Freedom from Oppression: Empowering Persons with Disabilities Survivors from Violence

• In Event: Addressing Violence Among Vulnerable Populations

Abstract

Access to justice is a fundamental right of every human being. Some groups of people face difficulties in accessing the justice system due to physical, mental, and intellectual limitations. Disability is part of humans' life. Almost everyone has experienced a temporary or permanent disability at some stage in their lives. There are more than 1.3 billion people with disabilities or about 16 percent of the world’s population, and the number is constantly increasing. Persons with disabilities (PWD) are vulnerable to violence. Children and women with disabilities are more likely to be targeted by violent perpetrators. The overlapping of social identity or intersectionality is the main factor that affects the oppression and empowerment of PWD survivors. This doctoral dissertation has employed a mixed methods research approach, elucidating the empowerment of PWD survivors in the aftermath of violence within the contextual framework of Thailand. On the quantitative component, 559 respondents are service providers from Government and civil society organizations’ disability service centers. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and descriptive statistics are applied as data analysis tools. On the qualitative component, Key informant interviews (KIIs) are conducted with 25 individuals, including executives, specialists, academics, and policy-level officials from various sectors and ten (10) case studies are conducted with PWDs and caregivers who are survivors of violence and have successfully undergone the empowerment process, enabling them to transcend the impact of violence and live fulfilling lives within society. The objectives of this presentation are to present the situation of violence against PWD survivors, to examine challenges encountered in empowering PWD survivors, and to propose preventive and remedial measures enhancing the empowerment of PWD survivors by using the “6Ps Strategy” to tackle the oppression.

Authors

• Nattakarn Noree, Chulalongkorn University

• Unisa Lerdtomornsakul, Chulalongkorn University

• Vijita Rachatanantikul, Mahidol University