A compelling, powerful book about abuse told from the perspective of people with disabilities themselves. Through personal stories and poetry, readers come to understand how familial, care provider, institutional and societal abuses cause people physical, financial, and psychological harm and rob people of their dignity and sense of self-worth. Yet, the true power of this book is that it is about hopefulness, survival and empowerment, not hopelessness and victimhood. This book invites readers to examine how their own attitudes, actions and inactions perpetuate the problem. People with disabilities and allies cannot help but be moved to take action – individual or collective, big or small – to raise awareness of the abuse, break down barriers, change systems and ultimately stop the silent acceptance of violence and abuse of people with disabilities.

Even more important than making sure programs have the necessary skills and technology to work with disabled survivors of abuse is understanding the inherent knowledge and capacity each individual has to discover and put into action his or her own path to healing and recovery. The stories in this book provide a good starting point for understanding how disabled people who have been abused can defy and resist that abuse and so become empowered, not only to make a difference for themselves, but also for others.

A must-read for all who work to end violence, whether in medical settings, at home, or in the world at large.