SOLIHULL and Birmingham violence and abuse charities are working to improve access for disabled women.
Shaping Our Lives have been awarded a grant from the Tampon Tax Fund to invest in a project called ‘A Refuge for All’.
They have partnered with Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid, a local leading provider of violence and abuse support.
The Tampon Tax is a government fund from which women’s charities can bid for extra financial support.
Later this year, BSWA and Shaping Our Lives will hold a meeting for community services, health professionals and organisations for disabled people so they can share the learning and help build a network to support disabled women.
The groups will pilot a range of activities that will enable the service provider to work with disabled women in an equal and inclusive way.
According to the National Crime survey disabled women are more than twice as likely as women who are not disabled to experience some form of domestic abuse from partners, family members, friends and carers.
The abuse they experience lasts longer and their injuries are worse but they are less likely to get the help they need from domestic violence services.
In Birmingham and Solihull there are some accessible rooms in refuges that can accommodate disabled women.
But for disabled women who do not want to leave their home BSWA also offers a comprehensive range of community services.
Becki Meakin from Shaping Our Lives said:“There are more opportunities for a perpetrator to abuse or control a disabled woman,” “The abuser can withhold essential support such as food, medication or prevent them going out independently.”
One disabled survivor who has worked with Shaping Our Lives said “‘I couldn’t do anything when the person came into bed, I couldn’t get out of bed to stop it.”
Nasheima, Assistant Chief Executive of BSWA says “We would never turn a disabled woman away from our services but we want to do all we can to ensure that if a Disabled woman feels that they need support they will not hesitate to contact us. The training and guidance we will get will really help more Disabled women in Birmingham.”
For further information please visit their website – www.bswaid.org
