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creating
change |
understanding
disability |
understanding
deaf culture |
addressing
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understanding
violence |
responding
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New York (Dutchess County)
Project Name
Women with Disabilities Empowerment Project
Partners
Family Services, Inc. 
(http://www.familyservicesny.org)
Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc.
(http://www.taconicresources.net)
Overview
The Dutchess County (Poughkeepsie, NY) collaboration – formally named the Women with Disabilities Empowerment Project – represents a partnership between two local experts on the topics of interpersonal violence against women and/or disabilities issues. The two agencies, both of whom are well-respected and influential in their community, have joined forces to ensure that women with disabilities who experience domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking in Dutchess County are empowered by receiving appropriate, safe, effective, and accessible responses from local service systems.
The Women with Disabilities Empowerment Project is comprised of Family Services Inc. and Taconic Resources for Independence. Family Services Inc., provides both the Crime Victim’s Assistance Program and Battered Women’s Services in Dutchess County. It is a 125 year old nonprofit that includes services for youth and family development, offender accountability, crime victims and battered women. Taconic Resources for Independence is the only consumer controlled, cross-disability Independent Living Center serving people with disabilities, their families, and friends in Dutchess County. The partnership between these two agencies is a culmination of a strong history and commitment to collaboration as an effective strategy for change.
While the Women with Disabilities Empowerment Project ultimately plans to extend their change efforts to surrounding counties, the collaboration’s initial focus will be on the core collaborative partner agencies located in Dutchess County. Because their core collaboration represents only two agencies, the Women with Disabilities Empowerment Project has convened a Steering Committee made up of survivors, consumers, and social service agencies in Dutchess County that interact with survivors with disabilities. The steering committee will help them conduct their needs assessment and will advise them on implementing the necessary changes. They will then use the lessons learned through their experience to inform change efforts in organizations across Dutchess County and, eventually, surrounding counties.
Contact Information
Family Services, Inc.
Sharon Doane
845-452-1110 ext. 3127 (v)
