Flipping the Story on Disability and Violence

Patsie Frawley, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health, University of New South Wales. Patsie has worked for almost four decades alongside people with intellectual disability, promoting rights and co-developing approaches to inclusive research.Nancy Fitzsimons, PhD, MSW, LISW, is Professor of Social Work at Minnesota State University Mankato, teaching courses on policy, advocacy, and community practice. For almost 30 years, she has been writing, developing curricula, delivering presentations, and working on initiatives focused on disability violence prevention.

• 1.Disability, Vulnerability, and Interpersonal Violence Prevention: A Flipped Social Ecological Approach. 2.The Social Level: Social Change – Rights, Opportunities, Equity, and Disability Justice. 3.The Community Level: It takes a Community. Reimagining Community and Strengthening Community Connections. 4.Relationship Level: Family, Friends, Trusted Supporters - Relational and Relationship-based Violence Prevention. 5.The Individual Level: People with Intellectual Disabilities Leading Change. 6.Creating a Global Space for Sustaining Prevention of Violence ‘By’ and ‘With’ People with Disabilities.

Patsie and Nancy’s book is a collective celebration of what is possible when people with disability take their place at the centre of their own lives and raise their voice; and what happens when their voices are listened to and a community shares accountability to act together.Sheridan Kerr, PhD, Safer Me Safer You, SHFPACT, AustraliaFlipping the Story on Disability and Violence is a must-read for anyone in the violence prevention field who supports the "Nothing About Us Without Us" motto and aims to address the societal root causes of violence against people with developmental disabilities.Katherine McLaughlin, M.Ed, CSE, Elevatus Training, USAGlobally, people with disabilities experience inequitable and unacceptable levels of violence. This contemporary text explains instructive theory, outlines new and existing evidence, and showcases effective initiatives and approaches to preventing and responding to violence against people with a disability. In doing so, it provides critical guidance to support sustained change.Brigit Mirfin-Veitch, PhD, Associate Professor and Director Donald Beasley Institute, Aotearoa New ZealandPatsie Frawley and Nancy Fitzsimons shine a light on prioritizing self-advocacy and person-centered approaches to violence prevention for individuals with intellectual disability. I encourage stakeholders to read their thought-provoking approaches.Tara Ahern, Illinois,Self-Advocacy Alliance, USAThe account is an insight into the important contribution that is made by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. We encourage others to use this resource as a tool to consider how lived experience, whether that be people of with intellectual and cognitive disabilities, victim-survivors of sexual harm, or both can inform their work.Rachael Walters, Peer Educator; Jane Barr, CEO; Alisha Gilliland, Program Manager, Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault, Victoria, AustraliaFlipping the Story on Disability and Violence by Frawley and Fitzsimons offers a groundbreaking shift in abuse prevention, centering people with intellectual disabilities. It challenges traditional models by prioritizing inclusion and empowerment. A must-read for moving upstream in prevention!Aafke Scharloo, Clinical Psychologist specializing in intellectual disability, abuse, and trauma, the Netherlands.