Data show more disabled women unhoused from abuse [Video]

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. –

New data show women with disabilities are more likely to be forced into homelessness because of violence or abuse.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission and the federal housing advocate unveiled the findings in a joint statement Tuesday, saying 63 per cent of women with disabilities who experienced homelessness said it was because of violence.

By comparison, 54 per cent of women without disabilities said they experienced homelessness because of abuse.

Vicky Levack, a spokesperson for the Disability Rights Coalition of Nova Scotia, says the findings are not surprising to her, nor would they be to other people with disabilities.

Levack says women with disabilities face a higher risk of abuse or violence, often at the hands of their caregivers, their romantic partners or both.

She says few women’s shelters are accessible or can provide care for people with disabilities, so women in abusive situations often find themselves without the housing …