Housing justice serves as a vital component of violence prevention, as it directly impacts the lives of individuals with disabilities and their ability to thrive. In the United States, the lack of accessible housing poses significant challenges, with less than 1% of housing being wheelchair accessible and only a fraction of that suitable for those with moderate mobility difficulties. These statistics highlight the pressing need to address the housing crisis and ensure equal access for all. In this blog post, we will explore the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, the financial burden they experience, and the importance of incorporating their voices and needs into housing solutions.
Barriers Faced by Individuals with Disabilities: Approximately 64% of households in the US rely on assistive devices, underscoring the widespread impact of disability on housing requirements. However, the availability of accessible housing remains dismally low, with fewer than 5% of residences deemed livable for individuals with moderate mobility difficulties. This lack of accessibility perpetuates exclusion and denies individuals with disabilities the fundamental right to housing.
Financial Burden on Renters with Disabilities: A staggering reality is revealed in the financial strain faced by individuals with disabilities. In 2018 alone, over 4 million renters with disabilities spent more than half of their monthly income on rent, mortgage, and utilities. This excessive cost burden not only limits their ability to meet other essential needs but also exacerbates the cycle of poverty and inequality. It is crucial to recognize that individuals with disabilities are more likely to be extremely low-income renters, further exacerbating their housing challenges.
Discrimination and Marginalization: Discrimination against individuals with disabilities persists, contributing to their housing insecurity. They face higher rates of discrimination, limiting their choices and opportunities. To address survivor homelessness and housing insecurity effectively, it is essential to prioritize the voices and specific needs of survivors who are most impacted, including Black immigrant, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities. Unfortunately, these needs often remain an afterthought in conversations surrounding actionable solutions.
Resources for Inclusion and Change: To delve deeper into the subject, we recommend accessing the following resources:
“Housing, Disability Justice, and Sexual Violence Prevention” by Natalie Sokol-Snyder: This 4-part blog series provides valuable insights into the foundations of disability justice, reasonable accommodation mandates, independent living supports, and prevention strategies. It offers a comprehensive perspective on the intersection between housing, disability justice, and violence prevention.
“The Importance of Home Healthcare” on the Hub: Engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Jody Michele Courtney, Danielle Pitmon, and Diane Pitmon, who shed light on the significance of home healthcare in supporting individuals with disabilities and promoting accessible housing.
Pursuing Housing Justice: Interventions for Impact: this This guide profiles a series of policy and programmatic interventions that advance housing justice, as defined in Building a Housing Justice Framework: “Ensuring everyone has affordable housing that promotes health, well-being, and upward mobility by confronting historical and ongoing harms and disparities caused by structural racism and other systems of oppression.”
The journey toward housing justice and violence prevention begins with recognizing the pressing need for accessible housing for individuals with disabilities. It is essential to break down the barriers that perpetuate inequality and discrimination, ensuring that housing solutions prioritize the needs of survivors most impacted. By embracing inclusivity, advocating for policy change, and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, we can forge a path forward toward a more just and accessible future for all.
By Cierra Olivia Thomas Williams Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Indiana Disability Justice
It is sexual assault awareness month, so let’s talk about prevention! We have curated various tools and resources from the Hub and our partners for you to use to shape your prevention strategies with people with disabilities in your local community, and with current, or future stakeholders.
Our intention is that this resource kit makes it easier for preventionists and advocates to design accessible violence prevention strategies to create structural and environmental impact led by people with disabilities. We invite you to dive in and enjoy this prevention resource kit brought to you by Indiana Disability Justice (IDJ). Get your resource kit now!
(Picture Description: Luna is standing in a yard with bushes in the background. She has a black form-fitting dress and is using a red walker. Her hair is brown with bright purple tips.)
One thing my journey healing from domestic violence taught me is to advocate for myself. While on this journey, thanks to my advocate Nicole, I was given the opportunity to advocate for others. This is a desire I had for a while, but I didn’t know where to start. This opportunity was the start of a new journey, the spark of a passion I never thought I’d be able to pursue.
My name is Luna Eversong-Kloss and I’m The Differently Abled Advocate.
2 years ago, I got a call from Nicole about a panel with Indiana disability Justice that she was going to present on. She asked me if I wanted to share my experience as a disabled person and a domestic violence survivor. I would also share my thoughts on how resources for disabled survivors could improve and better support victims. It was a panel on sexual wellness and violence prevention. I was so excited she invited me. I jumped at the chance. This is the kind of thing I wanted to speak about, but I didn’t know how to get people to listen to me and here was my opportunity.
Image description: a blue background with black dots is framed with black and red. The yellow lettering says “I HAVE A VOICE” with 3 yellow lightening bolts in the upper right corner.
The day of the panel came. I was nervous and hoping that I would be able to speak and be understood. It was over a zoom call and there were lots of people in there. I was so scared that I would not be able to speak, but it turns out I found my voice. I met some great people, and we had some great discussions. I did so well on the panel that I got invited to come back a few times. And I got paid to do it. I couldn’t believe it. My voice actually had value. I’m going to be honest, as an adult with a physical disability, it was hard for me to feel like I had much value specifically in the workplace. Whenever I would speak to people online about issues in the disabled community, it seemed like nobody listened. Being abused myself, whenever I used my voice and tried to ask for help for a long time, it seemed like no one cared.
Words cannot accurately express the pride that I felt after getting feedback from these panels, from other advocates and organizations who do this kind of thing all the time. Here I was never having done anything like this before, and I actually had the power to make a real impact.
I talked to my family and my therapist and my husband about these panels and they were all really proud of me. That’s when my brother pitched the idea of me becoming a public speaker. My mom agreed that I would be really good at it. I really liked that idea. My dad had been pitching the idea for a while that I should write letters to Congress about some of the issues that myself and other disabled people were facing. But that seemed a lot more daunting than being a public speaker. Maybe becoming a public speaker will one day allow me to be able to speak to lawmakers and actually be listened to, as opposed to writing letters as an anonymous face.
Well, it took me a few months, but I finally took the plunge and launched my own website as a public speaker and advocate.
I want to help people understand that with the right support and resources, anything is possible, and I want to do so by speaking about my experience overcoming adversity while living with a disability. I want to be able to talk to organizations, lawmakers, schools, and anyone who needs to hear it about the importance of having available accessible support and resources for those with disabilities. But I also want to talk to anyone who finds themselves in a vulnerable situation struggling to find support.
Throughout my experience escaping domestic violence, and even recovering, I have found that, depending on where you live, support and resources can be scarce, especially if you are also disabled. Sometimes the available support and resources aren’t even accessible to those with disabilities, and that’s something I don’t think a lot of organizations realize. I remember not being able to go to shelter because the only shelter available to me required me to be fully independent and functioning. Some resources I encountered couldn’t help me because I was too young or because I had a child. I encountered a lot of barriers when I was trying to get help getting out of my situation, and I know that I’m not the only one out there going through the same experience. I’m definitely not the only disabled person going through this experience.
Luckily, I eventually was able to get the support I needed and form the system. But the amount of struggling I had to experience in order to do that, in my opinion, was unnecessary. I don’t want to see anyone else struggle like that to get the help that they need.
Sitting here today. I know that the support and resources that I did have and do have were essential for where I am at today. I couldn’t have gotten here on my own. I don’t even know if I would be here if it wasn’t for my support system. I never thought that I would be able to sit here today and say that I am actively recovering and that I feel strong. Now I will give credit where credit is due and say that if it wasn’t for my own determination and tenacity, I wouldn’t have got what I needed in order to be here today with you talking about this. But that support system I have has been just as essential to me finding my footing again, as my own qualities that helped me recover. I remember not that long ago I thought something like this would be impossible. Now it’s possible, and I want to show other people that. I want to share my story, my thoughts and my experience in the hope of inspiring real change. Change that will allow people like me, disabled or not, to have a better quality of life, find their strength again and to feel valuable and heard.
If you’re interested in hearing more about my story and what I’m trying to accomplish, I have blogs and video clips on my website discussing issues that people in the disabled community face as well as my own experiences. If you’re interested in speaking with me, you can book time with me on my website. Doing so is a good way to find out If you would like me to give a longer talk or be on an upcoming panel. I would love to speak with you and share my experience and my thoughts on how we can better support people in vulnerable situations, especially the disabled community.
Luna is a tattoo, model, advocate, writer, and mother of two. She also has cerebral palsy.
Luna is standing with her crutches. She has tattoos and a lip piercing. She has long brown hair’with blonde streak. Her head is cocked, and she is smiling broadly. She is wearing a black shirt with skulls and flowers.
Content caution: This article has information surrounding Sex, Bodies, Sexual health, Sexual Violence, Stigmatizing Language, Pregnancy, HIV, STDs, and Hepatitis C. This article is brought to you by Step Up Inc. An organization focused on HIV Services, Re-Entry Services, and HIV/STD/Hepatitis C Prevention.
What is a Healthy-Sexual?
It is no secret that sexual health education in schools is rare. For many decades, schools have only taught the abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education, and this is problematic for many reasons. Many school boards, and Parent Teacher Associations have left sex education for parents to educate their own children. The continual use of abstinence programs creates gaps of knowledge among so many generations of parents. Research has shown that the United States ranks first among the developed nations in rates of both teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Thus, the results of teenage pregnancy, HIV, STDs, and Hepatitis C (HCV) continue to rise among many generations, especially for young people.
As sexual health educators, we have asked many people how they find resources on sexual health education. Many people have taken on their own pursuits for knowledge with the internet. Many content creators have used their platforms on TikTok or YouTube to create comprehensive sexual health lessons for diverse bodies, genders, and sexualities (See Links Below). Although there is this wealth of content, stigma is still rampant and impacts the rising rates of infectious diseases and teen pregnancy the most. At Step Up, we have tested numerous clients that never have been tested, don’t fully understand the sex they are having, and have shame around their sexual behavior. All this shame is influenced by stigma around sex and sexual health. We must confront stigma with knowledge, language, and healthy habits to become a Healthy-Sexual.
Knowledge
It’s important to understand how diseases are transmitted so we can prepare for safer sex. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is spread via 7 fluids: Blood, Semen, Pre-Seminal fluid, Vaginal fluid, Rectal fluid, Spinal fluid, and Breast Milk (unless the mother is undetectable). When talking to our clients concerned about HIV, we will often ask if there was any blood during sex as HIV “lives” in the blood. Left untreated, HIV may progress to an AIDS diagnosis, which is determined by a low CD4 and high viral load counts.
We stress to people, especially individuals newly diagnosed with HIV, that HIV is no longer a death sentence, and we can live a long, healthy life like anyone else. There are agencies, like Step Up, with many resources for people living with HIV that can help us thrive. We may only have to take one pill a day to keep the virus undetectable. Living with HIV should not prevent anyone from having sex or relationships.
People are also unaware of Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U). Many people living with HIV have an undetectable viral load which means they cannot transmit the virus. When speaking to clients who are not living with HIV, this is an opportunity to educate them that they should not shame or be afraid to have sexual partners who are living with HIV.
STDs are common and continue to spread. Common STDs we often test for at Step-Up are Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Syphilis. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia are site specific; they can exist on your genitals, in your anal cavity, and in your throat. Syphilis is spread through the blood like HIV. It is important to note that everybody experiences STDs differently. Some people are symptomatic while some people do not show symptoms.
HCV is an infection of the liver. HCV is spread via blood and is often associated with injection drug use. Most individuals acquire HCV through sharing needles or injection equipment; however, there has been a steady increase in cases for men who have sex with men (MSM) from rough sex.
Lastly, it is important to note that there is growing evidence that people with disabilities are at higher risk of HIV transmission than people who are not disabled. People with disabilities often experience increased risk factors associated with acquiring HIV including poverty, increased vulnerability to sexual violence and abuse, limited access, to education and healthcare, and lack of information and resources needed to facilitate safer sex.
#HIVTreatmentWorks LIVE UNDETECTABLE Being undetectable means you have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to your partners through sex.
Language
It is important to talk about sex education in our communities and schools, not only to prevent transmission, but also to prevent the continual use of stigmatizing language. Working in this field, we have come across a lot of language that has further pushed stigma and the spread of HIV/STDs/HCV.
One piece of language we come across often is the word “clean.” This refers to someone’s status around HIV/STDs/HCV. Asking questions, such as “Are you clean,” perpetuates the idea that anyone living with an infectious disease is inherently “dirty.” This language not only shames community members who are living HIV/STD/HCV, but it also prevents individuals at risk from getting tested. We hear from clients that, if they don’t get tested, then they believe they never had HIV/STD/HCV in the first place. Unfortunately, this continues to increase community transmission for infectious diseases.
If people want to have safer sex and know if someone is living with HIV or an STD, it is crucial we know how to ask these questions:
“What’s your HIV status?”
“When was the last time you were tested for an STD?”
“It is important to me that we know our status before we have sex, do you want to get tested together?”
“Thank you for telling me your HIV status, are you undetectable?”
“Can we use a condom and lube to be safe?”
“You said you recently were diagnosed with an STD, have you completed your treatment?”
Person-First language is also impactful when talking about people and HIV. It’s important to understand that HIV status or STD diagnosis does not define us. Phrases such as “Are you infected”, “They have full-blown AIDS,” “HIV-ers,” and “They’re incurable” perpetuate false, negative narratives about our status and removes our sense of self from the discussion.
Below are a few examples of first-person language:
“They are living with HIV.”
“Their viral load is undetectable.”
“They have been treated for, and cured of, HCV.”
Habits
Now that we have more knowledge and language in our toolkits, let’s add some healthy habits that do our part in ending HIV/STD/HCV epidemics. The best behavior to incorporate HIV/STD/HCV prevention is to get tested regularly. Viruses can take quite some time to be detected on a laboratory test. Because of this, the CDC recommends getting tested every 3-6 months. Testing is accessible, confidential, and many organizations provide it for free, including Step Up. We can go alone, with a partner, or anyone we feel comfortable around.
Another habit to instill is to remain in treatment. If some is diagnosed with Hepatitis C, STD, or HIV, treatment is readily accessible, regardless of insurance status. Organizations like Step Up employ care coordinators who can help connect us to both medical and social services. If someone was exposed to HIV within a 72-hour window period, they can obtain a prescription for PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) to prevent transmission.
The last habit that can make us an extremely healthy-sexual is obtaining a prescription for PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). While there is no cure for HIV, we can prevent HIV by adhering to a PrEP regiment. Getting a prescription for PrEP can provide comfort when exploring your sexuality. PrEP is also beneficial for our community members who engage in injection drug use. If someone is curious about PrEP, feel free to ask the Prevention Team at Step Up.
As an HIV/STD/HCV Prevention team with people who are able, we recognize our bias and confront misinformation around people with disabilities and sex. We want to be accessible for your advocacy work. If anyone has any more questions, advice, or concerns regarding HIV/STD/HCV prevention, PrEP, or stigma, do not hesitate to contact a member of the Prevention Team at Step Up. Feel free to give us a call at 317-259-7013 or email our Education Outreach Coordinator sthomas@stepupin.org
Disability and Sexual Health Resources, Content, and Articles:
Sylvia Thomas has been at Step Up since May 2018. She graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in U.S. History in 2018. In her career, while working with people living with HIV/AIDS, Sylvia has also had experience in working in grassroots movements and in international diplomacy for Transgender Rights, Racial Justice, and Sex Work populations. While not working, she enjoys travelling, performing spoken word, and visiting local LGBTQIA+ establishments.
Conner
Conner graduated from Indiana University – Bloomington with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2018. During the latter end of his time at IU Bloomington, Conner found his passion in public health which influenced him to pursue a Master of Public Health at IUPUI. Conner focused heavily on prevention within health policy and completed his Master of Public Health in 2020. He began his professional career at the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) in the violence prevention field before transitioning to the HIV/STD field where he led quality improvement and health equity efforts throughout the state. In his free time, Conner enjoys a plethora of activities, including running with his father, playing trivia at local venues with his group of friends, and hunkering down to watch a new documentary.
