What you can do to be safer from violence 311
If you are blind
Blind women can lose their bearings when someone attacks
them. But you can use the attacker’s body to help you. Try to
find the place where the shoulder meets the neck. It is one
of the easiest places to find quickly and it gives you good
information about the position of the rest of his body. Then
you can hit him in his soft spots.
Ask a friend to help you practice finding the shoulder
quickly, and then finding the tender parts of the body.
Your friend can also help you practice finding a cane that is
knocked away.
Practice your skills
Lift your knee, and push it as
hard and fast as you can into
his testicles (balls).
Practicing self-defense can help you feel safer and more confident, even if you are
never assaulted. Practice having a strong, assertive attitude. Think about different
Remember, even if you
cannot defend yourself,
it is not your fault if
you are attacked or
ways to defend yourself and try them with other women.
You can organize a group so you can all learn
together. In some self-defense classes, women
practice hitting as hard as they can. They can
raped.
hit a dummy or another woman padded with
extra clothes or pillows. This is very useful for
women who are not used to fighting.
Families and caregivers can prevent abuse
Girls and women who grow up with disabilities are regularly touched, examined,
and moved around by family members, helpers, and health workers. Often this
happens without asking permission. Any woman, whether or not she
has a disability, has the right to say who can touch her. A woman’s
Families and caregivers can work to prevent sexual
body should
abuse by helping a girl learn the difference between
‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch.’ Always ask for permission
before touching her. If she needs help with personal care
always be
treated with
respect.
and daily activities, always allow her to tell you what she
wants you to do. Let her tell you how to touch or move her body in ways that are more
comfortable. Teach disabled girls to say ‘NO’ to touches they do not like.
Talk to disabled girls about rape and sexual abuse, and make sure they learn to
defend themselves.
When you raise a disabled child with love and respect, she will grow up into a
confident, assertive woman and other people will be less likely to treat her badly.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007