According to one study, in 2000 5 million crimes were committed against people with disabilities, in comparison with 1.4 million child abuse and 1 million elder abuse cases. Women with disabilities are sexually assaulted and abused at rates more than two times greater than those of women without disabilities. Adults with disabilities experience violence and abuse at least twice as often as people without disabilities. Moreover, studies have shown that only 3% of the sexual abuse cases involving people with disabilities will ever be reported. We’re working to address this. Each of our IMPACT classes includes two highly trained instructors who are part of the Triangle community and, in many cases, know our participants well. One instructor teaches verbal and physical safety skills. Another instructor serves as a model perpetrator who wears a full suit of body armor so that students can safely defend themselves using the same force needed in an attack. Overall, students learn to:
Identify Unsafe Situations
Participants learn to distinguish between safe people and those that cannot be trusted through awareness-building and assertive communication skills.skills that are most effective for them.
Respond Decisively to Unsafe Threats
A fight avoided is a fight won. Students learn verbal skills designed to de-escalate conflict, respond effectively to intimidation and stop a fight before it starts. However, since physical violence cannot always be avoided, we teach individualized self-defense skills that can deter a would-be assailant.IMPACT helps people of all abilities find the physical and verbal
Develop Self-Confidence and Power
When people with disabilities commute via public transportation, attend neighborhood events or work in the community they are sometimes perceived as easy targets by predators. IMPACT helps students develop the strong body language and verbal skills to dissuade a would-be attacker. When students complete our training they have a stronger sense of the self-confidence and the power they need to live safe, independent lives.