Disability abuse

Disability abuse is when a person with a disability is abused physically, financially, sexually and/or psychologically due to the person being disabled. This type of abuse has also been considered a hate crime. The abuse is not limited to those who are visibly disabled or physically deformed, but also includes those with learning, intellectual and developmental disabilities or mental illnesses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), disabled people make up around 15% of the world's population. Disabled children are three times more likely to face violence than non-disabled children, and there is an approximate 50% increased risk of experiencing violence for adults with mental health conditions. Disabled people are easy targets for predators as they may not have the resources or abilities to escape an abusive situation or communicate about the occurrences. Hard of hearing persons are placed at twice the risk for neglect and emotional abuse in comparison to other disabilities and nearly four times in regards to physical abuse. Abuse can occur in multiple ways, most commonly seen as physical, emotional, or sexual. Those in the disability population tend to be at higher risk due to lacking skills to protect themselves. Examples include: deficits in communication, limited social environment, disempowerment, and intimate contact required for hygiene dependency.