People with disabilities

People with disabilities tend to be victims of violence more often than people without disabilities. This can be attributed to a number of factors, but ultimately boils down to an increase in perceived vulnerability, which is in turn affected by socio-cultural norms, values and beliefs about their ability status. People with intellectual disabilities are especially at risk for sexual violence, as they are often seen as either incapable of reporting an offense or unlikely to be believed by authority figures.

Request a restraining order

Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities Abuse Prevention Act (EPPDAPA) restraining orders are used to protect elderly and disabled Oregonians from a variety of abuses including physical, verbal, and financial abuse. You (or your guardian) may apply for an EPPDAPA restraining order against anyone who has committed abuse against you in the last 180 days.

1. Age or Disability

To be eligible for an EPPDAPA, you must be either:

  • 65 years or older;
  • A person with a disability. Disability is defined as having either:
    • A physical or mental impairment that sub-stantially limits one or more major life activities, or
    • A brain injury caused by extrinsic forces that results in loss of function for a sufficient time so as to affect your ability to perform activities of daily living;

OR

  • The guardian or guardian ad litem of an elderly person or person with a disability.

2. Abuse

In the last 180 days,* the person who abused you must have:

  • Caused you physical injury or inflicted pain;
  • Neglected you, resulting in physical harm;
  • Abandoned, neglected, or deserted you (if that person was your caregiver and had a duty to care for you);
  • Threatened you, called you offensive or derogatory names, cursed at you, made inappropriate sexual comments toward you, or otherwise verbally abused you, in such a way as to threaten physical or emotional harm;
  • Forced you to engage in nonconsensual sexual contact; or
  • Wrongfully took money or property from you.

* Any time period when the person who abused you was in jail or lived more than 100 miles from your home does not count as part of the 180 day period.

3. Continued Threat of Abuse

You also must be in immediate and present danger of further abuse.

Information from OregonLawHelp.org.

External links

Disaster preparedness

Natural and human-caused disasters often have disproportionate impacts on people with disabilities. Additionally, domestic violence and sexual assault perpetration rates increase in the aftermath of disasters.

Home modifications

topics:
Anti-oppression
Deaf and hard of hearing
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The Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equity and social change in order to end violence for all communities.