Safety 
First 
Initiative 
Needs 
Assessment 
Report 
Institute 
for 
Human 
Development, 
University 
of 
Missouri-¥¥Kansas 
City 
Metropolitan 
Organization 
to 
Counter 
Sexual 
Assault 
Rose 
Brooks 
Center 
April 
2008 
The 
vision 
of 
the 
Safety 
First 
Initiative 
is: 
Òto 
change 
the 
mindset 
in 
the 
Kansas 
City 
metropolitan 
area 
resulting 
in 
a 
sustained, 
collaborative 
response 
that 
provides 
culturally 
competent, 
respectful, 
accessible, 
empowerment 
based 
services 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence.Ó 

TABLE 
OF 
CONTENTS 
EXECUTIVE 
SUMMARYÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 
Page 
E1 
INTRODUCTIONÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 
Page 
1 
Purpose 
of 
the 
Needs 
Assessment 
& 
Research 
Questions 
METHODOLOGYÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 
Page 
3 
Research 
Design 
Data 
Sources 
Advisory 
Group 
Strengths, 
Challenges 
& 
Limitations 
KEY 
FINDINGSÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 
Page 
6 
1. Disability 
Service 
Provider 
ParticipationÑ 
General 
Discomfort 
with 
the 
Topic 
2. Range 
of 
Currently 
Available 
ServicesÑ 
Services 
Are 
Available, 
Accommodations 
May 
or 
May 
Not 
Be 
3. The 
Nature 
and 
Accessibility 
of 
Available 
ServicesÑ 
Accessibility 
Goes 
Beyond 
Physical 
Accessibility, 
Services 
Should 
Be 
Respectful 
4. Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
in 
Kansas 
CityÑ 
Incidence 
5. The 
Collaborative 
System 
of 
ResponseÑ 
Gaps 
in 
Linkages 
Between 
Service 
Providers 
6. Needs 
for 
Training 
and 
Capacity 
BuildingÑ 
Building 
Relationships 
and 
Knowledge 
IMPLICATIONSÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 
Page 
18 
Addressing 
Needs 
for 
Service 
System 
Enhancements 
Gaps 
in 
Services 
for 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
Systems 
Issues 
RECOMMENDATIONS, 
STRATEGIES 
& 
CONCLUSIONÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 
Page 
20 
This 
project 
was 
supported 
by 
Grant 
No. 
2006-¥FW-¥AX-¥K014 
awarded 
by 
the 
Office 
on 
Violence 
Against 
Women, 
U.S. 
Department 
of 
Justice. 
The 
opinions, 
findings, 
conclusions, 
and 
recommendations 
expressed 
in 
this 
publication 
are 
those 
of 
the 
author(s) 
and 
do 
not 
necessarily 
reflect 
the 
views 
of 
the 
Department 
of 
Justice, 
Office 
on 
Violence 
Against 
Women, 
nor 
do 
they 
represent 
official 
positions 
of 
the 
University 
of 
Missouri 
Ð 
Kansas 
City.

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
E1 
EXECUTIVE 
SUMMARY 
The 
Executive 
Summary 
provides 
a 
summary 
of 
the 
full 
report 
with 
an 
emphasis 
on 
the 
major 
findings, 
implications, 
and 
recommendations. 
In 
October 
of 
2006, 
the 
Safety 
First 
Initiative 
was 
funded 
by 
the 
Department 
of 
Justice, 
Office 
on 
Violence 
Against 
Women. 
This 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
is 
a 
partnership 
between 
the 
Metropolitan 
Organization 
to 
Counter 
Sexual 
Assault 
(MOCSA)-¥¥a 
leader 
in 
sexual 
assault 
services, 
the 
University 
Center 
for 
Excellence 
in 
Developmental 
Disabilities-¥¥the 
Institute 
for 
Human 
Development 
(IHD), 
and 
Rose 
Brooks 
Center-¥¥a 
local 
domestic 
violence 
shelter. 
As 
a 
part 
of 
this 
project, 
a 
needs 
assessment 
was 
conducted 
to 
guide 
the 
strategic 
plan 
for 
addressing 
identified 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims 
and 
survivors 
of 
violence. 
Through 
this 
needs 
assessment, 
the 
collaborative 
hoped 
to 
identify 
and 
assess 
the 
(a) 
range 
of 
currently 
available 
services, 
(b) 
the 
nature 
and 
accessibility 
of 
available 
services, 
(c) 
the 
incidence 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
(d) 
the 
collaborative 
system 
of 
response, 
and 
(e) 
needs 
for 
training 
and 
capacity 
building. 
The 
results 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
will 
inform 
the 
development 
of 
a 
strategic 
plan 
with 
the 
purpose 
of 
improving 
services 
for 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence. 
By 
building 
upon 
the 
needs 
assessment, 
the 
strategic 
plan 
will 
define 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
barriers, 
service 
gaps, 
and 
needed 
improvements 
in 
service 
systems. 
Vision 
The 
vision 
of 
the 
project 
is: 
Òto 
change 
the 
mindset 
in 
the 
Kansas 
City 
metropolitan 
area 
resulting 
in 
a 
sustained, 
collaborative 
response 
that 
provides 
culturally 
competent, 
respectful, 
accessible, 
empowerment 
based 
services 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence.Ó 
Key 
Findings 
A 
number 
of 
recurring 
themes 
emerged 
across 
multiple 
stakeholders. 
Women 
with 
disabilities 
and 
services 
providers 
discussed 
issues 
regarding 
believability, 
and 
the 
under-¥¥reporting 
of 
abuse 
in 
Kansas 
City. 
Whilst 
stakeholders 
in 
the 
Kansas 
City 
area 
reported 
that 
services 
for 
both 
women 
with 
and 
without 
disabilities 
are 
available, 
there 
is 
the 
perception 
that 
these 
services 
are 
not 
always 
comparable 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities; 
they 
donÕt 
always 
get 
what 
they 
need. 
Along 
these 
same 
lines, 
the 
needs 
assessment 
also 
found 
that 
the 
system 
for 
linking 
victim 
services 
and 
disability 
services 
together 
in 
Kansas 
City 
is 
lacking 
in 
many 
ways. 
Lastly, 
training 
and 
capacity 
building 
regarding 
needs 
of 
and 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence 
are 
needed. 
Implications 
The 
results 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
indicate 
multiple 
areas 
of 
need, 
service 
gaps 
and 
system 
issues. 
The 
needs 
assessment 
revealed 
an 
array 
of 
existing 
services 
in 
Kansas 
City 
for 
women 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
E2 
with 
disabilities 
that 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
However, 
the 
general 
perception 
is 
that 
there 
is 
a 
need 
to 
improve 
services. 
Existing 
and 
future 
services 
should 
be 
accessible 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
The 
services 
should 
also 
be 
empowerment 
based 
resulting 
in 
more 
Òcomfort, 
control, 
and 
confidenceÓ 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
Apparent 
throughout 
the 
needs 
assessment 
was 
the 
reluctance 
among 
disability 
service 
providers 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
process. 
There 
were 
two 
hypothesized 
reasons 
for 
this 
reluctance. 
One 
reason 
was 
that 
some 
disability 
service 
providers 
perceive 
that 
the 
issue 
is 
not 
applicable 
to 
their 
specific 
work 
setting 
or 
to 
the 
women 
with 
disabilities 
that 
they 
serve. 
Another 
reason 
was 
the 
perceived 
stigma 
and 
culpability 
associated 
with 
participating 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
processes. 
To 
expand 
awareness 
of 
the 
issue, 
collaborative 
opportunities 
between 
victim 
service 
providers 
and 
disability 
service 
providers 
should 
be 
fostered 
and 
resources 
shared. 
Leadership 
and 
administration 
staff 
of 
both 
victim 
assistance 
agencies 
and 
disability 
service 
providers 
need 
information 
about 
the 
issue 
and 
shared 
responsibility 
in 
addressing 
the 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
Those 
in 
leadership 
should 
support 
frontline 
providers 
with 
needed 
information 
about 
their 
responsibility 
to 
respond 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
report 
abuse. 
Findings 
from 
the 
needs 
assessment 
highlight 
the 
need 
for 
service 
provider 
training 
and 
capacity 
building 
in 
identifying 
the 
needs 
of 
and 
service 
provision 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
Both 
victim 
assistance 
agencies 
and 
disability 
service 
providers 
need 
more 
information 
regarding: 
cross-¥¥discipline 
practices 
and 
philosophies, 
respectful 
communication 
with 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
the 
needs 
of 
women 
who 
have 
experienced 
trauma, 
and 
connecting 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence 
to 
the 
range 
of 
services 
they 
require. 
Service 
providers 
shared 
the 
perception 
that 
they 
need 
additional 
training 
in 
order 
to 
provide 
ideal 
services 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence. 
Increased 
opportunities 
for 
sharing 
information 
across 
disciplines 
would 
facilitate 
collaboration. 
Additionally 
it 
would 
stimulate 
new 
awareness 
of 
issues 
related 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
and 
improve 
services 
thus 
making 
services 
more 
responsive. 
Recommendations, 
Strategies, 
& 
Conclusion 
The 
following 
recommendations 
and 
strategies 
translate 
the 
findings 
and 
implications 
into 
suggestions 
for 
implementation. 
Overall, 
there 
are 
six 
recommendations. 
These 
six 
recommendations 
address 
the 
integrated 
nature 
of 
the 
findings 
and 
implications 
by 
involving 
the 
collaborative 
and 
community 
agencies 
at 
multiple 
levels. 
1. Always 
involve 
women 
with 
disabilities 
at 
every 
stage 
of 
implementation. 
2. Devote 
time 
and 
energy 
to 
building 
partnerships 
between 
victim 
assistance 
providers 
and 
disability 
service 
providers. 
This 
is 
in 
response 
to 
the 
hesitancy 
of 
disability 
service 
provider 
participation 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
E3 
3. Address 
system 
challenges 
as 
well 
as 
the 
need 
for 
program 
enhancements. 
A 
suggested 
strategy 
is 
to 
form 
an 
advisory 
group 
of 
agency 
leaders 
(i.e. 
executive 
directors) 
who 
have 
the 
authority 
to 
designate 
resources 
to 
this 
issue, 
as 
well 
as 
have 
community 
presence 
and 
influence, 
to 
address 
gaps 
in 
services 
and 
training 
needs. 
Needs 
for 
program 
enhancements 
can 
be 
discussed 
and 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
needs 
can 
be 
problem 
solved. 
4. Build 
the 
capacity 
of 
collaborative 
partners 
to 
enhance 
existing 
programs 
and 
address 
service 
gaps. 
One 
strategy 
is 
to 
provide 
training 
to 
all 
partner 
agency 
staff 
as 
well 
as 
cross-¥¥agency 
training. 
Another 
strategy 
is 
to 
designate 
and 
support 
an 
agency 
individual 
as 
the 
ÒchampionÓ 
on 
this 
issue. 
This 
role 
of 
champion 
would 
be 
a 
primary 
resource 
to 
facilitate 
information 
sharing 
across 
disciplines 
as 
well 
as 
be 
a 
resource 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
A 
third 
strategy 
would 
be 
for 
the 
Collaborative 
partners 
to 
build 
on 
existing 
services 
in 
order 
to 
better 
serve 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
5. Address 
the 
need 
for 
improved 
services 
by 
looking 
first 
within 
the 
core 
collaborative 
partner 
agencies. 
Issues 
of 
accessibility 
of 
facilities, 
policies, 
and 
practices 
should 
first 
be 
addressed 
by 
these 
agencies 
and 
then 
lessons 
learned 
will 
be 
valuable 
to 
share 
with 
the 
community. 
6. The 
final 
long-¥¥term 
recommendation 
is 
to 
provide 
broad-¥¥based 
community 
awareness 
with 
a 
goal 
of 
improving 
collaboration 
across 
disciplines 
and 
reducing 
the 
perceived 
stigma 
associated 
with 
the 
topic 
of 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault. 
Strategies 
for 
the 
Collaborative 
include 
providing 
leadership 
to 
community 
agencies 
in 
the 
forms 
of 
(a) 
awareness 
campaigns 
and 
training 
opportunities, 
(b) 
becoming 
a 
community 
resource 
for 
information, 
and 
(c) 
constructing 
a 
system 
of 
ongoing 
information, 
data, 
and 
response. 
The 
overarching 
finding 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
is 
that 
there 
is 
a 
pervasive 
need 
for 
basic 
information 
and 
general 
awareness 
about 
the 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
In 
general, 
the 
reluctance 
among 
disability 
service 
providers 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
is 
telling 
of 
the 
need 
for 
relationship 
building 
between 
victim 
assistance 
agencies 
and 
disability 
service 
providers, 
combined 
with 
the 
need 
for 
information 
on 
the 
topic. 
The 
comments 
from 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
providers 
identified 
a 
commitment 
to 
serving 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
but 
unfamiliarity 
about 
how 
to 
best 
do 
so. 
Women 
with 
disabilities 
are 
often 
faced 
with 
the 
additional 
barriers 
of 
not 
being 
believed, 
not 
being 
able 
to 
get 
to 
services, 
and 
the 
assumption 
that 
services 
will 
not 
be 
appropriate 
for 
them 
because 
of 
their 
unique 
needs. 
Conducting 
the 
needs 
assessment 
has 
begun 
the 
community 
discussion 
on 
this 
issue, 
but 
much 
dialogue 
and 
relationship 
building 
is 
still 
needed 
to 
enhance 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims 
and 
survivors 
of 
violence. 
In 
order 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims 
and 
survivors 
of 
violence 
to 
have 
the 
Òcomfort, 
control, 
and 
confidenceÓ 
they 
need, 
the 
Kansas 
City 
service 
system 
must 
enhance 
both 
the 
capacity 
of 
and 
coordination 
of 
victimsÕ 
services 
and 
disability 
services 
to 
appropriately 
meet 
the 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
1 
INTRODUCTION 
In 
October 
2006, 
the 
Safety 
First 
Initiative 
was 
funded 
by 
the 
Department 
of 
Justice, 
Office 
on 
Violence 
Against 
Women. 
This 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
is 
a 
partnership 
between 
a 
Kansas 
City 
leader 
in 
sexual 
assault 
services 
(the 
Metropolitan 
Organization 
to 
Counter 
Sexual 
Assault), 
a 
leader 
in 
domestic 
violence 
services 
(Rose 
Brooks 
Center), 
and 
a 
leader 
in 
disability 
services, 
the 
University 
Center 
for 
Excellence 
in 
Developmental 
Disabilities 
(Institute 
for 
Human 
Development). 
The 
mission 
of 
the 
project 
is 
to 
enhance 
the 
capacity 
of 
service 
providers 
and 
improve 
the 
coordination 
of 
supports 
and 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence 
in 
the 
Kansas 
City 
Missouri 
metropolitan 
area. 
The 
Safety 
First 
Initiative 
is 
a 
three-¥¥year, 
grant-¥¥funded 
project 
with 
technical 
assistance 
provided 
by 
the 
VERA 
Institute 
of 
Justice. 
With 
support 
and 
assistance 
from 
VERA, 
during 
the 
first 
phase 
of 
this 
project, 
the 
collaborative 
partners 
spent 
a 
significant 
amount 
of 
time 
solidifying 
the 
collaboration 
by 
building 
their 
working 
relationships 
and 
knowledge 
of 
each 
otherÕs 
areas 
of 
expertise. 
Preliminary 
activities 
included 
creating 
a 
collaboration 
charter, 
which 
outlines 
the 
manner 
in 
which 
the 
partners 
will 
work 
together 
including 
such 
elements 
as: 
shared 
values 
and 
assumptions; 
the 
projectÕs 
mission, 
purpose, 
and 
vision; 
timeline 
and 
milestones 
of 
the 
collaboration; 
members, 
roles 
and 
contributions; 
the 
collaborative 
decision 
making 
and 
conflict 
resolution 
processes; 
and 
statements 
on 
confidentiality 
and 
mandated 
reporting. 
The 
vision 
of 
the 
Safety 
First 
Initiative 
is: 
Other 
activities 
during 
the 
first 
phase 
of 
the 
project 
revolved 
around 
building 
the 
collaborative 
partnerÕs 
knowledge 
of 
both 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
and 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
women 
who 
are 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence. 
A 
community 
forum 
was 
also 
held 
in 
October 
of 
2007 
to 
share 
information 
with 
the 
Kansas 
City 
service 
provider 
community 
and 
to 
lay 
the 
foundation 
for 
future 
work 
together. 
In 
order 
to 
inform 
and 
ground 
the 
work 
of 
the 
Safety 
First 
Initiative 
in 
the 
community 
that 
it 
serves, 
an 
advisory 
group 
was 
also 
established 
at 
the 
onset 
of 
the 
project. 
The 
advisory 
group 
is 
comprised 
of 
key 
stakeholders 
within 
the 
Kansas 
City 
service 
provider 
community 
and 
includes 
representatives 
from 
disability 
service 
providers, 
victim 
assistance 
agencies, 
and 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
During 
this 
first 
phase 
of 
the 
project, 
the 
collaborative 
also 
spent 
a 
significant 
amount 
of 
time 
designing 
and 
conducting 
a 
needs 
assessment 
in 
order 
to 
develop 
a 
strategic 
plan 
for 
addressing 
identified 
needs. 
Through 
this 
needs 
assessment, 
the 
collaborative 
hoped 
to 
identify 
the 
(a) 
range 
of 
currently 
available 
services, 
(b) 
the 
nature 
and 
accessibility 
of 
available 
services, 
(c) 
the 
incidence 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
(d) 
the 
collaborative 
system 
of 
response, 
and 
(e) 
needs 
for 
training 
and 
capacity 
building. 
The 
results 
of 
the 
needs 
ÒTo 
change 
the 
mindset 
in 
the 
Kansas 
City 
metropolitan 
area 
resulting 
in 
a 
sustained 
collaborative 
response 
that 
provides 
culturally 
competent, 
respectful, 
accessible, 
empowerment 
based 
services 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence.Ó 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
2 
assessment 
will 
inform 
the 
development 
of 
a 
strategic 
plan 
with 
the 
purpose 
of 
improving 
services 
for 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence 
with 
disabilities. 
By 
building 
upon 
the 
needs 
assessment, 
the 
strategic 
plan 
will 
define 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
barriers, 
service 
gaps, 
and 
needed 
improvements 
in 
service 
models/systems. 
Implementation 
of 
the 
strategic 
plan 
will 
be 
the 
second 
phase 
of 
the 
project. 
Purpose 
of 
the 
Needs 
Assessment 
& 
Research 
Questions 
The 
overarching 
purpose 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
was 
to 
examine 
the 
collaborative 
system 
of 
response 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
As 
the 
rates 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities 
are 
dramatically 
high 
nationwide, 
as 
well 
as 
in 
Kansas 
City, 
and 
these 
rates 
are 
likely 
underreported, 
the 
needs 
assessment 
sought 
to 
achieve 
a 
basic 
understanding 
about 
the 
incidence 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities 
in 
Kansas 
City. 
Rather, 
a 
greater 
emphasis 
was 
placed 
on 
understanding 
the 
service 
system 
supporting 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence. 
Thus, 
the 
needs 
assessment 
was 
completed 
within 
the 
following 
purpose 
areas 
and 
with 
the 
following 
research 
questions: 
1.) 
Range 
of 
Currently 
Available 
Services: 
What 
is 
the 
range 
of 
services 
available 
for 
victims/survivors 
with 
and 
without 
disabilities? 
2.) 
The 
Nature 
and 
Accessibility 
of 
Available 
Services: 
Are 
available 
services 
empowerment-¥¥ 
based, 
culturally 
responsive, 
and 
respectful? 
3.) 
Incidence 
of 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities: 
What 
is 
the 
incidence 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities 
in 
Kansas 
City? 
(Assumed 
to 
be 
underreported.) 
4.) 
The 
Collaborative 
System 
of 
Response: 
How 
are 
domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault, 
and 
disability 
services 
integrated 
in 
a 
response 
to 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities? 
5.) 
Needs 
for 
Training 
and 
Capacity 
Building: 
What 
are 
the 
areas 
of 
needed 
information 
and 
training 
identified 
by 
service 
providers 
and 
women 
with 
disabilities? 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
3 
METHODOLOGY 
This 
needs 
assessment 
involved 
mixed 
methodology 
including 
both 
qualitative 
and 
quantitative 
data. 
The 
research 
design 
primarily 
followed 
a 
qualitative 
model 
of 
Participatory 
Action 
Research 
with 
a 
Naturalistic 
Inquiry 
design, 
supplemented 
with 
quantitative 
data. 
Because 
of 
a 
commitment 
to 
conducting 
a 
client-¥¥centered 
needs 
assessment, 
this 
study 
employed 
a 
Participatory 
Action 
Research 
approach 
whereby 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
their 
families, 
and 
other 
stakeholders 
are 
integral 
parts 
of 
the 
processes. 
The 
design 
of 
the 
research 
processes 
adhered 
to 
the 
research 
rigors 
of 
Naturalistic 
Inquiry 
(credibility, 
dependability, 
confirmability, 
and 
transferability). 
Finally, 
quantitative 
data, 
primarily 
in 
the 
form 
of 
analyses 
of 
existing 
data 
sources 
(i.e. 
agency 
databases), 
were 
used 
for 
the 
purpose 
of 
broadening 
the 
scope 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
beyond 
that 
which 
is 
feasible 
with 
qualitative 
efforts. 
All 
data, 
in 
narrative 
form, 
was 
thematically 
sorted 
into 
emerging 
themes. 
Data 
Sources 
Data 
sources 
for 
this 
needs 
assessment 
included 
both 
qualitative 
and 
quantitative 
data, 
as 
well 
as 
relevant 
documents/materials 
(i.e. 
brochures, 
training 
manuals, 
web-¥¥based 
information, 
and 
screening 
tools). 
Qualitative 
data 
included 
interviews, 
focus 
groups, 
review 
of 
documents/materials 
in 
current 
use 
by 
relevant 
agencies 
and 
programs, 
and 
observational/field 
journals. 
Quantitative 
data 
included 
relevant 
pre-¥¥existing 
data 
sources. 
The 
participants 
in 
this 
needs 
assessment 
included 
professionals, 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
families 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
advocates, 
and 
survivors/victims 
with 
experience 
and 
knowledge 
about 
the 
service 
arenas 
of 
domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault, 
and 
disability 
services. 
Participation 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
study 
included 
options 
for 
being 
members 
of 
the 
research 
team, 
members 
of 
the 
advisory 
group, 
expert 
de-¥¥briefer, 
and 
key 
informants 
through 
interviews 
and/or 
focus 
groups. 
With 
particular 
regard 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
it 
is 
important 
to 
note 
that 
because 
disability 
and 
the 
limitations 
experienced 
is 
a 
matter 
of 
perception, 
this 
target 
group 
was 
comprised 
of 
those 
who 
identified 
themselves 
as 
having 
a 
disability. 
Focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
were 
conducted. 
Interviews 
with 
women 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
occurred 
face-¥¥to-¥¥face. 
Focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
were 
conducted 
using 
a 
semi-¥¥ 
structured 
protocol 
consisting 
of 
guiding 
questions 
to 
facilitate 
a 
dialogue. 
For 
all 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews, 
participants 
received 
information 
about 
the 
purpose 
of 
their 
project, 
were 
reassured 
that 
all 
information 
shared 
is 
kept 
confidential, 
and 
asked 
for 
their 
consent 
to 
continue. 
With 
the 
utmost 
regard 
for 
the 
protection 
of 
the 
participants 
rights, 
all 
protocols 
and 
processes 
were 
approved 
by 
a 
social 
science 
institutional 
review 
board. 
By 
including 
stakeholders 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
process 
of 
inquiry, 
stakeholders 
will 
learn 
along 
the 
way 
about 
the 
current 
status 
of 
services 
for 
victims/survivors 
with 
disabilities, 
be 
better 
equipped 
to 
influence 
positive 
change, 
and 
be 
ready 
to 
join 
forces 
in 
implementing 
a 
strategic 
plan 
for 
improving 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
survivors/victims 
of 
violence. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
4 
Field 
notes 
consisted 
of 
case 
story 
records 
describing 
the 
services 
and 
responses 
of 
women 
reported 
to 
have 
a 
disability 
and 
to 
be 
receiving 
services 
from 
MOCSA 
or 
Rose 
Brooks. 
In 
total, 
ten 
case 
stories 
were 
collected. 
Other 
documents 
included 
review 
of 
(a) 
current 
training 
materials 
on 
maltreatment 
endorsed 
by 
the 
Missouri 
Department 
of 
Mental 
Health, 
Division 
of 
Developmental 
Disabilities, 
(b) 
definitions 
of 
abuse 
in 
state 
law, 
and 
(c) 
state 
policies 
in 
responding 
to 
abuse. 
Table 
1 
lists 
the 
focus 
groups 
scheduled, 
representative 
stakeholder 
group, 
and 
number 
of 
participants, 
along 
with 
the 
number 
of 
interviews 
conducted 
and 
case 
stories 
provided. 
Table 
1. 
Needs 
Assessment 
Primary 
Data 
Sources 
Focus 
Group 
Date 
Focus 
Group 
Participant 
Type* 
# 
of 
Participants 
8/1/07 
Domestic 
Violence 
Provider 
10 
8/3/07 
Disability 
Agency 
Provider 
3 
8/8/07 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
3 
8/10/07 
Medical 
Service 
Provider 
0 
8/13/07 
Direct 
Care 
Worker 
0 
8/17/07 
Family 
Members 
of 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
1 
8/20/07 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
2 
8/22/07 
Law 
Enforcement 
Representative 
5 
8/23/07 
Disability 
Agency 
Provider 
2 
8/27/07 
Sexual 
Assault 
Agency 
Representative 
8 
9/1/07 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
0 
9/25/07 
Family 
Members 
of 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
0 
9/26/07 
Disability 
Agency 
Provider 
2 
1/23/08 
Disability 
Agency 
Provider 
11 
4/9/08 
Disability 
Agency 
Provider 
15 
TOTAL 
Focus 
Group 
Participants 
62 
Interviews 
# 
of 
Participants 
Disability 
Agency 
Provider 
8 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
1 
Family 
Members 
of 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
1 
TOTAL 
Interviews 
10 
Case 
Stories 
# 
of 
Case 
Stories 
Rose 
Brooks 
Center 
5 
MOCSA 
5 
TOTAL 
Case 
Stories 
10 
*Some 
service 
provider 
focus 
groups 
included 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
service 
providers. 
Advisory 
Group 
As 
a 
study 
employing 
Participatory 
Action 
Research, 
a 
nine 
member 
advisory 
group 
was 
established 
at 
the 
onset. 
The 
advisory 
group 
is 
comprised 
of 
key 
stakeholders 
representing 
domestic 
violence 
services, 
sexual 
assault 
services, 
disability 
services, 
medical 
services, 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
and 
family 
members 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
The 
task 
of 
the 
advisory 
group 
is 
to 
offer 
insight, 
guidance, 
and 
support 
to 
the 
needs 
assessment 
process. 
Table 
2 
lists 
advisory 
group 
member 
roles 
and 
affiliation. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
5 
Table 
2. 
Advisory 
Group 
Membership 
Role 
Affiliation 
Program 
Director 
Special 
Neighbors 
SANE 
Nurse 
St. 
LukeÕs 
Hospital 
Emergency 
Director 
of 
Quality 
Services 
Alphapointe 
Association 
for 
the 
Blind 
Self-¥¥Advocate 
People 
First 
of 
Missouri 
Director 
Advocacy 
and 
Support 
Services 
Mental 
Health 
Association 
of 
the 
Heartland 
Director, 
Independent 
Living 
Program 
The 
Whole 
Person 
Community 
Support 
Specialist 
EITAS 
Parent 
of 
a 
Survivor 
& 
former 
Board 
Member 
MOCSA 
SANE 
Nurse 
Truman 
Medical 
Center-¥¥Hospital 
Hill 
Strengths, 
Challenges 
& 
Limitations 
One 
of 
our 
most 
significant 
challenges 
was 
the 
recruitment 
of 
disability 
service 
providers 
and 
women 
with 
disabilities 
to 
participate 
in 
our 
needs 
assessment. 
When 
service 
providers 
were 
asked 
about 
their 
hesitation 
to 
participate, 
the 
responses 
included 
Òwe 
provide 
a 
safe 
environment 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities; 
therefore 
the 
topic 
does 
not 
pertain 
to 
us.Ó 
Or, 
from 
personal 
care 
providers 
we 
heard, 
ÒI 
cannot 
bring 
my 
client 
to 
an 
interview 
or 
focus 
group. 
That 
would 
imply 
that 
abuse 
has 
occurred 
and 
it 
may 
have 
been 
my 
fault.Ó 
A 
family 
member 
that 
attended 
a 
focus 
group 
opened 
the 
discussion 
by 
stating 
that, 
ÒWe 
should 
not 
be 
talking 
about 
this 
topic. 
It 
is 
too 
sensitive.Ó 
These 
statements 
seem 
to 
suggest 
that 
there 
is 
a 
general 
discomfort 
with 
the 
topic. 
Along 
these 
same 
lines, 
terminology 
may 
have 
also 
created 
an 
unforeseen 
barrier 
to 
needs 
assessment 
participation. 
Advertising 
for 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
included 
the 
phrase 
Òviolence 
against 
women.Ó 
Upon 
discussing 
the 
reluctance 
of 
many 
disability 
service 
providers 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment, 
one 
disability 
service 
provider 
pointed 
out 
that 
she 
does 
not 
use 
that 
term 
when 
discussing 
abuse 
and 
assault 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
nor 
does 
she 
refer 
to 
any 
maltreatment 
as 
Òviolence.Ó 
A 
recent 
research 
article 
on 
the 
perceptions 
of 
people 
with 
disabilities 
regarding 
abuse 
used 
the 
terminology 
Òseriously 
wrong 
things 
some 
people 
do 
to 
people 
with 
disabilities 
(West, 
Gandhi 
& 
Palermo, 
2007).Ó 
The 
strength 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
design 
was 
the 
flexibility 
that 
Naturalistic 
Inquiry 
afforded 
in 
order 
to 
get 
a 
broad 
based 
understanding 
of 
the 
perceptions 
of 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
survivors 
of 
sexual 
assault 
and/or 
domestic 
violence. 
Additionally, 
the 
involvement 
of 
stakeholders 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
design 
and 
process 
has 
established 
some 
initial 
relationships 
for 
continuing 
to 
gather 
information 
and 
initiating 
a 
strategic 
plan. 
Overall, 
despite 
the 
challenge 
with 
focus 
group 
and 
interview 
attendance, 
the 
data 
reflects 
recurring 
themes 
across 
stakeholder 
groups 
as 
outlined 
in 
the 
following 
findings. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
6 
KEY 
FINDINGS 
It 
should 
be 
noted 
that 
the 
Safety 
First 
Collaboration 
is 
statutorily 
prohibited 
from 
providing 
direct 
services 
or 
working 
within 
the 
criminal 
justice 
system 
in 
regards 
to 
this 
project. 
Rather, 
our 
focus 
is 
on 
creating 
sustainable 
systems 
change 
within 
the 
victimsÕ 
services 
and 
disability 
service 
provider 
arenas. 
Thus, 
some 
of 
our 
needs 
assessment 
findings 
fall 
out 
of 
the 
scope 
of 
the 
recommendations 
that 
we 
are 
able 
to 
make. 
1. 
Disability 
Service 
Provider 
ParticipationÑ 
General 
Discomfort 
with 
the 
Topic 
As 
previously 
stated, 
when 
disability 
service 
providers 
were 
asked 
about 
their 
hesitation 
to 
participate, 
the 
responses 
included 
Òwe 
provide 
a 
safe 
environment 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities; 
therefore 
the 
topic 
does 
not 
pertain 
to 
us.Ó 
Or, 
from 
personal 
care 
providers 
we 
heard, 
ÒI 
cannot 
bring 
my 
client 
to 
an 
interview 
or 
focus 
group. 
That 
would 
imply 
that 
abuse 
has 
occurred 
and 
it 
may 
have 
been 
my 
fault.Ó 
A 
family 
member 
that 
attended 
a 
focus 
group 
opened 
the 
discussion 
by 
stating 
that, 
ÒWe 
should 
not 
be 
talking 
about 
this 
topic. 
It 
is 
too 
sensitive.Ó 
These 
statements 
seem 
to 
suggest 
that 
there 
is 
a 
general 
discomfort 
with 
the 
topic. 
As 
a 
result 
of 
this 
hesitancy 
to 
participate, 
the 
majority 
of 
our 
findings 
are 
based 
upon 
input 
from 
victimsÕ 
service 
agencies 
and 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
Where 
possible, 
we 
also 
incorporated 
information 
from 
disability 
service 
providers. 
2. 
Range 
of 
Currently 
Available 
ServicesÑ 
Services 
Are 
Available, 
Accommodations 
May 
or 
May 
Not 
Be 
What 
is 
the 
range 
of 
services 
available 
for 
survivors 
with 
and 
without 
disabilities? 
The 
purpose 
of 
this 
question 
was 
to 
gain 
a 
general 
understanding 
of 
services 
available 
for 
women 
without 
disabilities 
in 
the 
Kansas 
City 
area 
as 
compared 
to 
services 
for 
women 
who 
have 
a 
disability. 
During 
this 
discussion 
in 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
a 
recurring 
theme 
emerged. 
Service 
providers 
think 
services 
for 
women 
with 
and 
without 
disabilities 
in 
Kansas 
City 
exist. 
However, 
serving 
women 
with 
disabilities 
often 
requires 
accommodations, 
which 
may 
or 
may 
not 
be 
available. 
In 
all 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews, 
the 
types 
of 
programs 
available 
for 
women 
who 
are 
victims 
of 
violence 
were 
discussed. 
For 
example, 
one 
victim 
service 
provider 
explained: 
ÒMOCSA 
has 
a 
program, 
Synergy 
has 
a 
program. 
Battered 
womenÕs 
shelters 
will 
get 
in 
contact 
with 
someone 
with 
a 
program.Ó 
Other 
focus 
group 
participants 
listed 
shelter 
services, 
counseling 
services, 
or 
financial 
assistance 
as 
services 
that 
are 
available 
to 
women. 
However, 
a 
disabilities 
service 
provider 
added 
that 
services 
are 
available 
for 
women 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence 
who 
have 
a 
disability 
Òif 
they 
can 
find 
them, 
if 
they 
are 
aware 
of 
them, 
and 
if 
they 
are 
referred 
directly 
to 
them.Ó 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
7 
Education 
and 
Awareness 
of 
Options 
Many 
women 
with 
disabilities 
need 
more 
information 
so 
that 
they 
can 
feel 
safe 
and 
be 
safe. 
A 
family 
member 
of 
a 
survivor 
with 
a 
disability 
stated, 
ÒI 
need 
to 
know 
services 
are 
available. 
I 
need 
to 
know 
who 
qualifies. 
I 
need 
to 
know 
what 
they 
qualify 
for. 
The 
basics, 
who, 
when, 
why 
and 
knowing 
that 
the 
services 
fit 
her 
needs.Ó 
One 
domestic 
violence 
service 
provider 
echoed 
this 
comment, 
ÒThere 
are 
options 
out 
there. 
She 
just 
needs 
to 
know 
what 
those 
options 
are. 
Not 
everyone 
realizes 
that 
there 
are 
shelters 
out 
there, 
there 
are 
services 
out 
there. 
It 
is 
still 
amazing 
that 
people 
have 
no 
clue 
there 
are 
options.Ó 
In 
reference 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims 
of 
violence 
and 
awareness 
of 
local 
resources, 
one 
local 
disability 
service 
provider 
stated: 
ÒThere 
is 
no 
targeted 
marketing 
to 
this 
group 
of 
people, 
you 
know, 
(saying) 
this 
is 
where 
you 
should 
go.Ó 
Accommodating 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
Domestic 
violence 
service 
providers 
felt 
that 
services 
in 
general 
were 
available 
for 
women, 
but 
may 
be 
limited 
due 
to 
space 
capacity. 
ÒWe 
may 
be 
a 
little 
bit 
more 
limited 
to 
how 
many 
we 
can 
accommodate 
at 
one 
time 
because 
of 
the 
number 
of 
handicapped 
beds 
or 
handicapped 
bathroom. 
But 
the 
services 
are 
available 
and 
if 
the 
whole 
facility 
is 
full 
then 
we 
canÕt 
accept 
them. 
That 
is 
the 
same 
as 
if 
somebody 
doesnÕt 
have 
a 
disability 
if 
theyÕre 
full 
theyÕre 
full.Ó 
Overall, 
domestic 
violence 
service 
providers 
described 
a 
commitment 
to 
providing 
accommodations 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
The 
types 
of 
accommodations 
described 
included 
providing 
interpreters, 
accommodations 
to 
the 
physical 
environment, 
and 
adapting 
therapy 
services. 
However, 
there 
are 
situations 
in 
which 
needed 
accommodations 
pose 
a 
challenge. 
ÒI 
do 
think 
for 
most 
disabilities 
most 
shelters 
are 
able 
to 
provide 
accommodations, 
but 
there 
are 
some 
types 
that 
they 
may 
not 
be, 
for 
example 
when 
I 
worked 
at 
Hope 
House 
we 
had 
a 
lady 
that 
had 
a 
language 
barrier 
at 
the 
time 
we 
did 
not 
have 
an 
interpreter 
but 
we 
worked 
to 
get 
one, 
the 
same 
as 
wheelchair, 
I 
think 
when 
shelters 
are 
presented 
with 
these 
things 
they 
may 
not 
at 
first 
be 
able 
to 
accommodate 
but 
they 
will 
work 
to 
provide 
them 
accommodations.Ó 
This 
same 
thread 
can 
be 
found 
in 
a 
field 
observation 
from 
a 
MOCSA 
volunteer 
about 
Jane, 
a 
woman 
that 
was 
sexually 
assaulted 
by 
her 
neighbor 
and 
was 
Ònot 
able 
to 
access 
all 
counseling 
services 
due 
to 
her 
disability. 
In 
fact, 
if 
MOCSA 
did 
not 
have 
an 
outreach 
site 
within 
a 
medical 
facility, 
it 
is 
possible 
that 
she 
would 
not 
have 
been 
able 
to 
access 
counseling 
at 
all.Ó 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
8 
3. 
The 
Nature 
and 
Accessibility 
of 
Available 
ServicesÑ 
Accessibility 
Goes 
Beyond 
Physical 
Accessibility, 
Services 
Should 
Be 
Respectful 
The 
needs 
assessment 
asked 
the 
question, 
are 
existing 
services 
empowerment-¥¥based, 
culturally 
responsive, 
respectful, 
and 
accessible? 
Findings 
show 
that 
women 
with 
disabilities 
experience 
a 
wide 
range 
of 
accessibility 
issues 
when 
trying 
to 
utilize 
services. 
Commonly, 
these 
issues 
are 
beyond 
the 
need 
for 
physical 
accommodations. 
Rather, 
accessibility 
issues 
pertain 
to 
service 
location, 
service 
provider 
attitudes, 
and 
the 
understanding 
of 
the 
various 
issues 
women 
with 
disabilities 
face 
on 
a 
day-¥¥to-¥¥day 
basis. 
Issues 
regarding 
accessibility 
and 
what 
makes 
a 
service 
accessible 
were 
brought 
up 
in 
nearly 
every 
focus 
group. 
While 
it 
is 
important 
that 
services 
and 
organizations 
provide 
physical 
accommodations, 
women 
with 
disabilities 
agree 
that 
it 
is 
often 
the 
subtle 
details 
that 
need 
also 
to 
be 
addressed, 
such 
as 
service 
provider 
attitude, 
service 
location, 
or 
understanding 
of 
the 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
that 
make 
services 
accessible. 
Women 
with 
disabilities 
want 
to 
access 
services 
with 
a 
feeling 
of 
empowerment. 
However, 
the 
opportunity 
to 
receive 
respectful, 
empowerment-¥¥based, 
services 
is 
often 
limited 
due 
to: 
¥ challenges 
of 
transportation 
to 
and 
location 
of 
services; 
¥ the 
tendency 
to 
not 
believe 
a 
woman 
with 
a 
disability 
when 
she 
reports 
an 
incidence 
of 
abuse; 
¥ victim 
service 
providersÕ 
limited 
experience 
of 
working 
with 
women 
with 
disabilities; 
¥ disability 
service 
providersÕ 
lack 
of 
acknowledgement 
and 
subsequent 
lack 
of 
knowledge 
of 
working 
with 
victims 
of 
trauma. 
Much 
of 
the 
commentary 
from 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
did 
not 
center 
on 
what 
service 
providers 
need 
to 
effectively 
serve 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
Rather, 
much 
of 
the 
discussion 
became 
about 
what 
effective 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
look 
like. 
Overall, 
providing 
accessible 
services, 
information 
and 
education, 
safety 
planning, 
and 
most 
importantly 
services 
that 
are 
respectful 
make 
women 
feel 
safe 
to 
utilize 
those 
services 
and 
that 
equates 
to 
effective 
services. 
Transportation 
& 
Location 
Overall, 
transportation 
for 
people 
with 
disabilities 
is 
challenging. 
Affordable 
public 
transportation 
in 
Kansas 
City 
is 
sparse 
in 
general, 
but 
especially 
for 
individuals 
with 
disabilities. 
This 
lack 
of 
transportation 
tends 
to 
result 
in 
feeling 
isolated. 
ÒTransportation 
is 
difficult 
for 
everybody. 
Location 
to 
me 
is 
another 
difficult 
thing. 
We 
tend 
to 
stay 
at 
home 
and 
stay 
out 
of 
the 
loop 
of 
everything, 
which 
makes 
us 
more 
vulnerable,Ó 
commented 
a 
woman 
with 
a 
disability. 
For 
example, 
in 
the 
case 
of 
one 
survivor, 
her 
disability 
kept 
her 
isolated 
in 
a 
number 
of 
ways. 
She 
was 
victimized 
by 
abusive 
tactics 
at 
the 
hands 
of 
her 
batterer, 
one 
of 
which 
was 
being 
isolated 
from 
her 
family 
and 
friends. 
Although 
she 
is 
now 
divorced 
from 
her 
abuser, 
she 
still 
remains 
extremely 
isolated. 
She 
is 
a 
prime 
candidate 
for 
a 
support 
group 
so 
that 
she 
can 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
9 
connect 
with 
other 
women 
experiencing 
similar 
symptoms 
of 
trauma. 
However, 
her 
disability 
makes 
it 
difficult 
for 
her 
to 
drive 
at 
night 
which 
in 
turn 
keeps 
her 
from 
attending 
and 
gaining 
the 
benefits 
of 
a 
support 
group. 
Believing 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
While 
victim 
assistance 
agencies 
believe 
that 
their 
services 
are 
accessible 
and 
welcoming, 
women 
with 
disabilities 
are 
at 
times 
hesitant 
to 
access 
services 
due 
to 
the 
issue 
of 
believability. 
One 
woman 
with 
a 
disability 
shared, 
ÒI 
need 
people 
to 
believe 
me 
right 
off 
the 
bat 
when 
I 
tell 
them 
something 
has 
happened. 
A 
lot 
of 
people 
assume 
that 
we 
are 
either 
making 
it 
up, 
or 
it 
wasnÕt 
that 
bad.Ó 
This 
statement 
was 
echoed 
by 
service 
providers, 
according 
to 
a 
disability 
service 
provider 
Òif 
theyÕve 
got 
mental 
problems, 
it 
might 
not 
be 
believable.Ó 
This 
issue 
is 
illustrated 
in 
one 
field 
observation 
of 
a 
woman 
with 
severe 
mental 
health 
issues 
that 
a 
MOCSA 
worker 
met 
at 
a 
psychiatric 
hospital 
because 
of 
her 
claims 
of 
sexual 
assault 
by 
her 
boyfriend. 
Due 
to 
her 
past 
history 
she 
was 
deemed 
not 
believable. 
As 
told 
by 
the 
MOCSA 
worker: 
ÒShe 
had 
presented 
a 
day 
or 
two 
before 
to 
the 
emergency 
room 
claiming 
she 
had 
been 
raped. 
The 
hospital 
social 
worker 
told 
us 
that 
because 
of 
her 
previous 
admission 
to 
the 
psychiatric 
ward, 
a 
Kansas 
City 
policeman 
refused 
to 
take 
a 
report 
and 
the 
hospital 
decided 
not 
to 
do 
a 
SANE 
examination 
of 
her.Ó 
Other 
field 
observations 
provide 
evidence 
that 
underreporting 
occurs 
because 
women 
with 
disabilities 
themselves 
do 
not 
feel 
they 
will 
be 
believed. 
One 
example, 
a 
woman 
with 
a 
seizure 
disorder 
reported 
being 
sexually 
assaulted 
while 
in 
a 
seizure 
state. 
There 
was 
abundant 
physical 
evidence 
of 
the 
sexual 
assault. 
However, 
the 
woman 
refused 
to 
report 
the 
incident 
to 
police. 
Reporting 
of 
the 
incident 
was 
delayed 
because 
she 
thought 
it 
a 
possibility 
that 
the 
incident 
was 
a 
hallucination. 
She 
presented 
to 
the 
hospital 
48 
hours 
after 
the 
assault 
occurred. 
Because 
her 
memory 
of 
the 
assault 
was 
poor, 
she 
felt 
she 
would 
be 
treated 
with 
skepticism 
by 
the 
police. 
Comments 
from 
a 
local 
disability 
service 
provider 
staff 
in 
regards 
to 
the 
incidence 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities 
ranged 
from 
skepticism 
to 
grappling 
with 
the 
issue 
of 
consent. 
ÒIt 
(sexual 
violence) 
seems 
to 
come 
up 
a 
lot. 
What 
I 
mean 
by 
that 
is 
usually 
we 
have 
a 
false 
accusation 
and 
it 
canÕt 
be 
substantiated. 
People 
do 
not 
understand 
their 
mandated 
responsibilities 
though.Ó 
ÒWe 
also 
have 
people 
who 
consent 
to 
sex 
and 
they 
get 
embarrassed 
about 
it 
and 
say 
they 
were 
forced 
or 
it 
wasnÕt 
their 
choice.Ó 
Believability 
was 
a 
common 
theme 
throughout 
this 
needs 
assessment. 
Service 
providers 
need 
to 
listen 
to 
and 
respect 
a 
woman 
with 
a 
disabilityÕs 
input. 
One 
woman 
with 
a 
disability 
stated 
that 
Òstaff 
is 
important. 
I 
need 
staff 
that 
understands 
me 
and 
listens 
to 
me.Ó 
Women 
with 
disabilities 
require 
both 
victim 
assistance 
service 
providers 
and 
disability 
service 
providers 
to 
provide 
services 
where 
they 
know 
they 
will 
be 
listened 
to 
and 
believed. 
This 
in 
turn 
makes 
them 
feel 
that 
services 
are 
accessible 
and 
safe 
to 
utilize. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
10 
Knowledge 
& 
Experience 
Providing 
services 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
requires 
consideration 
for 
the 
unique 
needs 
specific 
to 
the 
complexity 
of 
the 
disability 
and 
to 
the 
specific 
needs 
of 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence. 
Ideally, 
service 
providers 
understand 
(a) 
the 
need 
for 
privacy 
regarding 
the 
disability 
and 
associated 
needs, 
(b) 
respectful 
communication, 
and 
(c) 
the 
potential 
need 
for 
increased 
intensity 
of 
services 
due 
to 
the 
disability 
and 
the 
pervasive 
effects 
of 
trauma. 
In 
general, 
the 
focus 
group 
and 
interview 
respondents 
believed 
that 
this 
understanding 
would 
increase 
with 
experience. 
As 
one 
family 
member 
commented: 
ÒPeople 
with 
disabilities 
need 
service 
providers 
that 
are 
aware 
of 
medical 
issues, 
ability 
to 
have 
more 
personal 
privacy, 
service 
providers 
need 
to 
be 
willing 
to 
get 
through 
the 
disability 
to 
the 
person. 
Service 
providers 
need 
to 
have 
some 
experience 
working 
with 
a 
disability.Ó 
One 
woman 
with 
a 
disability 
commented 
that 
service 
providers 
who 
do 
not 
have 
experience 
working 
with 
people 
with 
disabilities 
are 
not 
always 
respectful 
in 
terms 
of 
communication. 
For 
example, 
they 
do 
not 
always 
listen 
or 
value 
their 
opinions. 
ÒThey 
(service 
providers) 
make 
assumptions 
about 
me, 
and 
they 
tell 
me 
that 
things 
are 
consumer 
run 
when 
they 
are 
not. 
I 
find 
myself 
being 
socially 
isolated 
and 
I 
have 
a 
hard 
time 
getting 
access 
to 
things 
I 
need.Ó 
Service 
providers 
echoed 
this 
statement, 
ÒI 
think 
there 
are 
issues 
about 
people 
with 
disabilities-¥¥ 
others 
that 
work 
with 
them 
are 
uncomfortable 
in 
communicating 
(trying 
to 
communicate) 
with 
them. 
There 
is 
a 
shyness 
about 
it 
and 
service 
providers 
come 
off 
as 
stand-¥¥offish.Ó 
It 
is 
also 
important 
to 
note 
that 
the 
limited 
participation 
of 
disability 
service 
providers 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
and 
their 
hesitancy 
in 
discussing 
the 
issue 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities 
also 
points 
to 
the 
need 
for 
disability 
service 
providers 
to 
build 
their 
own 
knowledge 
and 
capacity 
in 
addressing 
issues 
of 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
For 
example, 
on 
the 
topic 
of 
abuse 
by 
personal 
care 
attendants, 
when 
one 
local 
disability 
service 
provider 
staff 
member 
was 
questioned 
about 
the 
subject, 
they 
stated: 
ÒI 
have 
heard 
about 
PCA 
violence 
but 
donÕt 
know 
anything 
about 
it.Ó 
Lack 
of 
Peer 
Support 
Many 
women 
with 
disabilities 
experience 
isolation 
from 
their 
peers, 
and 
from 
other 
forms 
of 
support 
on 
a 
daily 
basis. 
This 
can 
make 
them 
feel 
unsafe, 
according 
to 
one 
woman 
with 
a 
disability. 
ÒIt 
is 
important 
that 
women 
with 
disabilities 
have 
access 
to 
one 
another 
and 
to 
the 
support 
they 
need.Ó 
This 
can 
include 
giving 
women 
with 
disabilities 
the 
opportunities 
to 
interact 
with 
others. 
As 
stated 
by 
a 
woman 
with 
a 
disability, 
ÒMy 
personal 
opinion 
is 
that 
we 
need 
more 
interaction 
among 
each 
other 
so 
that 
we 
know 
we 
are 
not 
alone. 
People 
with 
disabilities 
need 
to 
know 
they 
are 
not 
isolated.Ó 
Providing 
Safety 
Though 
limited, 
responses 
from 
disability 
service 
providers 
illustrate 
their 
need 
to 
build 
their 
own 
capacity 
to 
effectively 
respond 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims 
of 
violence. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
11 
Safety 
planning 
was 
specifically 
identified 
as 
a 
need. 
According 
to 
one 
local 
disability 
service 
provider: 
ÒWe 
need 
safety 
planning 
pieces. 
Some 
of 
our 
more 
independent 
people 
can 
go 
out 
in 
the 
world 
without 
us, 
you 
know, 
they 
are 
at 
the 
bus 
stop 
by 
themselves 
and 
anything 
can 
happen.Ó 
The 
Role 
of 
Advocates 
in 
Providing 
Effective 
Services 
One 
issue 
surrounding 
provision 
of 
effective 
services 
that 
arose 
in 
the 
journal 
observations 
was 
the 
role 
of 
advocates 
in 
helping 
women 
not 
only 
navigate 
the 
system, 
but 
also 
in 
accessing 
services. 
This 
issue 
was 
also 
addressed 
in 
focus 
group 
and 
because 
of 
the 
times 
it 
was 
mentioned 
it 
is 
salient 
to 
the 
topic. 
Advocates 
play 
many 
roles. 
One 
example 
of 
the 
many 
roles 
an 
advocate 
serves 
involves 
a 
woman 
with 
a 
sight 
disability 
who 
came 
to 
the 
Kansas 
City 
Municipal 
Court 
as 
a 
victim/witness 
in 
a 
domestic 
violence 
case, 
and 
who 
needed 
help 
in 
a 
number 
of 
areas. 
The 
advocate 
on 
the 
case 
coordinated 
with 
the 
case 
worker 
and 
helped 
the 
woman 
through 
the 
process 
of 
gaining 
an 
Order 
of 
Protection. 
The 
advocate 
also 
helped 
arrange 
transportation 
for 
all 
related 
court 
dates, 
explained 
court 
procedures 
and 
kept 
in 
contact 
with 
the 
victim 
for 
a 
number 
of 
weeks 
after. 
4. 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
in 
Kansas 
CityÑ 
Incidence 
What 
does 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities 
look 
like 
in 
Kansas 
City? 
Answering 
this 
broad 
question 
began 
with 
(a) 
gathering 
data 
reporting 
the 
incidence 
of 
abuse 
among 
women 
with 
disabilities 
receiving 
state 
provided 
services, 
and 
(b) 
gathering 
data 
indicating 
the 
numbers 
of 
women 
receiving 
services 
from 
the 
area 
domestic 
violence 
shelters 
and 
MOCSA 
who 
self-¥¥ 
report 
to 
have 
a 
disability. 
These 
pre-¥¥existing 
data 
sources 
provide 
background 
and 
context 
for 
understanding 
what 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities 
looks 
like 
in 
Kansas 
City, 
although 
it 
should 
be 
noted 
that 
the 
incidence 
is 
likely 
underreported. 
Incidence 
of 
Reported 
Abuse: 
Jackson 
County 
Missouri 
(2006-¥¥2007) 
The 
Missouri 
Department 
of 
Mental 
Health 
(MODMH), 
Division 
of 
Mental 
Retardation 
and 
Developmental 
Disabilities 
(MRDD) 
provides 
support 
services 
to 
eligible 
persons 
and 
their 
families 
who 
have 
developmental 
disabilities. 
The 
Division 
provides 
a 
wide 
array 
of 
services 
from 
residential 
living 
facilities 
to 
community 
programs. 
An 
internal 
investigation 
is 
required 
when 
a 
consumer, 
a 
family 
member, 
or 
a 
service 
provider 
alleges 
abuse. 
Table 
3 
provides 
a 
snapshot 
of 
the 
2006-¥¥2007 
year 
as 
related 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
receiving 
MODMH 
services 
and 
the 
number 
of 
abuse 
investigations 
occurring 
that 
year 
in 
Jackson 
County 
Missouri. 
In 
Table 
3 
the 
data 
is 
sorted 
by 
type 
of 
disability, 
by 
age, 
and 
by 
the 
setting 
in 
which 
the 
alleged 
incident 
occurred. 
In 
total, 
there 
were 
55 
alleged 
incidents 
of 
abuse 
investigated 
in 
2006-¥¥2007. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
12 
Table 
3. 
Abuse 
Investigations, 
Jackson 
County 
Missouri, 
November 
2006-¥¥November 
2007 
Type 
of 
Abuse 
Sexual 
Physical 
Verbal 
Neglect 
Total 
Disability 
Cognitive 
Disability 
Only 
-¥¥ 
6 
7 
13 
26 
Physical 
Disability 
Only 
1 
-¥¥ 
-¥¥ 
-¥¥ 
1 
Multiple 
Disabilities 
2 
9 
5 
8 
24 
Other 
-¥¥ 
3 
1 
-¥¥ 
4 
Age 
18-¥¥29 
-¥¥ 
5 
2 
4 
11 
30-¥¥39 
2 
4 
3 
4 
13 
40-¥¥49 
1 
6 
3 
1 
11 
50-¥¥59 
-¥¥ 
2 
3 
4 
9 
60-¥¥69 
-¥¥ 
1 
1 
6 
8 
70+ 
-¥¥ 
-¥¥ 
1 
2 
3 
Setting 
ISL 
-¥¥ 
12 
6 
16 
34 
Group 
Home 
3 
4 
7 
4 
18 
Day 
Habilitation 
-¥¥ 
1 
-¥¥ 
1 
2 
Other 
Community 
Setting 
-¥¥ 
1 
-¥¥ 
-¥¥ 
1 
Total 
55 
alleged 
incidents 
Approximately 
40% 
of 
the 
investigated 
incidents 
involved 
women 
with 
multiple 
disabilities. 
Multiple 
disabilities 
included 
combined 
cognitive 
and 
physical 
disability, 
and 
in 
some 
cases, 
the 
addition 
of 
a 
mental 
illness. 
At 
approximately 
an 
equal 
count, 
twenty-¥¥seven 
women 
were 
diagnosed 
with 
a 
cognitive 
disability 
ranging 
from 
mild 
to 
profound. 
Across 
the 
span 
of 
age, 
diagnosis, 
and 
setting, 
a 
majority 
of 
the 
investigations 
were 
of 
alleged 
neglect, 
followed 
closely 
by 
physical 
abuse. 
It 
is 
interesting 
to 
note 
that 
while 
the 
number 
of 
investigations 
relating 
to 
sexual 
abuse 
is 
low, 
they 
all 
involved 
women 
with 
either 
physical 
disabilities 
as 
a 
diagnosis, 
or 
women 
with 
multiple 
disabilities. 
All 
three 
alleged 
incidents 
occurred 
in 
a 
group 
home 
setting. 
In 
comparison 
with 
the 
total 
numbers 
of 
women 
served 
by 
the 
Division 
of 
MRDD, 
the 
overall 
rate 
of 
reported 
abuse 
and 
neglect 
is 
7%. 
As 
shown 
in 
Figure 
1, 
the 
greatest 
incidence 
rate 
is 
among 
women 
ages 
60 
and 
older 
(19-¥¥22%). 
Among 
women 
in 
the 
other 
age 
brackets, 
an 
approximate 
rate 
of 
7% 
was 
consistent. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
13 
Table 
4. 
Number 
of 
Women 
Self-¥¥Reporting 
a 
Disability: 
MOCSA 
2007 
(N=993) 
Type 
of 
Disability 
Reported 
Number 
of 
Self 
Reports 
Percentage 
Physical 
disability 
38 
21.6% 
Mental 
Health 
disability 
102 
58.0% 
Developmental 
disability 
17 
9.7% 
Dual 
disabilities 
14 
8.0% 
Other 
disabilities-¥¥not 
specified 
5 
2.8% 
Total 
reported 
disability 
176 
100% 
Incidence 
of 
Self-¥¥Report 
Disability: 
MOCSA 
In 
2007, 
176 
out 
of 
993 
women 
(17.8%) 
utilizing 
MOCSA 
services 
reported 
having 
a 
disability, 
with 
the 
largest 
percent 
self-¥¥reporting 
a 
mental 
health 
disability 
(58%). 
Over 
twenty-¥¥one 
percent 
of 
women 
reported 
having 
a 
physical 
disability. 
Women 
self-¥¥report 
at 
time 
of 
intake. 
Table 
4 
provides 
more 
detail. 
Incidence 
of 
Self-¥¥Report 
Disability: 
Domestic 
Violence 
Shelters 
Approximately 
half 
of 
the 
women 
served 
by 
Rose 
Brooks 
Center 
self-¥¥reported 
a 
disability 
in 
2007. 
Women 
self-¥¥report 
at 
intake. 
Intake 
data 
elements 
are 
tracked 
in 
the 
Alice 
Database, 
shared 
by 
the 
Kansas 
City 
metropolitan 
area 
domestic 
violence 
programs. 
The 
program 
allows 
each 
agency 
to 
generate 
agency-¥¥only 
reports 
and 
aggregate 
reports 
for 
all 
domestic 
violence 
programs 
and 
agency 
clusters. 
Forty 
percent 
of 
women 
utilizing 
all 
domestic 
violence 
shelters 
(Rose 
Brooks 
Center, 
Kansas 
City; 
Newhouse, 
Kansas 
City; 
Hope 
House, 
Independence 
and 
LeeÕs 
Summit) 
in 
the 
Kansas 
City 
area 
reported 
having 
a 
disability. 
Detailed 
counts 
from 
the 
Rose 
Brooks 
Center 
as 
well 
as 
all 
domestic 
violence 
shelters 
in 
Jackson 
County 
may 
be 
found 
in 
more 
detail 
in 
Table 
5 
and 
6. 
Table 
5. 
Number 
of 
Women 
Reporting 
a 
Disability: 
Rose 
Brooks 
Center 
2007 
(N=254) 
Type 
of 
Disability 
Reported 
Number 
of 
Self 
Reports 
Percentage 
Physical 
disability 
53 
20.9% 
Mental 
health 
disability 
57 
22.4% 
Developmental 
disability 
8 
3.1% 
Physical 
disability 
and 
mental 
health 
disability 
15 
5.9% 
Total 
Reporting 
Disability 
133 
52.3% 
Table 
6. 
Number 
of 
Women 
Reporting 
a 
Disability: 
Jackson 
County 
Domestic 
Violence 
Shelters 
2007 
(N=1246) 
Type 
of 
Disability 
Reported 
Number 
of 
Self 
Reports 
Percentage 
Physical 
disability 
219 
17.6% 
Mental 
health 
disability 
247 
19.8% 
Developmental 
disability 
13 
1.0% 
Physical 
disability 
and 
mental 
health 
disability 
21 
6.2% 
Total 
Reporting 
Disability 
500 
40.1% 

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Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
14 
5. 
The 
Collaborative 
System 
of 
ResponseÑ 
Gaps 
in 
Linkages 
Between 
Service 
Providers 
How 
are 
community 
agencies 
and 
services 
integrated 
in 
Kansas 
City? 
The 
needs 
assessment 
identified 
the 
ways 
that 
community 
agencies, 
programs, 
and 
systems 
are 
integrated 
in 
an 
approach 
to 
providing 
a 
collaborative 
response 
to 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
The 
results 
indicate 
gaps 
in 
the 
linkages 
between 
services 
in 
Kansas 
City 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
survivors 
of 
violence 
and 
indicate 
the 
critical 
need 
to 
build 
relationships 
between 
service 
providers, 
specifically 
between 
victim 
assistance 
agencies 
and 
disability 
service 
providers. 
Beyond 
the 
gaps 
in 
linkages 
between 
service 
providers, 
findings 
also 
include 
the 
need 
to 
build 
the 
capacity 
of 
service 
providers 
to 
meet 
a 
variety 
of 
disability 
needs. 
Service 
providers 
and 
family 
members 
alike 
agree 
there 
are 
issues 
not 
being 
addressed 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence 
because 
victim 
services 
and 
disability 
services 
are 
not 
linked 
together 
in 
a 
way 
that 
can 
address 
the 
specific 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
Service 
providers 
and 
women 
with 
disabilities 
emphasized 
the 
point 
that 
victim 
services 
for 
women 
with 
(or 
without) 
a 
disability 
exist, 
however, 
they 
are 
in 
their 
own 
isolated 
pockets 
and 
are 
difficult 
to 
accessÑespecially 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
One 
illustrative 
comment 
from 
a 
woman 
with 
a 
disability 
was: 
ÒWomenÕs 
services, 
[are 
needed] 
period. 
I 
mean, 
there 
are 
a 
lot 
of 
little 
separate 
kinds 
of 
places, 
but 
there 
isnÕt 
one 
place 
to 
go 
to, 
like 
a 
one 
stop 
shop. 
So 
I 
would 
like 
something 
like 
that.Ó 
Disconnects 
Between 
Provider 
Agencies 
One 
theme 
that 
arose 
from 
the 
focus 
groups 
is 
the 
disconnect 
between 
victimsÕ 
assistance 
providers 
and 
disability 
service 
providers. 
Many 
providers 
said 
they 
didnÕt 
know 
about 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
and 
that 
services 
for 
them 
are 
lacking. 
One 
service 
provider 
expressed 
frustration 
with 
the 
lack 
of 
services 
available: 
ÒI 
am 
noticing 
that 
in 
the 
forensic 
program 
I 
work 
with, 
we 
are 
seeing 
more 
people 
with 
disabilities 
that 
are 
victims 
of 
violence. 
Nurses 
in 
the 
nursing 
homes 
are 
reporting 
more 
assault, 
sexual 
and 
physical 
stuff. 
They 
have 
begun 
to 
have 
the 
training, 
so 
they 
recognize 
it 
better. 
But 
even 
so, 
there 
are 
just 
no 
services 
for 
them 
[people 
with 
disabilities 
that 
are 
survivors 
of 
violence], 
you 
know, 
you 
are 
just 
kind 
of 
challenged-¥¥I 
mean, 
are 
we 
sending 
them 
back 
to 
a 
safe 
environment 
and 
are 
there 
any 
services 
available 
in 
those 
environments?Ó 
Service 
providers 
may 
know 
of 
one 
or 
two 
organizations 
that 
may 
provide 
some 
basic 
services, 
but 
their 
knowledge 
of 
resources 
for 
women 
having 
disabilities 
does 
not 
go 
beyond 
the 
basic. 
As 
a 
law 
enforcement 
officer 
observed, 
ÒYou 
know, 
generally 
we 
use 
Rose 
Brooks 
as 
a 
viable 

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First 
Initiative: 
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City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
15 
resource 
for 
a 
lot 
of 
our 
victims 
and, 
I 
think 
we 
just 
kind 
of 
leave 
it 
at 
that 
and 
hope 
that 
if 
somebody 
[with 
a 
disability] 
needs 
additional 
resources, 
that 
Rose 
Brooks 
handles 
that.Ó 
Victim 
assistance 
agencies 
conveyed 
a 
lack 
of 
awareness 
about 
the 
available 
resources 
in 
the 
disability 
service 
provider 
community. 
One 
journal 
entry 
provided 
the 
example 
of 
Aliah, 
a 
transitional 
housing 
resident, 
and 
her 
ability 
to 
manage 
her 
income. 
ÒStaff 
is 
very 
concerned 
the 
residentÕs 
problems 
with 
bill 
paying, 
spending 
beyond 
her 
means 
and 
giving 
away 
her 
money 
to 
family 
and 
friends 
will 
create 
a 
huge 
risk 
for 
being 
abused 
again.Ó 
In 
a 
follow-¥¥up 
interview 
concerning 
Aliah, 
the 
transitional 
housing 
coordinator 
was 
asked 
if 
the 
team 
had 
consulted 
with 
a 
disability 
provider 
who 
helped 
persons 
with 
cognitive 
developmental 
or 
other 
disabilities. 
They 
had 
not 
talked 
to 
anyone 
outside 
of 
the 
team 
and 
were 
not 
aware 
of 
any 
agency 
providing 
these 
services. 
This 
demonstrates 
the 
lack 
of 
knowledge 
that 
some 
service 
providers 
have 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
or 
available 
services 
to 
help 
them. 
Capacity 
to 
Provide 
for 
All 
Disability 
Needs 
Other 
services 
providers 
are 
in 
agreement 
that 
basic 
needs 
can 
be 
addressed 
but 
their 
particular 
organization 
lacks 
the 
capacity 
to 
address 
other 
more 
specific 
needs 
without 
help 
or 
support 
from 
other 
organizations. 
As 
summarized 
by 
one 
sexual 
assault 
service 
provider 
expressing 
her 
frustration: 
ÒI 
sometimes 
feel, 
as 
a 
service 
provider, 
that 
the 
needs 
of 
people 
with 
disabilities 
are 
just 
way 
over 
our 
heads. 
We 
can 
offer 
advocacy, 
and 
counseling. 
But 
sometimes 
the 
needs 
are 
so 
astronomical 
that 
not 
even 
our 
social 
workers 
can 
deal 
with 
them. 
These 
people 
have 
disabilities, 
and 
I 
just 
think 
the 
services 
are 
very, 
very, 
lacking.Ó 
6. 
Needs 
for 
Training 
and 
Capacity 
BuildingÑ 
Building 
Relationships 
and 
Knowledge 
How 
do 
service 
providers 
describe 
their 
ability 
to 
accommodate 
women 
with 
disabilities? 
Results 
from 
the 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
indicate 
that 
service 
providers 
lack 
training 
relating 
to 
disability, 
sexual 
assault 
and 
violence. 
Similarly, 
the 
findings 
also 
show 
that 
women 
with 
disabilities 
lack 
awareness 
and 
training 
on 
the 
same 
related 
issues. 
Service 
providers 
indicated 
the 
need 
for 
more 
awareness 
and 
training 
on 
issues 
related 
specifically 
to 
disabilities. 
Service 
providers 
are 
concerned 
that 
their 
lack 
of 
knowledge 
about 
issues 
regarding 
disabilities 
prevents 
them 
from 
providing 
or 
finding 
the 
proper 
services. 
The 
lack 
of 
education 
and 
training 
on 
related 
issues 
also 
widens 
the 
chasm 
between 
the 
services 
provided 
(or 
lack 
thereof) 
and 
the 
services 
needed. 
Service 
providers, 
law 
enforcement, 
and 
the 
community 
at-¥¥large 
need 
information 
and 
training, 
and 
to 
build 
capacity 
on 
issues 
related 
to 
violence 
against 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
Victims 
assistance 
agencies 
need 
education 
on 
disabilities 
related 
issues, 
how 
they 
address 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
and 
the 
terminology 
used 
when 
talking 
about 
people 
with 
disabilities. 

Safety 
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Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
16 
Disability 
service 
providers 
need 
education 
on 
how 
to 
address 
issues 
of 
violence 
and 
the 
women 
they 
serve. 
Women 
with 
disabilities 
need 
awareness 
and 
training 
on 
how 
to 
speak 
up 
(such 
as 
saying 
no), 
where 
to 
go, 
and 
how 
to 
report. 
In 
other 
words, 
ÒInformation 
needs 
to 
get 
out 
to 
everybody 
from 
providers 
to 
people 
with 
disabilities.Ó 
Training 
Initiative 
for 
Disability 
Service 
Providers 
The 
full 
extent 
of 
training 
related 
to 
abuse 
and 
violence 
is 
not 
known. 
Every 
service 
provider 
follows 
their 
own 
protocols 
in 
terms 
of 
educating 
their 
employees. 
Training 
is 
available 
through 
The 
Missouri 
College 
of 
Direct 
Support 
for 
disability 
service 
providers 
on 
maltreatment 
for 
vulnerable 
adults 
and 
children. 
The 
unit 
on 
maltreatment 
is 
divided 
into 
five 
learning 
objectives 
that 
discuss 
abuse, 
neglect, 
and 
exploitation: 
defining, 
prevention, 
reporting, 
documenting, 
and 
follow-¥¥up. 
Disability 
service 
providers 
are 
provided 
information 
on 
each 
section 
related 
to 
the 
learning 
objective 
of 
the 
course. 
The 
goals 
of 
the 
course 
are 
to 
identify, 
protect, 
and 
effectively 
document 
incidences 
of 
maltreatment 
on 
vulnerable 
adults 
and 
children. 
Kansas 
City 
is 
not 
currently 
taking 
full 
advantage 
of 
this 
resource. 
Only 
four 
organizations 
and 
22 
learners 
in 
total 
are 
participating 
in 
the 
training 
program. 
Sensitivity 
Training 
for 
All 
Service 
Providers 
During 
one 
focus 
group 
a 
service 
provider 
who 
happened 
to 
be 
a 
woman 
with 
a 
disability 
expressed 
the 
need 
for 
disabilities 
sensitivity 
training 
and/or 
awareness 
for 
service 
providers: 
ÒEven 
people 
in 
my 
own 
field, 
my 
peers 
use 
words 
like 
Ôhigher 
functioningÕ 
or 
Ôlower 
functioningÕ. 
That 
implies 
that 
somebodyÕsÉ.. 
I 
donÕt 
know, 
it 
is 
that 
whole 
terminology 
for 
example, 
implying 
that 
someone 
is 
lazy 
when 
they 
may 
actually 
be 
on 
four 
and 
five 
medications 
that 
make 
them 
tired. 
I 
think 
education 
and 
awareness 
about 
the 
fact 
that 
we 
are 
just 
people 
is 
really 
a 
need. 
I 
have 
had 
psychiatrists 
tell 
me 
I 
need 
my 
medication 
tweaked, 
and 
they 
use 
words 
like, 
ÔdecompensateÕ. 
I 
am 
not 
a 
humidifier, 
I 
am 
a 
person.Ó 
Illustrating 
the 
need 
for 
sensitivity 
training, 
a 
Domestic 
Violence 
Service 
Provider 
observed: 
ÒJust 
having 
knowledge 
of 
the 
resources 
for 
each 
kind 
of 
disability 
and 
perhaps 
having 
a 
good 
understanding 
of 
different 
cognitive 
or 
mental 
disability-¥¥so 
you 
get 
whether 
or 
not 
someone 
might 
have 
an 
issue 
with 
being 
touched 
in 
certain 
ways, 
addressed 
in 
certain 
ways.Ó 
Knowledge 
of 
every 
specific 
disability 
is 
not 
necessary 
to 
provide 
services. 
Rather 
this 
statement 
illustrates 
a 
need 
for 
awareness 
and 
sensitivity 
training 
on 
the 
part 
of 
service 
providers. 
Need 
for 
Education 
for 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
Service 
providers 
stated 
the 
need 
for 
awareness 
and 
education 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
Women 
with 
disabilities 
are 
often 
reluctant 
to 
say, 
ÒNoÓ 
either 
because 
they 
do 
not 
understand 

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First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
17 
ÒNoÓ 
to 
be 
an 
option 
or 
they 
may 
fear 
the 
consequence 
of 
saying, 
ÒNo.Ó 
Also, 
women 
with 
disabilities 
may 
not 
understand 
how 
to 
keep 
themselves 
safe 
or 
how 
report 
an 
abusive 
incident 
if 
it 
happens. 
In 
a 
dialogue 
among 
disability 
service 
providers 
the 
following 
comments 
were 
shared. 
ÒWe 
provide 
education 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
And 
there 
again, 
on 
the 
education 
side 
there 
are 
a 
lot 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
that 
first 
of 
all 
do 
not 
know 
that 
they 
can 
say 
ÔnoÕ. 
They 
donÕt 
know 
how 
to 
go 
about 
reporting 
it 
[violence 
or 
assault], 
and 
they 
do 
not 
know 
how 
to 
keep 
themselves 
safe 
once 
they 
do 
[report 
it]. 
Education 
and 
communication 
between 
women 
with 
disabilities 
is 
crucial.Ó 
In 
a 
focus 
group 
for 
law 
enforcement 
officers, 
additional 
training 
needs 
for 
both 
women 
with 
disabilities 
and 
law 
enforcement 
officers 
were 
identified. 
ÒI 
think 
there 
definitely 
needs 
to 
be 
some 
education 
for 
us 
on 
what 
resources 
are 
available 
for 
people 
with 
disabilities. 
But 
there 
is 
also 
a 
need 
for 
training 
from 
us 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
on 
what 
we 
have 
to 
do 
[to 
investigate 
a 
case].Ó 
Capacity 
Building 
As 
our 
goal 
is 
to 
create 
sustainable 
systems 
change, 
training 
in 
and 
of 
itself 
is 
not 
sufficient. 
The 
Collaboration 
believes 
the 
need 
for 
training 
also 
speaks 
to 
the 
need 
for 
relationship 
and 
collaboration 
building. 
Furthermore, 
training 
should 
also 
be 
accompanied 
by 
necessary 
and 
appropriate 
changes 
in 
policies 
and 
standards 
of 
practice. 
In 
essence, 
the 
Collaboration 
believes 
that 
training 
should 
be 
part 
of 
a 
larger 
plan 
for 
capacity 
building: 
capacity 
building 
for 
victimsÕ 
assistance 
agencies 
in 
serving 
women 
with 
disabilities; 
and 
capacity 
building 
for 
disability 
service 
providers 
in 
serving 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence. 
With 
regards 
to 
the 
CollaborationsÕ 
support 
of 
capacity 
building, 
the 
collaborative 
partners 
believe 
capacity 
building 
should 
begin 
with 
building 
relationships 
and 
supporting 
our 
own 
capacity 
in 
a 
specific, 
focused 
manner. 
Meaning, 
by 
focusing 
on 
changes 
within 
our 
own 
organizations 
and 
with 
a 
select 
few 
partners, 
we 
will 
be 
able 
to 
serve 
as 
the 
example 
of 
change 
for 
others 
to 
follow. 

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City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
18 
IMPLICATIONS 
The 
results 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
indicate 
multiple 
areas 
of 
need, 
service 
gaps, 
and 
system 
issues. 
As 
identified 
in 
the 
discussion 
of 
the 
findings, 
the 
most 
prominently 
reported 
needs 
are 
building 
community 
linkages 
between 
victim 
service 
agencies 
and 
disability 
service 
providers, 
improving 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
that 
have 
experienced 
violence, 
and 
increasing 
opportunities 
for 
training 
and 
capacity 
building. 
Gaps 
in 
services 
included 
the 
need 
for 
peer 
support 
and 
safety 
planning 
education 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
The 
identified 
system 
issues 
were 
fundamental 
in 
nature 
with 
a 
need 
to 
cultivate 
leadership 
buy-¥¥in 
and 
partnerships 
for 
building 
a 
community-¥¥wide 
response 
system. 
The 
following 
section 
discusses 
the 
needs, 
service 
gaps, 
and 
system 
issues. 
However, 
it 
is 
important 
to 
note 
that 
there 
is 
much 
overlap 
across 
the 
three 
areas. 
For 
example, 
recognition 
of 
and 
response 
to 
a 
need 
for 
training 
and 
capacity 
building 
will 
have 
an 
effect 
on 
improving 
services 
and 
likewise, 
critical 
to 
improving 
services 
is 
addressing 
the 
need 
for 
training 
and 
capacity 
building. 
Addressing 
Needs 
for 
Service 
System 
Enhancement 
The 
needs 
assessment 
revealed 
an 
array 
of 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
that 
have 
experienced 
violence 
exist, 
and 
in 
general, 
service 
providers 
share 
a 
commitment 
to 
accommodating 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims/survivors 
of 
violence. 
However, 
service 
providers 
and 
women 
with 
disabilities 
identified 
numerous 
ways 
in 
which 
program 
enhancements 
would 
improve 
services, 
thus 
promoting 
Òcomfort, 
control, 
and 
confidenceÓ 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
Building 
Community 
Linkages 
Domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
providers 
shared 
that 
they 
were 
unfamiliar 
with 
the 
range 
and 
types 
of 
services 
women 
with 
disabilities 
commonly 
receive 
that 
supports 
their 
daily 
life. 
Similarly, 
the 
disability 
service 
providers 
reported 
being 
unfamiliar 
with 
the 
range 
of 
service 
options 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
This 
cross-¥¥discipline 
unfamiliarity 
is 
an 
obstacle 
to 
providing 
effective 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
By 
creating 
opportunities 
for 
cross-¥¥discipline 
sharing 
and 
collaboration, 
familiarity 
will 
increase 
and 
linkages 
between 
services 
arenas 
will 
facilitate 
the 
coordination 
of 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
Improved 
Services 
for 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
Stakeholders 
identified 
a 
critical 
need 
for 
improved 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities; 
both 
in 
existing 
services 
and 
in 
future 
services. 
Services 
should 
be 
accessible 
and 
empowerment-¥¥based 
resulting 
in 
services 
that 
provide 
comfort, 
promote 
confidence, 
and 
afford 
women 
with 
disabilities 
control. 
Planning 
for 
improved 
services 
should 
begin 
with 
consideration 
for 
how 
the 
woman 
with 
a 
disability 
is 
going 
to 
access 
the 
services. 
Specifically, 
consideration 
begins 
with 
planning 
for 
how 
the 
woman 
will 
get 
to 
services 
and 
if 
the 
services 
are 
tailored 
such 
that 
she 
is 
able 
to 
experience 
the 
full 
benefits. 
The 
needs 
assessment 
findings 
indicated 
that 
women 
with 

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to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
19 
disabilities 
are 
isolated 
from 
services 
and 
peer 
support, 
often 
due 
to 
lack 
of 
transportation 
and 
tendency 
to 
not 
be 
believed. 
Improving 
service 
accessibility 
would 
increase 
the 
likelihood 
that 
women 
with 
disabilities 
would 
utilize 
services. 
It 
is 
also 
important 
to 
re-¥¥iterate 
the 
meaning 
of 
accessibility. 
Accessibility 
does 
not 
relate 
to 
mere 
physical 
accessibility. 
Accessibility 
also 
encompasses 
the 
realms 
of 
the 
communication 
environment, 
the 
information 
environment, 
and 
the 
social 
and 
policy 
environment. 
This 
expanded 
view 
of 
accessibility 
came 
through 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment, 
although 
needs 
assessment 
feedback 
may 
not 
have 
necessarily 
been 
expressed 
using 
these 
terms, 
the 
idea 
that 
accessibility 
is 
more 
than 
just 
physical 
was 
expressed 
and 
accessibility 
was 
discussed 
in 
almost 
every 
focus 
group. 
Increased 
Opportunities 
for 
Training 
& 
Capacity 
Building 
Findings 
from 
the 
needs 
assessment 
highlight 
the 
need 
for 
more 
training 
in 
identifying 
the 
needs 
for 
services 
as 
well 
as 
the 
provision 
of 
services. 
Service 
providers 
need 
more 
information 
regarding 
cross-¥¥discipline 
practices 
and 
philosophies, 
respectful 
communication 
with 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
the 
pervasive 
needs 
of 
trauma 
victims/survivors, 
and 
connecting 
women 
with 
disabilities 
to 
the 
range 
of 
services 
they 
need. 
Domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault, 
and 
disability 
service 
providers 
shared 
the 
perception 
that 
they 
need 
additional 
training 
in 
order 
to 
provide 
ideal 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
Disability 
service 
providers 
need 
more 
information 
on 
serving 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
The 
expressed 
reluctance 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
process 
among 
disability 
service 
providers 
suggests 
a 
need 
to 
focus 
attention 
on 
building 
relationships 
and 
increasing 
opportunities 
for 
information 
to 
be 
shared 
across 
disciplines. 
This 
would 
facilitate 
collaboration, 
stimulate 
new 
awareness 
of 
issues 
related 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
and 
improve 
services 
such 
to 
be 
more 
responsive. 
Gaps 
in 
Services 
for 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
In 
the 
needs 
assessment, 
women 
with 
disabilities 
as 
well 
as 
service 
providers 
identified 
a 
need 
for 
peer 
support, 
education, 
safety 
planning, 
and 
advocacy. 
While 
each 
of 
these 
services 
may 
be 
available 
at 
individual 
agencies, 
there 
is 
no 
one 
system 
addressing 
these 
four 
needs. 
Women 
with 
disabilities, 
as 
well 
as 
service 
providers, 
indicated 
a 
need 
for 
peer 
support. 
In 
particular, 
women 
with 
disabilities 
wanted 
the 
outlet 
to 
talk 
to 
other 
women 
with 
disabilities 
that 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
Disability 
service 
providers 
shared 
that 
women 
with 
disabilities 
need 
an 
understanding 
and 
strategies 
about 
how 
to 
keep 
themselves 
safe. 
Lastly, 
the 
needs 
assessment 
identified 
that 
advocates 
providing 
guidance 
to 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence 
and 
are 
navigating 
the 
system 
of 
services, 
would 
be 
beneficial. 
Currently, 
advocates 
are 
available 
through 
the 
domestic 
violence 
shelters, 
MOCSA, 
and 
the 
court 
system. 
However, 
the 
advocates 
are 
not 
necessarily 
linked 
to 
any 
disability 
service 
providers 
making 
it 
difficult 
to 
provide 
seamless 
support 
for 
victims/survivors 
with 
disabilities. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
20 
Systems 
Issues 
As 
referenced 
in 
the 
methodology 
and 
apparent 
in 
the 
findings, 
there 
was 
reluctance 
among 
disability 
service 
providers 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
process. 
Much 
of 
this 
reluctance 
was 
due 
to 
the 
perception 
that 
the 
issue 
was 
not 
applicable 
to 
their 
service 
setting 
or 
to 
the 
women 
with 
disabilities 
they 
serve. 
Additionally, 
direct 
service 
providers 
expressed 
concern 
that 
participation 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
would 
imply 
wrongdoing 
on 
their 
part, 
or 
on 
the 
part 
of 
their 
organization. 
To 
expand 
awareness 
of 
the 
issue, 
collaborative 
opportunities 
between 
domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault, 
and 
disability 
service 
providers 
should 
be 
fostered. 
Leadership/administrative 
staff 
(i.e. 
executive 
directors 
and 
program 
directors) 
need 
information 
about 
the 
issue 
and 
shared 
responsibility 
in 
addressing 
the 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
Furthermore, 
in 
order 
to 
address 
the 
perceived 
stigma 
and 
culpability 
among 
direct 
service 
providers, 
leadership 
staff 
should 
support 
frontline 
service 
providers 
with 
needed 
information 
about 
their 
responsibility 
in 
responding 
to 
women 
who 
report 
abuse 
and 
strategies 
and 
resources 
for 
supporting 
women. 
RECOMMENDATIONS, 
STRATEGIES 
& 
CONCLUSION 
The 
following 
recommendations 
and 
strategies 
translate 
the 
findings 
and 
implications 
into 
suggestions 
for 
implementation. 
Overall, 
there 
are 
six 
recommendations. 
These 
six 
recommendations 
address 
the 
integrated 
nature 
of 
the 
findings 
and 
implications 
by 
involving 
the 
collaborative 
and 
community 
agencies 
at 
multiple 
levels. 
1. Always 
involve 
women 
with 
disabilities 
at 
every 
stage 
of 
implementation. 
2. Devote 
time 
and 
energy 
to 
building 
partnerships 
between 
victim 
assistance 
providers 
and 
disability 
service 
providers. 
This 
is 
in 
response 
to 
the 
hesitancy 
of 
disability 
service 
provider 
participation 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment. 
3. Address 
system 
challenges 
as 
well 
as 
the 
need 
for 
program 
enhancements. 
A 
suggested 
strategy 
is 
to 
form 
an 
advisory 
group 
of 
agency 
leaders 
(i.e. 
executive 
directors) 
who 
have 
the 
authority 
to 
designate 
resources 
to 
this 
issue, 
as 
well 
as 
have 
community 
presence 
and 
influence, 
to 
address 
gaps 
in 
services 
and 
training 
needs. 
Needs 
for 
program 
enhancements 
can 
be 
discussed 
and 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
needs 
can 
be 
problem 
solved. 
4. Build 
the 
capacity 
of 
collaborative 
partners 
to 
enhance 
existing 
programs 
and 
address 
service 
gaps. 
One 
strategy 
is 
to 
provide 
training 
to 
all 
partner 
agency 
staff 
as 
well 
as 
cross-¥¥agency 
training. 
Another 
strategy 
is 
to 
designate 
and 
support 
an 
agency 
individual 
as 
the 
ÒchampionÓ 
on 
this 
issue. 
This 
role 
of 
champion 
would 
be 
a 
primary 
resource 
to 
facilitate 
information 
sharing 
across 
disciplines 
as 
well 
as 
be 
a 
resource 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities. 
A 
third 
strategy 
would 
be 
for 
the 
Collaborative 
partners 
to 
build 
on 
existing 
services 
in 
order 
to 
better 
serve 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 

Safety 
First 
Initiative: 
Kansas 
City 
Collaborative 
to 
End 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
with 
Disabilities 
21 
5. Address 
the 
need 
for 
improved 
services 
by 
looking 
first 
within 
the 
core 
collaborative 
partner 
agencies. 
Issues 
of 
accessibility 
of 
facilities, 
policies, 
and 
practices 
should 
first 
be 
addressed 
by 
these 
agencies 
and 
then 
lessons 
learned 
will 
be 
valuable 
to 
share 
with 
the 
community. 
6. The 
final 
long-¥¥term 
recommendation 
is 
to 
provide 
broad-¥¥based 
community 
awareness 
with 
a 
goal 
of 
improving 
collaboration 
across 
disciplines 
and 
reducing 
the 
perceived 
stigma 
associated 
with 
the 
topic 
of 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault. 
Strategies 
for 
the 
Collaborative 
include 
providing 
leadership 
to 
community 
agencies 
in 
the 
forms 
of 
(a) 
awareness 
campaigns 
and 
training 
opportunities, 
(b) 
becoming 
a 
community 
resource 
for 
information, 
and 
(c) 
constructing 
a 
system 
of 
ongoing 
information, 
data, 
and 
response. 
The 
overarching 
finding 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
is 
that 
there 
is 
a 
pervasive 
need 
for 
basic 
information 
and 
general 
awareness 
about 
the 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
have 
experienced 
violence. 
In 
general, 
the 
reluctance 
among 
disability 
service 
providers 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
is 
telling 
of 
the 
need 
for 
relationship 
building 
between 
victim 
assistance 
agencies 
and 
disability 
service 
providers, 
combined 
with 
the 
need 
for 
information 
on 
the 
topic. 
The 
comments 
from 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
providers 
identified 
a 
commitment 
to 
serving 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
but 
unfamiliarity 
about 
how 
to 
best 
do 
so. 
Women 
with 
disabilities 
are 
often 
faced 
with 
the 
additional 
barriers 
of 
not 
being 
believed, 
not 
being 
able 
to 
get 
to 
services, 
and 
the 
assumption 
that 
services 
will 
not 
be 
appropriate 
for 
them 
because 
of 
their 
unique 
needs. 
Conducting 
the 
needs 
assessment 
has 
begun 
the 
community 
discussion 
on 
this 
issue, 
but 
much 
dialogue 
and 
relationship 
building 
is 
still 
needed 
to 
enhance 
services 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims 
and 
survivors 
of 
violence. 
In 
order 
for 
women 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
victims 
and 
survivors 
of 
violence 
to 
have 
the 
Òcomfort, 
control, 
and 
confidenceÓ 
they 
need, 
the 
Kansas 
City 
service 
system 
must 
enhance 
both 
the 
capacity 
of 
and 
coordination 
of 
victimsÕ 
services 
and 
disability 
services 
to 
appropriately 
meet 
the 
needs 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities.