The U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report from 2012 states that “[P]ersons with disabilities remain one of the groups most at risk of being trafficked.” Victims with disabilities experience both sex and labor trafficking, with many cases including an element that is unique to people with disabilities: traffickers stealing their government benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance. Traffickers deliberately target victims they think will be easily isolated and controlled, so conditions surrounding people with disabilities, including the fact that they are marginalized, devalued, and isolated, make people with disabilities more vulnerable to this type of abuse. While there currently is no research on the rate of trafficking among Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) survivors with disabilities, it is evident that BIPOC survivors’ experiences of ableism, racism, and other forms of oppression create a situation in which they are at greater risk and encounter more barriers to getting help.

This session will explore the issues facing victims of trafficking who have disabilities, including the unique ways they are trafficked and implications for service providers. This webinar is designed for people who work with or may come in contact with survivors of human trafficking with disabilities, including disability-focused organizations and victim service organizations. Others are welcome to attend.