Reaching out to women with disabilities
ILLINOIS -- Women's advocacy groups throughout Illinois have begun strengthening their systems to better help women. More specifically, women with disabilities.
Groups like Quanada and DHS are working to create programs for training and support groups for a variety of businesses and organizations.
"What seems to go unnoticed is the claims. They don't feel comfortable reporting it because they have a disability. They feel that people won't believe them, they feel like they deserve it, like some people do. So they don't report it. So we want them to know that they are valued. They are important. They need to report it. It will help others and hopefully prevent future occurences," said Glenda Farkas with the Western Central Illinois Center for Independent Lliving.
Farkas says the state hopes to have all the programs in place by the Fall of 2011.
"We've already developed some support groups through Quanada that some of the people that sit on this group at large have said are needed in different areas and different times, that Quanada had never come in contact with because they'd never come forth. So we were able to touch a few of those, which just the support group alone is a tremendous help in making it convenient for the women to get to," said Farkas.
If you or someone you know needs help, organizations like Quanada and WCI's Center for Independent Living are always on call.
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