Not on the Radar: Sexual Assault of College Students With Disabilities

Sexual assault policies at colleges typically don't address the needs of deaf students, among other groups. That's according to a new federal study from the National Council on Disability. Wendy Harbour, the director of the National Center for College Students With Disabilities, who was part of putting together the report, said:

Sexual assault has become a topic of concern on campuses and with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, but seldom has the conversation included consideration of the needs of college students with disabilities.

The report finds undergraduates with a disability are more likely to be sexually assaulted than their counterparts. The report titled “Not on the Radar: Sexual Assault of College Students With Disabilities” is the very first federally-funded on the subject. It concludes that many school are not in compliance with ADA law, ignoring the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. For instance, many colleges lack procedures for communicating with assault victims who are deaf or hard of hearing. You'll find the full report on the National Council on Disability website here.