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From: mn5y@krebs.acc.Virginia.EDU (Mukund Nori)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Training disABLED people re: sexual assault
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Date: 3 Sep 90 04:48:00 GMT
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Reply-To: mn5y@krebs.acc.Virginia.EDU (Mukund Nori)
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Index Number: 10024

I am a volunteer with the locas rape crisis center (for those who
don't know) and have recently conducted a short awareness program
re: sexual assault at the Independence Resource Center (IRC) in
town.  This was the result of almost 2 years of work trying to get
the people at IRC to believe that I was sincere.  My thanks to all
those who gave me advice and help on how to approach these issues
with people with disabilities (PWDs), especially to Ed Arnold, a
frequent contributor, who sent me some stuff as well as provided me
a way to get in touch with people who set up similar programs in
Colorado.

With help, I was able to do a good enough job that the IRC has
offered to teach two of our trained volunteers ASL.  The success of
my talk/visit was really more apparent when a blind person wanted
to be trained in sexual assault issues, what to do and how to do
it.  Now here comes the zinger:  we of course, do very much want to
train this lady as she will then be the first person that other
PWDs would be referred to and be a liaison between them and us.
However, this is the first time anyone of us has had to deal with
such emotional and difficult issues with a disABLED person.  I
believe we will do a good job in general, but am somewhat concerned
about language and presentationto this lady.  I do not want to
treat her as a precious vase, as the saying goes, neither do I want
to insult/hurt her by unintentionally doing/saying something that
could be construed as such.  I guess I am asking for any tips and
suggestions, especially from PWDs, as to what I shoud look out for
in myself and my other colleagues involved in the training program
and how to avoid/recitfy them.  Thanks in advance.

 ******************************************************************
 ___Raistlin___  			Mukund Nori
 Raistlin@Virginia.EDU			mn5y@krebs.acc.Virginia.EDU
      "VIOLENCE IS THE LAST RESORT OF THE INCOMPETENT" Asimov