Abuse of People with Disabilities
OTHER ISSUES YOU MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDERED…
Homophobia – what if you are working with a person with a developmental disability who expresses sexual interest in others of the same gender.One article on how NOT to do things and some useful advice can be found at this page on the University of Minnesota website.
Other types of abuse:
The University of Minnesota proposes a range of categories to encourage caregivers and others to broaden their definition of abuse. Check out this site at their Institute for Community Integration where they discuss the “Power and Control Wheel”.
The categories they use and a few of the examples are given below. We highly encourage you to visit their web page for the complete discussion.
Coercion & Threat: Threatening to hurt the person, withhold basic support and rights, terminate relationship and leave the person unattended, report noncompliance with the program, use more intrusive equipment. • Using consequences and punishments to gain compliant behavior.
Intimidation: Raising a hand or using other looks, actions, gestures to create fear.
Caregiver Privilege: Making decisions without asking the person with a disability who is affected by the decision.• Providing care in a way to make a person more dependent, for example, by feeding a person rather than taking the time to help him feed himself. • Giving an opinion as if it were the person’s opinion. • Denying the right to privacy.
Isolation: Keeping people from seeing their friends, family and neighbors. • Keeping people from using the phone.
Minimize, Justify, Blame: Denying or making light of abuse. • Justifying rules that limit freedom, dignity, and relationships for program’s convenience, for example, having an aide bathe a person because she “takes too long” to get undressed, shower and dress again, due to a physical disability.
Withhold, Misuse, or Delay Needed Supports: Using medication to sedate the person for agency convenience. • Taking away a wheelchair, crutches or walker to keep a person from getting around.
Economic Abuse: Using person’s property and money for staff’s benefit.
Emotional Abuse: Refusing to speak, ignoring requests. • Being disrespectful of the person’s culture, traditions, religion and personal tastes.
