ATTACKED FOR BEING DISABLED

With disability hate crimes on the increase, one woman shares her shocking story with us

- ASHLEIGH PAGE

Imagine being targeted, bullied or attacked just because you are different. That is the reality many disabled people face on a  daily basis, and the situation isn’t improving. Almost a quarter of the UK population has a disability, whether it’s physical, such as needing a wheelchair, or an ‘invisible’ disability such as a learning impairment. But while some studies show that public perception of those with disabilities has improved over the last few years, last year reports of hate crimes relating to disability rose by 25% from the year before.

Shocking research from not-forprofit support provider Dimensions exposes how some perceive disabled people. A fifth of the public have laughed at someone, called someone names or avoided talking to someone – and appallingly, more than 1 in 10 adults under 35 have physically hurt someone because of their learning disability.

However, only 1% of disabilityrelated hate crimes end in criminal charges, leaving disabled people feeling vulnerable, scared and unsupported by the police.

One disabled woman tells us some of the horrific experiences she’s endured…

‘They wheeled me away and made sexual threats’