Keeping an open door: Past problems, best practices, and future directions for working with interpersonal violence survivors with disabilities

The experiences of survivors of interpersonal violence who have disabilities are shaped by a complex array of both disability- and violence-related factors. Additionally, each survivor's experiences and needs are further influenced by the intersection of other aspects of identity, such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This web of intersectionality often makes it difficult for survivors with disabilities to access support that is both physically and programmatically accessible to them and also capable of meeting their needs in a culturally competent manner. In this chapter, we propose a "no wrong door" model in which providers work in a collaborative and consultative manner to provide culturally competent, accessible, and effective services to survivors with disabilities regardless of where they first seek help.