Meeting the Needs of Immigrant 
Survivors with Disabilities 

Kimber J. Nicoletti-Martínez, MSW, LCSW 


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Objectives 

• 
Understanding of the needs of immigrant survivors of 
with disabilities 
• 
Reviewing barriers to appropriate, affirming, and 
accessible services for these survivors 
• 
Discuss strategies for serving immigrant survivors with 
disabilities 
• 
Lessons learned 
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The story of Marta 


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Immigrant Survivors with 
Disabilities: What We Know 

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Why are we talking about immigrant 
survivors with disabilities? 

• 
People with disabilities are more likely to experience 
sexual violence. 
• 
NPR -people with intellectual disabilities are up to 12x more 
likely to experience SV 
• 
Department of Justice estimates between 2009-2015 that the 
rate of sexual assault and rape against people with disabilities 
was 3 times of people without disabilities. 
• 
Research has demonstrated a strong linkage of risk 
factors for sexual violence and other forms of violence 
with systemic, structural oppression (such as racism, 
ableism, xenophobia, queer and transphobia, classism, 
etc.) in underserved and historically marginalized 
populations. 
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Why are we talking about immigrant 
survivors with disabilities? (2) 

• 
Immigrant women are particularly vulnerable to sexual 
assault and other violent crimes. 
• 
Abusers often use immigration status to intimidate and 
control victims, ensuring that they will be too afraid to 
seek help or call police. 
• 
Ever-increasing immigrant populations in the United 
States 1 in 4 people has a disability – that includes in 
immigrant communities. 
• 
This could include physical, mental, intellectual disabilities 
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Immigrant survivors with 
disabilities 
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Immigrant survivors with 
disabilities 

Discrimination against immigrant 
survivors with disabilities 


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Types of abuse/exploitation: 

• 
Rape • 
Threats with physical harm 
• 
Voyeurism 
• 
Sexual assault 
• 
Hostility 
• 
Sexual Harassment 
• 
Intimidation, Verbal abuse 
• 
Retaliation 
• 
Black-listing 
• 
Sex Trafficking • 
Family members as targets 
• 
Stalking • 
Recruitment under false 
pretenses-Fraud Recruitment 
• 
Domestic Violence 
• 
Use of legal systems to 
• 
Pregnancies/ control 
Ownership 
• 
Revenge Pornography 
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What places immigrant survivors 
with disabilities at risk? 

• 
Lack of access to protection by legal or other systems 
of accountability 
• 
Communication challenges 
• 
Economic instability/poverty, creating lack of ability 
to change housing or job 
• 
Dependency on individual/system with power to 
create abuse 
• 
Ableism – less likely to be believed, hidden 
experiences 
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What places immigrant survivors 
with disabilities at risk? (2) 

• 
Immigrant status – foreigner, guest worker, 
undocumented worker, etc. 
• 
National origin, religion, race, age, etc. 
• 
Socio-economic status – poverty, limited education, etc. 
• 
Traditional attitudes concerning women in society in 
general and in work 
• 
Limited English proficient (LEP) – Almost half (46%) of all 
foreign-born workers in the U.S. are LEP. (Nearly 73% of 
LEP workers speak Spanish.) 
• 
Domestic violence at home 
• 
Continuum of violence 
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A single incident of SV can 
destabilize…. 

• 
Impact of trauma 
• 
Economic and education 
• 
Immigration status 
• 
Physical safety 
• 
Sense of well-being 
• 
Victimization can lead to or exacerbate a disability 
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Needs of immigrant survivors with 
disabilities 

Specific to Immigration 

General Needs 

Status 

• 
Physical safety • 
Sense of economic threat 
• 
Medical care • 
Safety: Immigration 
retaliation 
• 
Emotional well-being 
• 
Physical safety 
• 
Economic security 
• 
Emotional well-being 
• 
Educational stability 
• 
Accessible services 
• 
Accessible services 
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Barriers for Immigrant Survivors 
with Disabilities 

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Barriers to reporting for immigrant 
survivors with disabilities 

• 
Cultural barriers 
• 
Language barriers 
• 
Denial of of education/rights awareness 
• 
Shame/embarrassment over traumatic event 
• 
Fear of retaliation 
• 
Poverty 
• 
Isolation 
• 
Fear of court and government system 
• 
Confidentiality concerns/mandatory reporting 15 

Challenges to accessing services for 
immigrant survivors with disabilities 

• 
No comprehensive services 
• 
Lack of cultural consideration in provision of services 
• 
One advocate for several counties 
• 
Non-compliance with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) 
guidance 
• 
No culturally responsive, trauma-informed services from 
disability service providers 
• 
No accessible services at culturally specific services or victim 
services 
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Internal challenges 

• 
Cultural stigma 
• 
Lack of support system 
• 
Sexual Assault Prevention education 
• 
Immigration status 
• 
Isolation 
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External challenges 

• 
Language access 
• 
Traditional service model inaccessible 
• 
Barriers to health care 
• 
Lack of information on assistance & rights 
• 
Transportation 
• 
Anti-immigration sentiments 
• 
Discrimination 
• 
Lack of coordination among systems 
• 
Lack of investigations/prosecutions 
• 
Limits on victim’s compensation 
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Eligibility for services 


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Language barriers 

• 
Dialect 
• 
Acculturation 
• 
Attitude 
• 
Awareness 
• 
Language Barriers are more than just words 
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Distrust of the system 


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Approach to help seeking/health 


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Lack of culturally/linguistically 
appropriate services and programs 


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Overcoming Barriers 

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Understand and address layers of 
identity 

• 
Examine the layered process to developing rapport for 
the immigrant survivor with disabilities 
• 
Person with disability 
• 
Immigrant 
• 
Individuals 
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Create community connections 

• 
Have connections ever been made with Immigrant or 
culturally relevant organizations? 
• 
Disability Rights Groups or Service Providers 
• 
Victim Service Providers 
• 
Cultural Relevance regarding Role of Food 
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Provide language access 

• 
Bilingual direct service staff 
• 
Bilingual trainers 
• 
Interpretation services (ASL, other sign language, and 
spoken language) 
• 
Accessible print resources 
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• 
Education 
• 
Community 
Mobilization 
• 
Develop Allies 
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How are You Framing the Issue? 

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Framing the issue 

• 
How are your framing the issue? Are you using a 
culturally relevant framework? 
• 
What does a safe space look like this survivor? 
• 
What accessibility needs are there for this survivor? 
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Use of arts: poetry, theater, visual 
arts 

• 
Cultural history of using art as a form of 
expression 
• 
Stress relief 
• 
Facilitates dialogue 
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Questions/Discussion 

• 
Kimber Nicolleti 
• 
knicolet@purdue.edu 
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