The Disability Clothesline

Media Statement - Violence against disabled people is never OK

Tomorrow, White Ribbon Day sees the launch of New Zealand’s first Disability Clothesline, a visible statement of the ‘silent epidemic’ of abuse and violence against disabled people in New Zealand.

Pansy Wong, Associate Minister of Disability Issues, will launch the Disability Clothesline project at 10.30 am at the national office of NNSVS, Wellington. The project is a clothesline strung with t-shirts that showcase messages by and about disabled people who have been hurt, or in some cases murdered.

The Disability Clothesline will be launched on 25 November to complement the White Ribbon Day message that violence against women is not OK.

Disability Clothesline Project co-coordinator Wendi Wicks says “It’s time these issues came out from the shadows.

“Disabled people are New Zealand’s largest minority, and we’re subject to abuse and violence at shockingly high levels, which is poorly acknowledged. This project is about raising awareness of the issues and taking action to show that violence and abuse is never OK.”

Co-coordinator Robyn Hunt points to the origins of the Disability Clothesline in an innovative partnership between disabled peoples’ organisations and organisations working in the mainstream of family violence services.

“The Disability Clothesline will showcase the tee shirts disabled people have decorated with their stories of abuse and violence.

“We can finally focus on the ways abuse and violence affects disabled people in a clear, direct, visible way,” she said.

Visit the Disability Clothesline website at www.disabilityclothesline.org.nz to view video and samples of T-Shirts