To raise awareness of this issue and to assist those who might be facing abuse, Friends' Health Connection is offering an unprecedented 12-part online lecture series funded by a grant from the Verizon Foundation that features speakers from many of the country's leading organizations in the field who not only know the domestic violence side of the issue but who also can speak about abuse in the context of disabilities.
Life with disability can create a fertile breeding ground for domestic violence since it also leads to dependence on another person for everyday physical needs. The problem is not limited to one gender - men living with disabilities are also at risk for domestic violence, but the prevalence seems to be much more significant for women.
Domestic violence among people with disabilities is not limited to physical and emotional abuse - it can involve manipulation of medications or destruction of equipment such as ventilators, scooters, etc.
The free series will feature speakers from the following organizations:
- Barrier Free Living (BFL)
- Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE)
- Disability and Abuse Project
- Domestic Violence Initiative
- Friends' Health Connection (FHC)
- Hesperian
- Legal Clinic for the Disabled
- The National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life at the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)
- National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)
- New Jersey Coalition for Battered Woman (NJCBW)
- Rutgers University - Center on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC)
- SafePlace
- Vera Institute of Justice
- Washburn University - Joint Center on Violence and Victim Studies (JCVVS)
- Women Aware
- WomensLaw - A Project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence
include leading lawyers, social workers, authors, researchers and more. In addition, special presentations will be made which focus on the following topics:
- Defining and identifying abuse - learning about normal vs. abnormal behaviors by others and understanding healthy love
- Screenings for Domestic Violence
- Unique Perpetrator Tactics, Barriers for Survivors with Disabilities and Unique Manifestations of Violence
- Ways to overcome barriers to support and assistance - The First Steps to Reaching Out
- Elder Abuse
- Safety Planning
- Legal Resources Available to Assist
- Medical-Legal Partnerships and Domestic Violence
- Creating Healthy Boundaries Between Yourself and Others
- Maintaining Healthy Lives for People with Disabilities
- Valuing and Loving Yourself
- What Research Tells Us About the Abuse of People with Disabilities
To protect confidentiality and heighten security, we are not taking any registration. All information is posted at www.facebook.com/PreventViolence. There's a green box displayed on the site that reads "Webinar Dates & Details."
Please click that for all specifics. Those who wish to participate should make note of the dates/times of each session.
A link to the webinars will be posted on this page one hour before the start of each session. All sessions begin at 3:00 PM Eeastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
A special grant has been awarded from the Starkey Foundation which enables us to offer the translation of the entire series live in Sign Language for those who are hearing impaired. We greatly appreciate this support.
About Friends' Health Connection
Friends' Health Connection (FHC) is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that was established 25 years ago. Our mission is to provide support for individuals with health challenges as well as health education programs to help prevent illness and encourage people to adopt/maintain healthy lifestyles. Today, we offer an online community that enables individuals with health challenges to find friends who can truly relate by searching for others not only based upon medical condition but also according to age, symptoms, tests/surgeries, treatments, attitudes, interests and more.
Through our online community, we also offer the first-of-its-kind, custom-designed, video support groups. Up to 20 people can be live in a virtual support group room at once and can see and hear others from around the world as if sitting in the same room. Social workers log on to moderate the groups. We also live-stream health lectures and wellness programs featuring leading experts and celebrity speakers who focus on mind/body/spirit topics. Speakers are selected from around the world.
The organization was founded by Roxanne Black who was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 15. The disease destroyed Roxanne's kidney function and she self-administered dialysis five times per day while attending Rutgers University until she underwent her first kidney transplant at the age of 21. At the age of 35, she underwent a second kidney transplant.
The organization was built based upon Roxanne's feelings, needs and experiences going through illness. She founded it at the age of 16 and today, 25 years later, she continues to serve as Executive Director. She has also written a book about her life which was published by Penguin Putnam/Avery Books, titled UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS: Finding Hope and Healing in the Face of Illness. For more info, please visit www.roxanneblack.com
Through the years, Friends' Health Connection has received more than two dozen honors. These include a Point of Light award from former President George H.W. Bush and selection as the sole healthcare recipient of the New Jersey Governor's Volunteer Award in Health. In addition, for starting Friends' Health Connection as a young teenager, while attending Rutgers University, our founder was named one of the top 18 college students in the nation by USA Today.
About The Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation helps people to live healthy, safe and independent lives by addressing disparities in education, health care and sustainability. Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than half a billion dollars to improve the communities where Verizon employees work and live. Verizon's employees are generous with their donations and their time, having logged more than 6.2 million hours of service to make a positive difference in their communities. For more information, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.
