Knowing what to expect after experiencing abuse can be difficult – no matter whether the abuse is verbal, physical, sexual or financial. For individuals with an intellectual or development disability, navigating the state reporting and investigation process can be overwhelming.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development, the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities for the state of Missouri, in cooperation with the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council, has published a new online resource called After Abuse: Resources for Missourians with Disabilities to help people with disabilities learn about abuse and what happens when it is reported.
The project includes supportive toolkits that include overviews, easy readers and videos that guide survivors and their allies through the process of understanding abuse. Survivors learn how to make a report, participate in the investigation and work through what happens after the investigation.
“Once a person reports the abuse to the state investigation systems, so much is out of the individual’s control,” says Amelia Reighard, principal investigator for the project. “These resources highlight opportunities where survivors can make decisions regarding their personal safety, their own healing and own their own story and experience after abuse.”
For more information on After Abuse: Resources for Missourians with Disabilities, go to www.AfterAbuseMoGuide.com.
