Section 3: Cognitive and Developmental Disabilities
Area 1: Decision Making and Dignity of Risk
Area 2: Safer Sex and Affirming Sexuality
Area 3: Collaboration and Advocacy
Summary
People with cognitive and developmental disabilities have an exceptionally painful history in the U.S. and continue to be among the most vulnerable to forced psychiatric holds and incarceration, sexual assault and other forms of violence, police brutality, isolation and segregation, and many other major public health disparities and injustices. Because of this and the continued, pervasive practice of segregation of people with cognitive and developmental disabilities, this section takes unique care to address some of the core cultural norms, policies, and practices that result in the oppression of those with cognitive and developmental disabilities. This includes helping to identify – on an individual basis WITH the individual – when someone is and is not capable of decision-making power from an anti-saneist framework. Everyone’s capacity to make decisions varies throughout the day, year, and lifetime, not only to intimacy, but man other life decisions such as housing, adopting pets, or getting tattoos. This section then explores how to support people with cognitive and developmental disabilities in reclaiming their agency and healing from sexual trauma.
Area 1: Decision Making and Dignity of Risk
Legal Consent and Guardianship: 1 hour, 22 minute webinar by Indiana Disability Justice featuring Indiana Disability Rights. Description: Learn about supported decision-making vs. the levels of legal guardianship and how guardianship impacts consent among people with disabilities. This includes some focus on the cultural norms that remove agency from people with cognitive and developmental disabilities, and some examples from Indiana.
Debunking the Myths of Supported Decision-Making and Guardianship: 1 hour webinar by the ARC. Description: This webinar describes guardianship and less restrictive decision-making alternatives and helps debunk some of the myths about guardianship and supported decision-making that persist. In contrast to the introductory webinar above, this webinar delves more deeply into federal guardianship regulations as well as the impacts of guardianship on other facets of life for those with cognitive and developmental disabilities as they transition into adulthood.
Autonomy is Safety: Using Supported Decision-Making to Facilitate the Safety of People with Disabilities: 1 hour, 17 minute webinar by End Abuse of People with Disabilities. Description: People with disabilities are more likely to experience domestic and sexual violence than people without disabilities. Society has traditionally responded to this increased likelihood of violence by limiting the choices that people with disabilities can make as well as using strategies such as institutionalization, mandatory reporting, and guardianship. Limiting the amount of autonomy people with disabilities have, however, has actually increased their risk of victimization. Alternatively, providing people with disabilities with control over their own lives empowers them and better facilitates their safety. This webinar will outline the problems with historic responses to violence against people with disabilities and review supportive strategies that can be applied to help people with disabilities live safer, more autonomous lives.
Area 2: Safer Sex and Affirming Sexuality
Ableism and Violence: A Plain Language Guide: 35 page guidebook by End Abuse of People with Disabilities. Description: “This booklet is about ableism and violence. It is written in plain language. We wrote it for people with disabilities to understand ableism. Ableism may be a new word to many people. We often hear people use academic words to describe ableism. It is important for people with disabilities to be able to explain ableism.”
Sexual Wellness for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as Sexual Violence Primary Prevention: 1 hour, 30 minute webinar by Indiana Disability Justice. Description: Contextualizes sexual wellness for people with disabilities as a strategy for primary prevention of sexual violence across the social ecological model, and risk factors for sexual violence against people with disabilities.
It’s My Prerogative: Consent and Healthy Sexuality for People with Disabilities: 1 hour, 30 minute webinar by End Abuse of People with Disabilities. Description: This webinar reviews the need for sexuality education for people with disabilities, issues around consent to sex for people with disabilities, how to talk to people with disabilities about consent, and resources for discussing sexuality with people with disabilities with the ultimate goal of promoting safe and autonomous sexual relationships.
Sexual Health for People with Cognitive and Developmental Disabilities Part 1: 1 hour, 30 minute webinar by Indiana Disability Justice. Description: Sexual health and affirming relationships for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities are critical to end sexual violence and achieve health equity. Join this cross-sector stakeholder discussion to hear from researchers at the Center for Health Equity at Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, people with disabilities, disability justice advocates, a disability serving agency, care givers, and a sexual assault advocate who will discuss the current cultural moment and what it will take to advance sexual health equity for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities. Panelists will present current research meant to advance sexual health education and sexual self-advocacy among people with cognitive and developmental disabilities in Indiana. The cross-sector panel will discuss the implications, identify resources, and make recommendations for change. Part two will feature people with disabilities who will continue the discussion and consider next steps.
Sexual Health for People with Cognitive and Developmental Disabilities Part 2: 1 hour, 30 minute webinar by Indiana Disability Justice. Description: Sexual health and wellness for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities is critical to end sexual violence and achieve health equity. Join this community stakeholder discussion to hear from survivors with disabilities/disabled survivors, disability justice advocates, and a sexual assault advocate who will discuss the current cultural moment and what it will take to advance sexual health equity for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities. Panelists will share their experiences as advocates, discuss the implications of sexual health for disabled people, identify resources, and make recommendations for change.
My Rights My Life: Inclusive and Accessible Healthy Relationship and Safer Sexuality Curriculum for Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: free 30 part curriculum by SAFE Austin. Description: This curriculum is “a 30-class safer sexuality and healthy relationship curriculum for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” It includes 4 units: Relationship Tools and Internet Safety, Getting to Know Someone and Dating, Safer Sexuality, and Health and Unhealthy Relationship and Leadership for Safer Relationships.
ElevatUS Training and Resource Library. Description: ElevatUS strives to empower, motivate, and educate self-advocates, professionals and parents, to gain confidence, comfort, knowledge and skills to teach and talk openly about sexuality which will enable people with developmental disabilities to lead sexually empowered lives.
Area 3: Collaboration and Advocacy
Connecting the Dots and Building Collaboration to Support People with Disabilities: 1 hour, 17 minute webinar by The ARC. Description: This webinar explores issues frequently overlooked when addressing victimization, specifically sexual violence, against persons with disabilities. The issue of sexual victimization presents a huge grey area that is often side stepped, leaving survivors without supports and services. Dr. Frantz will share important information criminal justice and disability professionals need to know about how to effectively serve these victims and how our own attitudes, experiences, and skill set influence how we respond to survivors with disabilities. Participants will learn how “word choice” can impact the type of sexual assault services victims receive, the importance of “touch” as a proactive strategy for reducing risk of sexual victimization, and understand how survivors with complex communication needs can testify in court.
Considerations for Victims with Cognitive and Communication Disabilities: 27 minute presentation recording by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). Description: This recorded web presentation will help advocates and allied victim service professionals identify some of the ways in which people with communication disabilities may relay messages, both verbally and non-verbally, and will highlight some techniques and technologies that can help bridge the language gap in order to provide quality sexual violence services.
Advocating for Victims with Intellectual and Developmental Disability during a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination: by Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR)
• Part 1: Advocating for Victims with IDD During a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (3 page PDF)
• Part 2: Addressing Issues of Consent When Advocating for Victims with IDD During a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (4 page PDF)
Serving Survivors of Sexual Assault with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: 1 hour, 17 minutes webinar by End Abuse of People with Disabilities. Description: In this webinar, you will learn about the unique risks they face, barriers they encounter when seeking services, and best practices that you can implement to serve survivors with I/DD effectively. Also, a self-advocate shares her experiences and provide tips for ways in which you can increase survivors’ comfort, be trauma-informed, and meet the needs of those most likely to experience sexual assault.
Strategies and Tools for Serving Survivors with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Webinar for I/DD Service Providers by End Abuse of People with Disabilities: 1 hour, 30 minutes webinar by End Abuse of People with Disabilities.
A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words: Picture Tools to Support the Forensic Exam Process for Survivors with Disabilities by End Abuse of People with Disabilities. Description: This webinar will provide chapters of The Arc with an overview of the problem as well as potential solutions. Two grantee chapters of The Arc, along with their collaborative partners, will be featured to discuss what they have learned about serving survivors with I/DD and the resources and relationships they have developed to strengthen their service provision.
Parenting Under Deep Oppression: Parents with Disabilities and the State: 1 hour, 28 minutes webinar by Indiana Disability Justice. Description: The Indiana Statewide Independent Living Center provides a breakdown of the ways in which ableism can compound the harm imposed by the state against parents, especially low-income and non-white parents. This is followed by a panel discussion among those who have been impacted by the child care and parental policing systems.