse
Section 5:
Signs of Sexual Abuse
Section 6:
The Law and Sexual Abuse
Section 7:
Principles to Guide the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of People with
Mental Handicap
Section 8:
Sex Education and Personal Safety Education
Section 9:
Prevention of Sexual Abuse in Group Homes, Institutions and Other
Residential Settings
Section 10: What to Do
in the Case of Abuse
Section 11: Community
Resources
Section 12: Accessibility
of Community Services
Section 13: Developing
an Action Plan: A Checklist
The appendices include the following:
Appendix 1: Nova Scotia Protocol
Appendix 2: Additional Resources
Appendix 3: Myths about Assaults
Against Persons with a Mental Handicap
Appendix 4: Exercises and Discussion
Question for Instructors
Appendix 5: Community Living
2000: A New Vision
Although this is an excellent general resource, the date of publication
(1992) should be considered when consulting the statistical information
and reference materials.
Note:
The other titles in the series are:
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide the Police in Addressing
the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental Handicap ($10.00)
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide the Legal Community in Addressing
the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental Handicap ($10.00)
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide Counsellors and Social Workers
in Addressing the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental Handicap
($10.00)
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Author:
Walker-Hirsch, Leslie and Marklyn P. Champagne
Title:
Circles: Intimacy
and Relationships
Year:
1993
Publisher: James Stanfield
Publishing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Type:
Teacher’s Guide and Videos
Length:
Guide: 105 pages, 12 videos of varying length
Availability:
Contact the publisher at 1-800-421-6534. Or visit their website
at www.stanfield.com. Price:
$399.00 (US).
Audience:
The resource is for teachers, counsellors, or other professionals
working in on-going situations with teenagers or young adults with
developmental disabilities.
Description:
The Circles: Intimacy and Relationships curriculum aims
to teach students with developmental disabilities the “concepts
of personal space, social distance, and social/sexual concepts”
(1). The authors state that the curriculum “uses principles of behaviour
psychology and proven techniques in special education that help
the students to generalize their learning across many settings:
school, home, social, and vocational” (1).
The “circles concept” uses six, color-coded, concentric circles
to teach students about social distance and levels of intimacy:
“Starting from the center circle, which is the self, each new coloured
circle represents behaviours, feelings, and actions appropriate
to the distance from the center or self” (1). The authors, who have
worked as “teachers, counsellors, consultants, and practitioners”
strive to provide a curriculum that encourages “self-respect and
autonomy” and thereby “a sense of personal well-being for the student”
(1). They describe the circles concept as a “roadmap to follow in
social situations.”
Set-Up:
The curriculum is a flexible program, and the service providers
using it are encouraged to adapt the lessons to meet the specific
needs of each class/individual. Within each lesson, activities can
be chosen that are suitable for students with a variety of learning
abilities. The “three T’s” (Touch, Talk, and Trust) are used in
each lesson as a way of identifying the “behavioural, cognitive,
and affective components of a relationship” (5).
The curriculum is divided into three major parts:
Part One: Relationships (11 lessons)
Part Two: Relationship Building (5 lessons)
Part Three: Topics in Sexuality Education (13 lessons)
Video components accompany the lessons taught in the first two
parts. Each lesson begins with a story that is on the video tape.
Then, the teacher/instructor is guided through a step-by-step lesson
that includes program goals, recommended methodology, activities,
evaluation, support activities, and options for more advanced students.
Part Three does not have a video component. All three parts rely
on “multi-sensory, experiential, and individualized strategies as
the basis for each learning opportunity” (4).
The Videos:
The videos provide students (and teachers) with stories of “high
interest and low complexity.” The videos (6 for Part One and 6 for
Part Two) consist of mini-dramas that enact the concepts introduced
in each lesson. For example, the first lesson in Part One establishes
the importance of each individual being at the centre of his/her
circle. Susan, the speaker in the first segment of the video, “stresses
her own self-worth and her individuality” and emphasizes the importance
of the private centre of her circle. The videos reinforce the “touch,
talk, and trust” approach to identifying types of relationships.
They also use clear language and a caring tone.
Note: A more recent edition of Circles: Intimacy and Relationships
is now available from the publisher. To find out how it differs
from the 1993 edition call the publisher, or visit their website
(see above under Availability).
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Author:
Walker-Hirsch, Leslie and Marklyn P. Champagne
Title:
Circles: Stop Abuse
Year:
1993
Publisher: James Stanfield
Publishing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Type:
Teacher’s Guide and Videos
Length:
Guide: 47 pages, 3 videos of varying length
Availability:
Contact the publisher at 1-800-421-6534. Or visit their website
at www.stanfield.com. Price:
$499.00 (US) for the newest version called Circles II: Stop Abuse.
Audience:
This resource is for teachers, counsellors, or other professionals
working in an on-going manner with teenagers or young adults with
developmental disabilities. If these materials are used, keep in
mind that the program could lead to disclosure of abusive incidents.
Supports must be in place should this occur.
Description:
The guide and videos encourage service providers to recognize
the increased vulnerability of people with developmental disabilities
and to teach them how to “recognize and consequently avoid sexually
threatening or abusive situations” (5). The authors have worked
with students with disabilities in a number of settings, as teachers,
counsellors, and practitioners. They apply the “circles concept,”
outlined in Circles: Intimacy and Relationships (see index),
to guide teachers and students in creating a safer community.
The “circles concept” provides students with developmental disabilities
with a tool to help learn the concepts of personal space, social
distance, and social/sexual concepts. This teaching model uses six,
color-coded, concentric circles to teach students about social distance
and levels of intimacy: “Starting from the center circle, which
is the self, each new coloured circle represents behaviours, feelings,
and actions appropriate to the distance from the center or self”
(Circles: Intimacy and Relationships, p. 1). In Circles:
Stop Abuse, these concepts are used to “teach students to recognize,
and therefore influence, the outcome of potentially exploitative
situations” (5).
The teaching objectives (p. 5) that the curriculum aims to achieve
are:
Students will:
Recognize potentially exploitative situations and relationships.Assert themselves calmly to re-establish appropriate mutuality.Take action for self-protection, if exploitation should occur.Act decisively in removing themselves from threatening situations.Tell a trusted or safe person.
Set-Up:
The Guide:
The guide is divided into two parts. Each part includes a step-by-step
lesson that includes program goals, recommended methodology, and
activities. Video components accompany the lessons.
Part One: Recognizing and Reacting to Sexual Exploitation
This section encourages students to be assertive. Through activities
and role play, students are taught to recognize and react to sexual
exploitation occurring in close relationships with dates, close
friends, and relatives. Students learn that if certain types of
touching make them feel uncomfortable, they don’t have to let the
touching continue.
Part Two: Learning Appropriate Protective Behaviours
This section focuses on “the potential for sexual abuse from acquaintances
and strangers.” Again, students are taught how to identify inappropriate
behaviour and how to respond to these behaviours.
The Videos:
The videos depict twelve different “potentially exploitative situations”
(5). The stories, which are told by students with developmental
disabilities, illustrate step-by-step strategies for recognizing
and responding to potentially threatening situations. Each of the
stories corresponds to a particular lesson in the curriculum. The
authors describe the scenarios: “In each story, another person exhibits
behaviour which the student feels is exploitative. A ‘calm stop’
is shown as the first attempt to curtail the exploitative behaviour,
and if that is not effective, the student illustrates a ‘loud stop’
” (5).
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Appendix: Additional Training/Awareness-raising Materials
In developing this inventory, ACCD consulted many more works than
the ones selected. We did not include everything we reviewed because
some did not focus particularly on training, some were no longer
available, and some provided information that was outdated. The
following lists include some of these materials.
Resources
DisAbled Women’s Network. Ontario. (1997). Annotated bibliography
of available literature and resources & a statement of need
report. Retrieved December 12, 2003, from
http://dawn.thot.net/project2.html.
O’Leary, J. (1997). Disability, violence and preventions resources:
An annotated bibliography. Toronto, ON: Centre for Independent
Living in Toronto.
Sobsey, D., Gray, S., Wells, D., Pyper, D., & Reimer-Heck,
B. (1991). Disability, sexuality, and abuse: An annotated bibliography.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Sobsey, D., Wells, D., Lucaride, R., & Mansell, S. (1995).
Violence and disability: An annotated bibliography. Baltimore,
MD: Paul H. Brookes.
The Roeher Institute. (1995). Violence in institutional facilities
against persons with disabilities: A literature review. Ottawa,
ON: Department of Justice, Research, Statistics and Evaluation Directorate,
Civil Law and Corporate Management Sector.
Ticoll, M. (1994). Violence and people with disabilities: A
review of the literature. Ottawa, ON: National Clearinghouse
on Family Violence.
Other Relevant Inventories
Gorkoff, K., Proulx, J., & Comaskey, B. (2000). Prevention
of the abuse of seniors: Canadian training guides. Ottawa, ON:
Health Canada.
Federal, Provincial, Territorial Senior Status of Women Officials.
(1996) Beyond the violence: Reaching for higher ground. Whitehorse,
YK: Health Canada.
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Abuse of Children
with Disabilities
Abuse Prevention in
Long Term Care
Admissible in Court: Interviewing
Witnesses Who Live with Disabilities
After You Tell
Aspects of Caring
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series
on Sexuality and Relationships Volume 11: Sexuality and Physical
Disability
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships Volume 15: Sexual Abuse
Breaking Point
CDSS (Canadian Down Syndrome Society)
Information Series: Explaining Privacy to Children
Charting New Waters: Responding to
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Child Sexual Abuse Curriculum
for the Developmentally Disabled
Circles: Intimacy
and Relationships
Circles: Stop Abuse
Developing Personal Safety Skills in Children with Disabilities
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
Do? Be? Do?: What to Teach and How to Teach
People with Developmental Disabilities
Don’t Tell Me to Take
a Hot Bath: Resource Manual for Crisis Workers
Double Jeopardy: Women with Disabilities
Talk about Abuse and Barriers They Face
Easy Prey
Emerging Leaders
Family Violence Against People with Intellectual Disabilities
Family
Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Hand Made Love: A Guide for Teaching about
Male Masturbation through Understanding and Video
Hear, here: Identifying and Supporting People
with Developmental Disabilities Who Have Been Abused
How to Talk About Sexuality
to Young People with Disabilities: Tips for Service Providers
I Contact: Sexuality and People with Disabilities
I Openers: Parents Ask Questions About Sexuality
and Children with Developmental Disabilities
i to I: Self Concept and People with Developmental
Disabilities
Just Say Know: Understanding and Reducing
the Risk of Sexual Victimization of People with Developmental Disabilities
Life Horizons I
Making a Difference: Preventing and
Responding to Abuse of People with Disabilities–A Learning Guide
No! How
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide Families
and Friends in Addressing the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental
Handicap
Orientation to Disability for Crisis Service Providers
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel Unsafe and Want to Do Something
About It
Responding to the Abuse of People with Disabilities
Safety for You
Sexual Abuse
Prevention: Five Safety Rules for Persons who are Mentally Handicapped
Sexual Abuse Prevention for Children with Physical Handicaps
Sexual Health
of Women with Disabilities
Sexuality: Your Sons
and Daughters with Intellectual Disabilities
Shared Feelings: A Parent Guide to Sexuality
Education for Children, Adolescents and Adults who Have a Mental
Handicap
Sharing Secrets
Stop the Abuse: A Prevention Handbook
for Young People with Disabilities Written by Young People with
Disabilities
The Ethics of Touch: Establishing
and Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries in Service to People with
Developmental Disabilities
The Person Within: Preventing Abuse
of Children and Young People with Disabilities
The Right to Control What Happens
to Your Body: A Straightforward Guide to Issues of Sexuality and
Sexual Abuse
Toward a Better Tomorrow: Helping
Mentally Handicapped People Stop the Cycle of Violence and Abuse
Toward Intimacy
Under Cover Dick: Teaching Men with Disabilities
about Condom Use through Understanding and Video
Violence
Against Women with Disabilities
Violence Against Women with Disabilities: Practical Considerations
for Health Care Professionals
Violence Can Happen to You
We Are Those Women: A Training Manual
for Working with Women with Disabilities in Shelters and Sexual
Assault Centres
Working Effectively with Persons with Disabilities Against Crime
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Booklet/Pamphlets
Abuse
of Children with Disabilities
After You Tell
CDSS (Canadian Down Syndrome Society)
Information Series: Explaining Privacy to Children
Family Violence Against People with Intellectual Disabilities
Family Violence Against Women with Disabilities
How to Talk About Sexuality
to Young People with Disabilities: Tips for Service Providers
Out of Harm’s Way: A Safety Kit for
People with Disabilities Who Feel Unsafe and Want to Do Something
About It
Responding to the Abuse of People with Disabilities
Sexual Abuse Prevention for Children with Physical Handicaps (accompanied
by video)
Sexual Health
of Women with Disabilities
Stop the Abuse:
A Prevention Handbook for Young People with Disabilities Written
by Young People with Disabilities
The Right to Control What Happens
to Your Body: A Straightforward Guide to Issues of Sexuality and
Sexual Abuse
Violence Against
Women with Disabilities
Violence Against Women with Disabilities: Practical Considerations
for Health Care Professionals
Books/Guidebooks
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series
on Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 11: Sexuality and Physical
Disability
Being Sexual: An Illustrated Series on
Sexuality and Relationships, Volume 15: Sexual Abuse
Charting New Waters: Responding to
Violence Against Women with Disabilities (accompanied by video)
Child Sexual Abuse Curriculum
for the Developmentally Disabled
Do? Be? Do?: What to Teach and How to
Teach People with Developmental Disabilities
Double Jeopardy: Women with Disabilities
Talk about Abuse and Barriers They Face (accompanied by video)
Hand Made Love: A Guide for Teaching about
Male Masturbation through Understanding and Video
I Contact: Sexuality and People with Disabilities
I Openers: Parents Ask Questions About Sexuality
and Children with Developmental Disabilities
i to I: Self Concept and People with Developmental
Disabilities
Just Say Know: Understanding and Reducing
the Risk of Sexual Victimization of People with Developmental Disabilities
Sexuality: Your Sons
and Daughters with Intellectual Disabilities
Shared Feelings: A Parent Guide to Sexuality
Education for Children, Adolescents and Adults who Have a Mental
Handicap
The Ethics of Touch: Establishing
and Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries in Service to People with
Developmental Disabilities (accompanied by video)
The Person Within: Preventing Abuse
of Children and Young People with Disabilities (accompanied by video)
Under Cover Dick: Teaching Men with Disabilities
about Condom Use through Understanding and Video (accompanied by
video)
Curriculum
Abuse Prevention
in Long Term Care (accompanied by video)
Circles: Intimacy
and Relationships (accompanied by videos)
Circles: Stop Abuse (accompanied
by videos)
Developing Personal Safety Skills in Children with Disabilities
Discovering Connections: A Guide
to the Fun of Bridging Disability Differences
Don’t Tell Me to Take
a Hot Bath: Resource Manual for Crisis Workers
Life Horizons I
Making a Difference: Preventing
and Responding to Abuse of People with Disabilities–A Learning Guide
No More Victims: A Manual to Guide Families
and Friends in Addressing the Sexual Abuse of People with a Mental
Handicap
Orientation to Disability for Crisis Service Providers
Sexual
Abuse Prevention: Five Safety Rules for Persons who are Mentally
Handicapped (accompanied by instructor’s manual)
Toward a Better Tomorrow: Helping
Mentally Handicapped People Stop the Cycle of Violence and Abuse
We Are Those Women: A Training Manual
for Working with Women with Disabilities in Shelters and Sexual
Assault Centres
Working Effectively with Persons with Disabilities Against Crime
Videos
Abuse Prevention
in Long Term Care (accompanied by manual)
Admissible in Court: Interviewing
Witnesses Who Live with Disabilities (accompanied by script)
Aspects of Caring
Breaking Point
Charting New Waters: Responding to
Violence Against Women with Disabilities (accompanied by guide)
Circles: Intimacy
and Relationships (accompanied by manual)
Circles: Stop Abuse (accompanied
by manual)
Double Jeopardy: Women with Disabilities
Talk about Abuse and Barriers They Face (accompanied by handbook)
Easy Prey
Emerging Leaders
Hand Made Love: A Guide for Teaching about
Male Masturbation through Understanding and Video (accompanied by
guide)
Hear, here: Identifying and Supporting People
with Developmental Disabilities Who Have Been Abused Safety for
You
No! How
Safety for You
Sexual
Abuse Prevention: Five Safety Rules for Persons who are Mentally
Handicapped (accompanied by instructor’s manual)
Sexual Abuse Prevention for Children with Physical Handicaps (accompanied
by pamphlet)
Sharing Secrets
The Ethics of Touch: Establishing
and Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries in Service to People with
Developmental Disabilities (accompanied by guide)
The Person Within: Preventing Abuse
of Children and Young People with Disabilities (accompanied by handbook)
Toward Intimacy
Under Cover Dick: Teaching Men with Disabilities
about Condom Use through Understanding and Video (accompanied by
guidebook)
Violence Can Happen to You
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Mission Statement
The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities is a consumer-directed
organization that actively promotes full participation in society
for Albertans with disabilities.
Our Guiding Principles
Full Participation
We are committed to breaking down barriers which prevent society
from seeing beyond our disabilities so that we are included in
all aspects of life.
We will take charge of the social, political, and economic decisions
that affect our lives.
We must be accountable for our actions.
We must have choice in the services and supports we require.
We acknowledge and accept the dignity of risk.
Accessibility
All buildings and facilities must be accessible
Transportation, information, and communication services must
meet our diverse needs.
Equity
We will be vigilant to ensure that our rights and freedoms are
upheld.
We claim our right to be equal while maintaining our individuality.
What the Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD)
Does
Since 1073, ACCD has worked hard to ensure that Albertans with
disabilities are heard. Our work supports equal opportunities in
society for all Albertans including people with disabilities.
We are Alberta’s only provincial, cross-disability, public education
organization connecting groups who have common goals. Together we
can speak with one voice on disability concerns and issues that
affect us all.
We handle a wide variety of requests for information from agencies,
government departments, the general public, and people with disabilities.
We support leadership development in Alberta’s communities so that
local organizations can be agents of change and be a part of the
decision-making process close to home.
We develop presentations for schools, information fairs, corporations,
service clubs, and community groups. Our goal is to heighten awareness
and understanding of people with disabilities living and working
in our communities.
We bring disability issues to the attention of our municipal, provincial,
and federal elected representatives. Our goal is to improve the
quality of life of people with disabilities through legislative
and policy changes.
We work to ensure that everyone, including those of us with disabilities,
have access to necessary services. In order to participate fully
in our communities, we must have equal access to health, housing,
education, employment, and transportation.
Our fundraising activities include bingos, casinos, and special
events to raise funds that support our work. We are grateful to
our funders and our strong and dedicated core of volunteers who
assist with our fundraising projects.
We conduct research and facilitate projects that focus on disability-related
issues. In doing so, we always emphasize the importance of a consumer
voice.
Contact Information
ACCD can be reached at:
106, 10423 178 St. NW
Edmonton AB T5S 1R5
Phone:
(780) 488-9088
Fax:
(780) 488-3757
TTY:
(780) 488-9090
Email:
accd@accd.net
Web:
www.accd.net
Feedback Request
We hope you have found this inventory useful, and we would like
to hear from you about your experience using it. If you have suggestions
on how to improve the document, ideas for entries that have not
been included, or stories about your experience with the materials
or the inventory itself, please let us know. Our contact information
is provided above. Thank you!
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Alberta's Grassroots, Cross-Disability Organization
