The Silent Crisis: Domestic Violence and People with Disabilities

Content Note and Trigger Warning

This blog post discusses domestic and sexual violence. If you need support now, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, chat at TheHotline.org, or text START to 88788; Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing survivors can reach the Deaf Hotline in ASL by videophone at 855-812-1001 or chat at TheDeafHotline.org. Both hotlines are free, confidential, and available 24/7. If you are concerned someone may be monitoring your device, TheHotline.org and DisabilityRightsFlorida.org both offer a quick-exit button.

Quick takeaways

The reality is that people with disabilities are at a much higher risk of domestic violence than nondisabled people. This risk is true for women and men, and often, the abuse is not recognized or goes unreported because it looks different from the stereotypes many people have about domestic violence.

• People with disabilities experience domestic violence at about five times the rate of nondisabled people. This includes both women and men with disabilities.
• Abuse may include breaking a wheelchair, blocking access to interpreters or communication devices (like speech tablets or picture boards), tampering with medications, or threatening to cut off benefits.
• You have rights to accessible services and communication in shelters, courts, and publicly funded programs.
• Florida has certified domestic violence centers, statewide Text to 911 coverage in most counties, and a coalition that can connect you to help.

Abuse thrives in silence. By learning the facts and sharing them, we can break the silence and make support more accessible for everyone.

What counts as domestic violence

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines intimate partner violence as physical harm, sexual violence, stalking, and emotional abuse. Abuse can be a single act or a pattern that happens over time. Sometimes, the warning signs are obvious; other times, the abuse is hidden or takes place quietly, making it even harder to spot or report. The most important thing to remember is that if someone is taking away your safety or your choices, it is abuse.

The gap few talk about

Despite more attention to domestic violence in recent years, there is still very little public discussion about how much more common it is for people with disabilities. A 2024 federal review found that people with disabilities experience domestic violence at five times the rate of those without disabilities. The Bureau of Justice Statistics shows violent victimization rates are several times higher for both women and men with disabilities. This isn’t about individual weakness, it is about how our systems and communities fail to address risk, isolation, and access needs.

People with disabilities often depend on others for daily support, transportation, or communication, which can make them more vulnerable to abuse. It is crucial to recognize these risks so that we can create safer, more responsive services.

Abuse that targets disability

Abuse doesn’t always look like what people expect. For survivors with disabilities, it can include many forms that are rarely discussed outside the community. Abusers might try to control a person’s life by:

• Breaking or removing wheelchairs or other mobility devices
• Blocking access to interpreters, captioning, or other ways to communicate
• Controlling or withholding medication
• Canceling medical rides or appointments
• Tracking phones and devices without consent
• Taking or controlling benefits or money, including misusing payee arrangements
• Threatening, harming, or taking away a service animal

These actions are not just hurtful, they are about control and power. They can also create barriers to leaving an abusive situation or getting help. No one should have to choose between safety and the tools or support they rely on.

Barriers to getting help

People with disabilities are strong, creative, and resourceful. But too often, the barriers they face to getting help are created by the systems that are supposed to protect everyone. Survivors might find that hotlines, shelters, or websites are not accessible or that no interpreters are available for important conversations. Intake forms may be confusing, and transportation can be difficult to arrange.

Other barriers can include:

• Inaccessible hotlines, shelters, or websites
• No interpreters or support for communication needs
• Hard-to-use intake forms or websites
• Trouble finding transportation
• Worry about losing services, housing, or benefits
• Court processes that don’t provide accommodations
• Fear of not being believed or taken seriously
• Not enough support for parents with disabilities

These are not small obstacles. They can make the difference between getting help and staying trapped in a dangerous situation. A 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that many programs do not ask about disability-related needs or plan for accommodations. The good news is, these barriers are fixable if agencies plan for access from the start.

Know your rights

Every person has the right to safety, and that includes access to information, communication, and services. If you are a survivor with a disability, you have powerful legal rights that can help you get the support you need.

• Communication access
  • State and local programs, courts, and shelters must make sure you can understand and be understood. They must provide the help you need to communicate, such as a qualified sign language interpreter, video remote interpreting, captioning, plain language forms, or information in large print, Braille, or audio. They cannot require you to bring your own interpreter.
  • Learn More: Effective communication under the ADA
• Program access
  • State and local government programs, businesses, and nonprofits that receive federal funds must be accessible and make reasonable changes to their usual ways of doing things so people with disabilities can participate.
  • Learn more: Section 504 fact sheet
• Housing protections under VAWA
  • VAWA is the Violence Against Women Act, a federal law that protects people who have experienced domestic or sexual violence. It prohibits landlords and housing providers from denying housing or evicting someone because of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
  • Learn more: Your Rights Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
• Service animal access
  • You have the right to take your service animal with you into shelters, courts, and other public places (with very few exceptions). Staff may only ask limited questions and cannot charge fees. Emotional support animals are treated differently in public spaces, but housing law may allow them as a reasonable accommodation.
  • Learn more: ADA requirements for service animals

Knowing your rights is the first step toward using them. If a program or shelter does not know or respect your rights, you can ask for help, bring a support person, or request an advocate.

If you live in Florida

Florida offers more support than many realize. There are 41 certified domestic violence centers across the state. These centers provide shelter, advocacy, and crisis services. The Department of Children and Families has a list of local centers and safety information. The Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence is a statewide coalition that can connect you to services, answer questions, and help you find support in your area. Many counties also support Text to 911; call if you can, text if you cannot safely speak.

In addition, Florida law allows you to ask a court for an injunction for protection (also called a restraining order). You can file where you live, where the other person lives, or where violence happened. The courts must provide accommodations if you need them, such as an interpreter, accessible documents, or time for support.

Safety planning that respects your choice

Creating a safety plan puts you in control. Your plan should fit your needs, your routine, and your support system. Here are some ideas:

• Personal safety
  • Keep copies of IDs, benefits cards, prescriptions, and important contacts. Pack a go-bag that fits your equipment and chargers. Make a plan for your service animal if you have one.
• Communication
  • Set up code words with someone you trust. Find out if your county supports Text to 911. Identify people you can safely contact.
• Digital safety
  • Update your passwords. If it is safe, check your phone, tablet, or computer for apps you did not install or do not recognize. If you think someone may be monitoring your device, use a different device for help if you can.
• Health and support
  • Arrange for backup personal assistance and transportation if possible. Make a plan for remote appointments if you can’t travel safely.
• Money
  • Keep important documents and benefits information safe. Try to set aside some emergency cash or a prepaid card if possible.

Remember, your safety plan is personal. You do not have to follow anyone else’s plan; do what works for you. For more on safety planning and technology misuse, visit NNEDV Safety Net or the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

For friends, family, and coworkers

Supporting a survivor means listening first. People with disabilities know what is safest for them. Offer help, but do not pressure anyone to make choices before they are ready. Here are a few ways to be there:

• Believe the person and listen without judgment.
• Ask what kind of support they want.
• Offer practical help like rides, picking up equipment, or watching children, if you can.
• Share information and resources, but do not pressure anyone to make choices before they are ready.
• Remember, safety and control belong to the survivor.

For advocates and service providers

Advocates and service providers can help close the gaps. It starts with making every way people connect fully accessible: phone, text, chat, website, forms, and meetings. Always ask about communication and access needs, and make sure accommodations are part of your budget and daily practice. When in doubt, bring in experts: local disability organizations are great partners for training, referrals, and improving services.

Here are a few important steps advocates and service providers can take:

• Make every entry point accessible.
• Budget for interpreters, captioning, assistive technology, transportation, and quiet rooms.
• Give people space to meet privately, away from caregivers or partners.
• Partner with local disability groups for referrals and training.
• The Vera Institute’s End Abuse of People with Disabilities has practical tools and training.

What systems must change

People with disabilities are not the problem; systems are. We need to fund more accessible shelter spaces and transportation. Every program and court should be required to have a disability access plan. Data about survivors with disabilities must be collected (with privacy protections) so services can improve. Supported decision-making should be expanded so survivors keep control of their choices, and agencies must enforce rights to accommodations.

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) and the Violence Against Women Act both require programs to be accessible. These laws exist because everyone deserves safety.

What you can do 

You do not have to be an expert to make a difference. Here are three easy steps:

• Learn your rights and share this post with people you trust.
• Save hotline numbers and relay or Text to 911 options in your phone.
• Ask a local program how they support survivors with disabilities and what they need to do better.

Change starts with all of us.

Closing

If you are living with violence, you are not alone. Abuse is never your fault. Help can be made accessible, and you have the right to safety and support. Share this post so more people know their options.

Resources

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
  • Call, text, or chat 24/7. Accessibility and safety-planning resources online 
• Deaf Hotline (ADWAS + The Hotline)
  • 24/7 ASL-accessible support via videophone, live chat, or email
  • Program info at ADWAS
• Florida Domestic Violence Centers
  • Statewide list and safety guidance from Florida DCF 
• Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence (FPEDV)
  • Statewide coalition and links to help 
• Technology safety: technology misuse education and safer device settings for survivors
  • NNEDV Safety Net
  • Safety Net Project

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About Intimate Partner Violence
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Sexual Violence and Intimate Partner Violence Among People with Disabilities
• U.S. Government Accountability Office: HHS Should Improve Access for People with Disabilities
• Bureau of Justice Statistics: Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2009–2019
• U.S. Department of Justice: ADA Requirements: Effective Communication
• HHS Office for Civil Rights: Section 504 Fact Sheet
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Your Rights Under VAWA
• Florida Department of Children and Families: Local Domestic Violence Centers
• Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence: FPEDV
• NNEDV Safety Net: Technology Safety