Project to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities

The Montana Center on Disabilities at Montana State University-Billings has received a $325,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Civil Rights, to establish a Montana Project to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities.

The primary benefactors of the project will be women with disabilities. Additionally, disability service organizations and victim service organizations will benefit through education, technical assistance, and outreach activities.

A 1996 survey that asked women with a variety of disabilities to rank the most important research topics affecting their lives was used as the basis for the grant. "Over 90% ranked violence as their top priority," said Linda Henry, who is the director for this new project.

We were able to pull together a unique group of partners to plan and implement this project including the Montana Center on Disabilities, the Billings Area Family Violence Task Force, the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Montana Mental Health Association, Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow, and the Montana Independent Living Project.

The goals of the project are as follows:

1) Cross-training to project partners on domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking as it relates to women with disabilities, as well as on disability awareness, discrimination, and accessibility;

2) Outreach to a minimum of 40 organizations serving women with disabilities;

3) Develop or revise education and outreach materials and distribute to a minimum of 100 community organizations;

4) Develop or revise a minimum of six training modules related to violence against women with disabilities;

5) Train a minimum of 50 shelter and victim service organizations on federal and state anti-discrimination laws, accessibility, and the nature of disability;

6) Coordinate three statewide conferences focusing on violence against women with disabilities;

7) Convene quarterly statewide advisory council meetings, and four bi-annual community meetings that will service as conduits for sustainability of services. Products created under this project include an accessibility audit, which will offer no, low, and high cost solutions to enhancing accessibility, and six training modules.

For more information about the new Montana Project to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities, call Linda Henry at the Montana Center on Disabilities at MSU-Billings, at (406) 657-2083 or (888) 866-3822 (voice/TDD).