WisconsinÕs Violence Against Women with 
Disabilities and Deaf Women Project 

Collaboration Charter and History 

WisconsinÕs collaborative grant addressing violence 
against women with disabilities and Deaf women 
provided the impetus to formalize a nearly ten-year 
collaboration among three statewide organizations: 

¥ 
Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) 
¥ 
Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) and 
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Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA). 
Reflecting our past relationships while forging a more strengthened and 
sustainable effort, we hereby establish this collaboration charter. 

Vision 

Women with disabilities and deaf/Deaf women who experience sexual 
assault and/or domestic violence will be supported by people who have 
actively prepared for access and who think about the meaning of 
respect one woman at a time. 

Mission 

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Community alliances are created that embrace a commitment to a person-
centered approach to safety and accessibility for women victims/survivors 
with disabilities and Deaf women. 
¥ 
Disability, domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) organizations and 
staff alike recognize that responding to women with disabilities and Deaf 
women who have experienced or are experiencing violence is a core 
component of their services. 
¥ 
The ProjectÕs organizations individually and collaboratively operate with 
accessibility and violence against women with disabilities and Deaf women 
as priority issues infused throughout organizational policies, procedures and 
strategic planning. 
¥ 
Community efforts continue throughout Wisconsin to enhance skills and 
capacity to best serve women victims with disabilities and Deaf women. 
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Collaborative History 

The three collaboration organizations have established long-term working 
relationships with one another. For nearly ten years, DRW has worked 
collaboratively in a number of ways with WCADV and WCASA. WCADV and 
WCASA have participated in a variety of collaborative efforts since 1995. DRW, 
WCADV and WCASA staff has conducted training workshops at a number of 
events sponsored by each of their organizations. DRW worked with WCASA on 
the development of a number of materials focused on sexual assault of women 
with disabilities. Review of WCADV produced booklets on domestic violence 
and women with disabilities also was performed by DRW staff. WCADV, WCASA, 
and DRW staff all serve together on a number of statewide workgroups that are 
developing policy and protocols for responding to women with disabilities and 
Deaf women who are experiencing violence. DRW, WCADV and WCASA all 
refer individual cases to one another when appropriate. 

Currently all three organizations are collaborating successfully on a three-year 
(FY06-09) statewide OVW-funded Education and Technical Assistance Project to 
End Violence Against Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women. (All three 
organizations also worked as a collaborative team on two prior, two-year (FYs 
02-04/04-06) OVW-Funded Education Technical Assistance Project to End 
Violence Against Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women.) These project 
grants have involved DRW, WCADV and WCASA working together to plan and 
design project activities, conduct regional and statewide training, develop a 
variety of written materials, and team up to provide technical assistance to 
sexual assault, domestic violence and disability organizations. 

Values and Assumptions 

¥ 
Collaboration organizations are committed to ensuring that the objectives 
and activities we undertake are sustained beyond the life of this Project, and 
are centered around: 
o 
the voices of women with disabilities and Deaf women, especially those 
who are victims/survivors of domestic violence (DV), sexual assault (SA) and 
stalking; 
o 
the paramount importance of victim safety in all of its undertakings; and 
o 
the fundamental importance of equal and meaningful physical, 
programmatic, communicative and attitudinal access through 
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act and the federal Fair Housing Act. 
¥ 
Our collaborative relationship is built on a foundation of trust, credibility and 
accountability between and among each of the members. 
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¥ 
DRW, WCADV and WCASA ourselves have a responsibility to model 
accessibility in attitudes, policies, communication and physical space. 
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The collaborative recognizes, respects and utilizes the specific expertise of 
each other. 
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Each organization believes that through multi-faceted technical assistance 
strategies, our role is to cultivate capacity among community-based direct 
service organizations to enhance their skills, service capacity, accessibility 
and confidence to advocate and support women victims/survivors with 
disabilities and Deaf women. 
¥ 
We recognize that there are different perspectives about who a person with a 
disability is. Not all individuals self-identify as a Òperson with a disability.Ó The 
ProjectÕs approach and strategies promote following an individualÕs lead 
about how she characterizes herself. However, for the purposes of a legal 
framework, this Project defines Òindividuals with disabilitiesÓ in accordance 
with the definition contained in the Americans with Disabilities Act: 
o 
ÒDisabilityÓ means, with respect to an individual, (A) a physical or 
mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major 
life activities of such individual; (B) a record of such an impairment; 
or (C) being regarded as having such an impairment. (42 U.S.C. ¤ 
12102(2)). 
Definitions 

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Accessibility: A broad concept that necessitates anticipating, reducing and 
eliminating physical, procedural, cultural and attitudinal barriers that inhibit a 
person with any disability or a Deaf person from experiencing meaningful 
advocacy and supportive services as a result of domestic violence, sexual 
assault or stalking. Through ongoing assessment and implementation, 
meaningful accessibility extends beyond meeting the minimum legal 
standards embodied within the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation 
Act of 1973, and Fair Housing Act to embrace equality and inclusion for all. 
¥ 
Collaboration: Generally, it means that everything we do as a collaborative, 
we do together! Collaboration is action among multi-faceted individuals 
and organizations working to achieve a common cause. Its group dynamics 
involve mutual accountability, responsibility, and trust. It requires frequent, 
open and clear communication among all collaborative participants, 
collective clarity about our mission, purpose and strategies, and a 
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recognition that the more we learn and grow with each other, the more we 
are able to accomplish Ð individually as organizations and collectively. are able to accomplish Ð individually as organizations and collectively. 

¥ 
Disabilities: Women (people) with disabilities can be categorized and 
defined for diagnostic or statistical reasons, but not in any helpful or practical 
way, for our purposes. Women with disabilities are more than an 
ÒimpairmentÓ or Òlimitation.Ó They are whole and individual. Each has her 
own personality, life experiences, sense of humor, values, strengths, and ways 
of learning and communicating. Each is also someone who might have a 
past or ongoing problem due to violence in her life. Labels used to describe 
people with disabilities include: developmental, intellectual, physical, 
sensory, and psychiatric. Many Deaf do not consider themselves to have 
disabilities. 
The most important answer to the question, ÒWho are women with 
disabilities?Ó is this: 


they are mothers, sisters, friends, daughters, wives, girlfriends, lovers, 
nieces, cousins, aunts, neighbors, coworkers.... They are professional 
people and blue collar workers. Some are employed and some cannot 
find employment. Some have observable characteristics and many have 
disabilities that are invisible. They are women. 

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Domestic abuse: Domestic abuse is a pattern of coercive tactics that are 
used to gain and maintain power and control in an ongoing, familiar 
relationship. Generally, several forms of abuse, such as psychological, 
emotional, physical, sexual and/or economic, are used in combination. 
Abusers believe they are entitled to control how their victims think, feel and 
behave. This control extends to the entire household, and children in the 
home are harmed by the behavior and parenting tactics of the abuser. 
Physical and sexual violence may be a component of the abuse but some 
victims are controlled through intimidation, threats, emotional and 
psychological abuse and isolation Ð no physical abuse is necessary to control 
the victim. In an abusive relationship, one party fears the other and attempts 
to comply with the otherÕs wishes to avoid harm. 
Anyone can become a victim of domestic abuse. Abuse occurs in all racial, 
ethnic, economic, religious age groups and across the lifespan. Victims are 
primarily female, although men also can be harmed. Abusers who use 
power and control to gain and maintain power and control include spouses, 
partners, adult children or other family members, caregivers or others with 
whom the victim has an ongoing, trusted relationship. Intimate partners may 
be of the same sex or opposite sex. 

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Sexual assault: Sexual assault or abuse is an act of violence where sex is 
used as the weapon. Assaults are motivated primarily out of a sense of 
entitlement and/or a need to feel powerful by controlling, dominating or 
humiliating the victim. Victims/survivors of sexual assault are forced, coerced 
and/or manipulated to participate in unwanted sexual activity. 
Victims/survivors can be of any race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic 
status, age or ability. Perpetrators often are known and/or trusted 
by the victim/survivor. The perpetrator often believes that he or she can get 
away with the crime either because the victim will be afraid to tell or 
because s/he is unlikely to be believed if s/he does tell. Victims/survivors do 
not cause their assaults and are not to blame. Offenders are responsible for 
the assaults. 
¥ 
Stalking: Stalking comprises an ongoing pattern of tactics that will intimidate 
and instill fear used by a person to gain and maintain control, or to establish 
a relationship with a victim. There is no one psychological or behavioral 
profile for stalkers. 
Confidentiality 

As individuals and organizations in this collaboration, we abide by a 
confidentiality standard that includes mutual respect, integrity and 
accountability. Any personal experiences shared among collaboration 
members through any means of communication shall remain confidential. Any 
information shared among collaboration members regarding a specific 
victim/survivor, DV, SA or disability agency, or any other individual or 
organization involved with this Project shall remain confidential. The 
collaborative also recognizes that there are specific statutes and regulations 
that impact each of our organizationÕs confidentiality requirements under 
specified circumstances (e.g., WisconsinÕs non-disclosure law that prohibits 
domestic violence programs from acknowledging whether any person is 
receiving or has ever received domestic violence services; Attorney-client 
privilege between clients of Disability Rights Wisconsin (P&A) and DRW staff; or 
advocate/victim privilege between DV and SA advocates and their clients). 

Confidentiality also applies to the collaborationÕs on-site accessibility 
assessments of DV and SA programs. Each organization and the assessment 
team members recognize that lack of compliance by a DV or SA program has 
potential legal consequences. Assessment Team members are expected to 
maintain confidentiality about assessment findings. Because Disability Rights 
Wisconsin serves as WisconsinÕs designated protection and advocacy agency, 
the collaboration understands the legal implications of DRW involvement with 
assessed programs. The Team states verbally throughout the assessment and in 
writing that an agency participating in an accessibility assessment is not a client 

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of DRW (as the P&A) and the written assessment findings report is intended as 
technical assistance and not to create an attorney-client relationship. The 
information in the report is of a general nature and is not meant to apply to any 
specific situation involving a particular individual. We also emphasize that the 
written report is the DV or SA agencyÕs to decide with whom to share it; 
however, we reiterate that the agencyÕs participation in an assessment does not 
preclude DRW from pursuing any individualÕs discrimination complaint regarding 
the agencyÕs accessibility and services. 
assessment findings report is intended as 
technical assistance and not to create an attorney-client relationship. The 
information in the report is of a general nature and is not meant to apply to any 
specific situation involving a particular individual. We also emphasize that the 
written report is the DV or SA agencyÕs to decide with whom to share it; 
however, we reiterate that the agencyÕs participation in an assessment does not 
preclude DRW from pursuing any individualÕs discrimination complaint regarding 
the agencyÕs accessibility and services. 

Timelines 

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Ongoing throughout Project: 
o 
Attend and participate in OVW-sponsored grantee meetings, 
o 
Consult with and utilize technical assistance opportunities from Vera 
InstituteÕs Accessing Safety Initiative and 
o 
Initiate or enhance informal information sharing and networking with 
and among other grantees. 
¥ 
Develop a charter reflecting the intentions, philosophy, processes and 
operation of the core collaboration team. (May-June 2007) 
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Consult with Vera Institute regarding collaboration Charter. (July 2007) 
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Submit Collaboration Charter to OVW for comment, review and approval. 
¥ 
Review information gleaned from the last four years of the project; including 
review of the independent evaluation and comments/reflections from all 
project-related activities. Compile information into a foundation document 
for the needs assessment phase. (June-July 2007) 
¥ 
Converse with groups of individuals/constituencies about their interest in 
assisting with the needs assessment phase of the Project. (April-September 
2007) 
¥ 
Consult with Vera Institute in developing a needs assessment plan and 
accompanying materials. (October 2007) 
¥ 
Submit draft needs assessment plan and materials to OVW for comment, 
review and approval. (December 2007) 
¥ 
Make modifications to needs assessment plan and/or materials accordingly. 
(January 2008) 
¥ 
Implement needs assessment. (January 2008-March 2008) 
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¥ 
Compile and analyze needs assessment results. (March 2008) 
¥ 
Based on needs assessment results, develop a strategic plan for Project 
activities for the implementation phase in Years 2 & 3. (March-April 2008) 
¥ 
Consult with Vera Institute in developing and fine-tuning the strategic plan. 
(April 2008) 
¥ 
Submit the draft strategic plan to OVW for comment, review and approval. 
(April 2008) 
¥ 
Revisit Collaboration Charter roles and responsibilities as Team begins the 
implementation phase. Make charter modifications as needed. (Following 
Needs Assessment Planning phase and following Strategic Planning phase.) 
Members of the Collaboration 

In the Assessment and Planning stages, Project activities will be implemented 
using a collaborative arrangement of three primary partners who are well 
respected statewide organizations (and who have been nationally recognized 
for their work): Disability Rights Wisconsin, Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic 
Violence, and Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault. All three have been 
working closely together re: women with disabilities and Deaf women who have 
been victims/survivors of violence. This current collaboration has been highly 
successful and each of the partners has indicated their eagerness to continue it. 
We agree to work together on the majority of Project activities. The partners 
already have established respectful and comfortable relationships with each 
other which enhances creative problem solving and teaming up, and are well 
aware of each otherÕs skills and areas of expertise. This Project will continue to 
capitalize on our collective strengths. 

The collaborative membership may expand and/or involve additional 
subgroups in response to the needs assessment results and/or strategic plan. 

Member Roles and Contributions 

As we have operated for the past five years under our OVW-funded Education 
and Technical Assistance grants, our multi-disciplinary team agrees to plan and 
implement all project activities together. There will be some areas in which the 
specific expertise of a partner organization will be utilized more heavily than the 
other partners, and in those situations, that partner will assume a leadership role 
in planning or implementation of that particular activity. 

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The following diagram identifies the relationships and individuals who will 
participate on the Project planning and development team. At this point in 
time, we have selected those individuals who have knowledge and areas of 
expertise which we believe will be applicable to the planning and assessment 
stage of the Project. Once the planning phase is completed and the Project 
activities are clearly identified, we will be able to designate which persons will 
be involved in implementation of each of the specific Project activities. 
participate on the Project planning and development team. At this point in 
time, we have selected those individuals who have knowledge and areas of 
expertise which we believe will be applicable to the planning and assessment 
stage of the Project. Once the planning phase is completed and the Project 
activities are clearly identified, we will be able to designate which persons will 
be involved in implementation of each of the specific Project activities. 

Day-to-Day Project decision-makers will have regular ongoing contact, 
including meeting together at least once each month (and more frequently, if 
necessary), along with frequent phone and email contact. Key decision-makers 
for each of the partner organizations will attend the monthly Project team 
meetings every other month, or more often if necessary, and receive ongoing 
communication of Project plans, decisions, activities and discussion. In 
addition, each of the Day-to-Day Project decision-makers maintains intraorganizational 
communication within her organization to infuse Project direction 
and action within her respective organization. 

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Day-to-Day Project Decision-Makers: 
DRW: Amy Judy 
WCADV: C.J. Doxtater 
WCASA: Tiffany Lodholz 
WisconsinÕs Violence Against Women with Disabilities 
& Deaf Women Project 
Disability Rights 
Wisconsin (DRW) 
Key Organizational 
Decision-Maker: 
Joan Karan, Assistant 
Director 
Trainer: Mark Sweet 
ADA Attorney: Jodi Hanna 
Mental Health Attorney: 
Dianne Greenley 
Advocacy Specialist: 
Karen Lane 
Wisconsin Coalition 
Against Domestic 
Violence (WCADV) 
Key Organizational Decision-
Maker: Patti Seger, 
Executive Director 
Members Services Director: 
Diane Wolff 
Wisconsin Coalition 
Against Sexual Assault 
(WCASA) 
Key Organizational Decision-
Maker: Armintie Moore-
Hammonds, Associate 
Director 
Program Development 
Coordinator: vacant 
Day-to-Day Project Decision-Makers: 
DRW: Amy Judy 
WCADV: C.J. Doxtater 
WCASA: Tiffany Lodholz 
WisconsinÕs Violence Against Women with Disabilities 
& Deaf Women Project 
Disability Rights 
Wisconsin (DRW) 
Key Organizational 
Decision-Maker: 
Joan Karan, Assistant 
Director 
Trainer: Mark Sweet 
ADA Attorney: Jodi Hanna 
Mental Health Attorney: 
Dianne Greenley 
Advocacy Specialist: 
Karen Lane 
Wisconsin Coalition 
Against Domestic 
Violence (WCADV) 
Key Organizational Decision-
Maker: Patti Seger, 
Executive Director 
Members Services Director: 
Diane Wolff 
Wisconsin Coalition 
Against Sexual Assault 
(WCASA) 
Key Organizational Decision-
Maker: Armintie Moore-
Hammonds, Associate 
Director 
Program Development 
Coordinator: vacant 
A. 
Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) 
1. 
DRW will be the lead agency for the Project and will assume responsibility 
for the overall ProjectÕs programmatic and fiscal performance. 
2. 
DRW will develop subcontracts with each of the Project Team partners 
and will negotiate and administer contracts with any Project consultants 
and Non-Project Partners. 
3. 
DRW will convene and facilitate the planning and development team 
meetings and other aspects of the planning and assessment stages of the 
Project. 
4. 
DRW will convene and facilitate monthly meetings of the Project team. 
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5. 
DRW will prepare and submit all required grant progress reports and 
financial reports. 
B. 
Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) 
1. 
DRW will subcontract with WCADV for their participation in the 
planning and assessment stage of the project and implementation 
of project activities to be determined during the planning and 
assessment phase. 
2. 
Designated WCADV staff will participate on the Project planning 
and development team. 
3. 
Designated WCADV staff will attend monthly Project Partner 
meetings. 
C. 
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA) 
1. 
DRW will subcontract with WCASA for their participation in the 
planning and assessment stage of the Project and implementation 
of Project activities to be determined during the planning and 
assessment phase. 
2. 
Designated WCASA staff will participate in monthly Project Team 
meetings. 
3. 
Designated WCASA staff will participate on the Project planning 
and development team. 
Communication Among the Partner Organizations 

¥ 
Respectful and effective communication among the collaboration 
organizations has proven to be dependent upon the three different agencies 
having open, clear, and frequent communication through a variety of 
methods. 
¥ 
We utilize both formal and informal means to promote and ensure effective 
communication. 
¥ 
We employ and participate in decisions and discussions via face-to-face 
dialogue, e-mail, hard mail and scheduled meetings of the collaborative. 
¥ 
To achieve and maintain effective communication our interactions often 
occur outside of regularly scheduled meetings and might involve face-toface 
discussions as needed. 
¥ 
To facilitate mutual understanding among all Team members, we have 
developed common terminology and vocabulary that is used by all three 
organizations in our work addressing violence against women with disabilities 
and Deaf women. 
Strategies and methods for communication with the larger community, such as 
community leaders, will be developed collaboratively as we identify and 

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broaden our involvement with other key stakeholders throughout the different 
phases of this Project. 
throughout the different 
phases of this Project. 

Decision Making/Conflict Resolution Process 

Decision-Making Process 
Our decision making process is one that is grounded in open communication. 
As a collaborative, we agree to respect and follow the decision making and 
conflict resolution processes described below: 


¥ 
Programmatic decisions will be made by consensus; 
¥ 
Since programmatic decisions drive the budget, especially as the strategic 
plan is developed, DRW will make final budget decisions resulting from the 
strategic plan; 
¥ 
If a budget issue were to arise that conflicted with the agreed-to program 
activity, DRW agrees to consult with WCASA and WCADV to build consensus 
for alternatives; 
¥ 
Project Coordinator is empowered to make logistical and administrative 
decisions related to programming activities independently; 
¥ 
Technical assistance requests made to any Team organization that fall within 
the scope of the strategic plan will be responded to by each individual 
organization without needing to consult with the other two collaborative 
agencies; however, each organization agrees to record and report the 
technical assistance information for inclusion in its monthly reports to DRW. 
This technical assistance information is then compiled for inclusion in Project 
Progress Reports to OVW. 
Conflict Resolution Process 
The Team believes that conflict resolution itself is a component of our overall 
decision-making process. As a result, if the Team were unable to reach 
consensus regarding a programmatic issue, the following process would be 
followed: 

¥ 
Team agrees not to force a decision at that time Ð to allow for a Òcooling offÓ 
period; 
¥ 
Each Team member will agree that we will revisit the issue at another, agreed 
to time. 
¥ 
We will strive to exchange questions about our differences versus making 
statements that reinforce a closed discussion. 
¥ 
When the Team revisits the issue of conflict, ideas will be considered and the 
Team then will determine whether it is able to reach consensus; 
¥ 
If consensus remains unattainable, each Team organization will receive one 
vote. The majority position will be followed. 
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Meetings 

As the lead agency for the Project, DRW assumes administrative responsibility 
for, convenes and facilitates the ongoing regular monthly planning and 
development meetings of the Project team. If more frequent meetings are 
needed, the primary Project staff together will schedule the meetings. Meetings 
are scheduled and agendas are devised in advance with input from each 
organization. Every possible effort is made to hold our meetings at locations that 
are accessible. 

Early on in our collaborative relationship, the Team agreed by consensus that 
the facilitator for each meeting would be Amy Judy from Disability Rights 
Wisconsin. The Team acknowledged that this arrangement has worked quite 
well for the collaborative members. This establishment of standard meeting 
guidelines has helped to keep meetings on track and has ensured that they are 
productive, with a starting and ending time. Notes are taken during the 
meeting and distributed to all members. 

Modifications and/or Additions 

The collaborationÕs intent in creating this collaboration charter reflects our 
collective understanding that the charter is designed to be fluid. We expect this 
charter to undergo changes that will reflect the collaborationÕs progress through 
the various stages of this grant. Any modifications and/or additions to this 
collaboration charter must be agreed to by all collaborative organizations. 

Collaboratively developed and agreed to on August 16, 2007; updated January 
2008. 

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