The Westchester County Office for Women and Office for the Disabled are working together to make it easier for women and men1 with disabilities to get help if their partner or personal care provider/informal caregiver is an abuser.

In Westchester there are approximately 74,000 women over age 16 with a disability. A study by the Colorado Department of Health found that up to 85% of women with disabilities are victims of domestic violence. This survey is the first step in researching the incidence of reported domestic violence among women and men with disabilities in Westchester. The results will be tabulated by the Office for Women and used to help us plan and provide services.

For this survey, the definition of Domestic Violence is expanded to include a personal care provider/informal caregiver.

Domestic Violence is a pattern of coercive tactics that can include physical, sexual, economic and emotional abuse perpetrated against an adult by an intimate partner or a personal care provider/informal caregiver, with the goal of establishing and maintaining power and control over the victim.

Please fill out the form below. Or if preferred, use the printable survey and follow the instructions on how to submit.

Organization:
Contact Name:
Contact Phone:
Contact E-mail:

Note: All questions pertain only to people with disabilities.

My responses are based on:  Data collected      Best estimate

Reports of Abuse
Please base your responses on total number of contacts (calls and walk-ins) in the last 24 months.

Number of reports of abuse by:

Intimate Partner Informal Caregiver
Personal Care Provider Family Member

Type of Abuse - Check the three most reported:

Physical Restricting access to outside care
Emotional Restricting access to friends/family
Sexual Restricting access to adaptive technology/assistive care
Financial Refusal to assist with personal needs (toileting, food)
Withholding medical care Manipulation of medications
Neglect Abuse/manipulation of children by abuser
Other

Number of reports by gender:     Women    Men

Regarding domestic violence, what kind of help did your clients want?
(check all that apply)

Stop the abuse but maintain relationship Help obtaining a new personal care provider
End the relationship Counseling for self
Domestic violence shelter Change abuser's behavior
Housing Services for children
Other

How did you help them?

Directly with our staff        Made a referral
Other
Unable to provide services needed    Why? (optional)

Please share any information that would help improve services to disabled victims of domestic violence.

Thank you for sharing your time, thoughts and data with us.
1 The Westchester County Office for the Disabled serves both men and women, as does the Office for Women; however, this initiative focuses on women since in the general population, compared to men, women experience five times as many incidents of intimate partner violence. Research suggests that women with disabilities are victims of violence at a similar rate – or higher – than women without disabilities.