Let’s combat and report disability hate crimes

People First Scotland just released a new video on hate crimes against persons with intellectual disabilities.

Let’s combat and report disability hate crimes
etr People First is an organization from Scotland.
They created a video about people with intellectual disabilities
who are being bullied or hurt.
You can see the video here: http://peoplefirstscotland.org/gallery/
People with intellectual disabilities should not feel bad about themselves.
They should report bullying so it does not happen again.
Everyone should stop using hurtful words about people with intellectual
disabilities and should not make fun of them.

 

 

People First Scotland just released a new video on hate crimes against persons with intellectual disabilities. Disability hate crimes are “criminal acts perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability or perceived disability”. The Equality and Human Rights Commission 2011 report stated that: “harassment is a common place experience for people with disabilities but a culture of disbelief and systemic institutional failures are preventing it from being tackled effectively.”

In Scotland, the official number of crimes committed against people with disabilities has increased. This does not necessarily mean that more crimes of this type are happening, but could imply that more of them are reported. The video created by People First Scotland aims to empower people with intellectual disabilities, helping them understand that they do not deserve to be bullied and to influence the laws and policies that affect them. As such the video presents different types of hate crimes and incidents that people with intellectual disabilities could experience.

People with intellectual disabilities who are victims of hate crimes are often attacked on the street or in public transport. Frightened by acts of cruel harassment, people with intellectual disabilities are often scared to go out, even to go to the shop buy their groceries. This video intends to encourage them to find support and report these incidents. However, people with intellectual disabilities are often taught by their relatives and social workers to ignore abuse. Sometimes, despite reporting such incidents, no actions are taken and people with intellectual disabilities can get discouraged that nothing is done.

The video puts forward an important question: Why are people with disabilities much more often victims of crimes in everyday life?

One of the causes underlined in the video is the abusive language used when referring to persons with intellectual disabilities. Recently, the Anti-bullying alliance’s survey revealed that 1 out of 10 adults have used abusive language towards a disabled person. Indeed, some discriminatory language, still commonly used in casual conversations, perpetuates and normalizes bullying behaviour. Using these hurtful words, implying that persons with disabilities can be seen as objects to make fun of, contributes to creating stigma, which often leads to hate. The video recalls some horrific examples of hate that even led to the death of persons with intellectual disabilities.

People First’s video is a call to act and support change. Everyone, whether social worker, teacher or simple public transport user, witnessing an act of bullying, has to recognize hate and to challenge it in order to stop the prejudice that people with intellectual disabilities face on a day-to-day basis.

Our work brings the voice of people with intellectual disabilities and their families where decisions about their future are made.

This has always been incredibly important. It is even more so with the Covid pandemic drastic impact on their rights and lives.

Being visible and vocal on issues directly affecting millions of people requires your support. 

Become Inclusion Europe supporter and help us keep doing our work.

 

 

Search
Archives
back-to-top