ABSTRACT
Despite the fact that women with disabilities rank issues of violence as their most important research and health priorities, there has been a paucity of research on this issue. The dearth of research on violence against women with disabilities has contributed to the invisibility of this social problem (Curry, Hassouneh-Phillips, & Johnston-Silverberg, 2001). This has been the case especially regarding IPV against women with disabilities, which may have stemmed from societal myths that these women are single and asexual (Barnett et al., 2005). Research suggests, however, that intimate partners are the most common perpetrators of violence against women with disabilities (Martin et al., 2006; Milberger et al., 2003; Ridington, 1989; Young, Nosek, Howland, Chanpong, & Rintala, 1997), particularly current partners (DiazOlavarrieta, Campbell, Garcia De la Cadena, Paz, & Villa, 1999). Moreover, women with disabilities face an elevated risk for violence by their current marital/common-law partners compared to women without disabilities (Brownridge, 2006b).
