Sneha Dhandapani
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Christopher Samp
Research Mentor School/College/Department: City of Detroit – Office of Disability Affairs / NonUM
Program:
Authors: Sneha Dhandapani, Christopher Samp, Jacqueline Thompson
Session: Session 4: 1:40 pm – 2:30 pm
Poster: 14
Abstract
People with disabilities experience higher rates of domestic violence and sexual assault. Seventy percent of people in the United States with disabilities experience some form of abuse, and they are three times as likely to experience sexual assault, often perceived as ‘easy targets’ by perpetrators. Despite this, little research has been conducted on how people with disabilities are affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. Consequently, there has been minimal effort to help them access relevant and necessary resources. If people with disabilities are experiencing violence at a higher rate, then the available resources must reflect this statistic. Through interviews and literature reviews, I have compiled a resource guide for individuals and community organizations for the Detroit Office of Disability Affairs, as well as recommendations on how to support survivors with disabilities for the Detroit Health Department. This program will be presented alongside a broader initiative focused on people with disabilities in healthcare. The intention is to share this information with multiple organizations in Detroit that serve disabled survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence
