Did You Know?
• In Kentucky, over 874,000 people have disabilities of various types.
• The risk of abuse for people with disabilities is 2-5 times greater than for the general population.
• 60 – 85% of women with disabilities experience domestic abuse.
Why?
Perpetrators prey on people perceived as “vulnerable” and take advantage of:
• Limited ability to resist or escape
• Nature and severity of disability
• Fear of losing needed services
• Barriers to communication
• Dependence on others for personal care and basic necessities
• Social isolation
• History of being taught to comply with authority figures
• History of inability to say “No” (for example, to medical procedures)
• Fear of being disbelieved because of perceived non-credibility
• Lack of basic education of anatomy, sexuality and privacy
• Having experienced few opportunities for affection
Project SAFE is a collaboration led by KASAP to better address violenceindividuals with disabilities. For more information about Project SAFE, click here to download brochure (pdf) or contact KASAP's Project SAFE Coordinator at 502-226-2704.