Love Me? Love Me Not? Healthy Relationships and People with Disabilities - PowerPoint Presentation

Love Me? Love Me Not? Healthy Relationships and People with Disabilities Project SAFE Summit October 12, 2017

Some Numbers According to the 2010 Census (the most recent), 19% of the U.S. population -- about  56.7 million people  have disabilities. The 2015 American Community Survey showed that 16.9% of the Kentucky population – about 731,500 people have disabilities . ( http :// www.disabilitystatistics.org/StatusReports/2015-PDF/2015-StatusReport_KY.pdf?CFID=1665007&CFTOKEN=f0578b235e19876f-DCE8F1AC-E4DF-4D16-5C7D76278933F5FA )

More Numbers According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ report that covered 2009-2015, the rate of serious violent crime (rape/sexual assault, robbery & aggravated assault) for people with disabilities was more than 3 times the rate of people without disabilities. People with multiple disabilities had the highest rate of sexual assault/rape victimization -- 65%. People with cognitive disabilities had the highest rates of victimization in all types of crimes measured – serious violent crime, total violent crime & simple assault.

Why a Summit on Healthy Relationships? The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention as well as the World Health Organization cite healthy relationship education/promotion as a tool to help prevent Intimate Partner Violence ( www.cdc.gov ; www.who.int ) . Further, good social relationships contribute to improved physical and mental health.

Moreover People with disabilities are often taught to be compliant, obedient, and passive Education & training regarding positive, safe relationships is – at minimum – severely lacking

Everybody Has Them: Relationships in Our Lives

Presenters Norb Ryan: Self-Advocate, Retired KY Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, Commonwealth Council on Developmental Disabilities Member & KCADV Board Member Beth Metzger: Disability Rights Advocate, KY Protection & Advocacy, Co-Chair Project SAFE In consultation with: Rae Williams: Internal Policy Analyst, Department of Behavioral Health/Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities

What Relationships Do You Have In Your Life?

Intimate Partner FriendCo-WorkerPatient/Medical provider Aunt/Uncle/Cousin Grandparent/Grandchild Parent/Child Religious Member/Leader Employee/Employer Service Provider/Customer Business Contact Social Group Member/ Leader Student/Teacher Roommate Facebook Friend Neighbor Community Member/Leader

Elements of a Healthy Relationship

Personal Boundaries “The purpose of having boundaries is to protect and take care of ourselves. We needs to be able to tell other people when they are acting in ways that are not acceptable to us. A first step is starting to know that we have a right to protect and defend ourselves.” -- Robert Burney, “Codependency: Dance of the Wounded Soul”

Boundaries Physical Social Emotional

Are Relationships Truly Different for People with Disabilities?

Have You Ever Heard? On-line friendships/relationships are safest for people with disabilities

Have You Ever Heard? It’s okay for someone with an intellectual disability to hug everyone – including perfect strangers because they are small children in grown-up bodies

James Stanfield Company

Have You Ever Heard? Those who need help with intimate self-care can get it from anyone and it doesn’t have to be the same person every time

Have You Ever Heard? People with disabilities only have romantic relationships and friendships with other people with disabilities

Have You Ever Heard? People with disabilities are asexual – they don’t think about sex/relationships so we don’t need to talk about them