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National Alliance Webinar – Domestic Violence and Disability: Understanding the Intersection and Making Connections

Webinar Thursday, March 30, 2023

Domestic Violence and Disability: Understanding the Intersection and Making Connections

Date and Time: March 30th at 1 - 2:30 p.m. ET / 10 - 11:30 a.m. PT

Cost: Free for members / $25 for non-members

Webinar details below.

Register Here:


Webinar Overview

This 90-minute webinar will explore the intersection of domestic violence and disability. We will begin by understanding what exactly a disability is from a social model perspective and explore how interpersonal violence affects individuals with disabilities. We will then discuss the unique challenges a person with a disability faces when in an interpersonal violence relationship including barriers to seeking safety and the impact it has on trauma. At the end of the series, you will: 1) Understand the barriers to seeking safety for domestic violence survivors with disabilities. 2) Gain greater awareness about program modification to serve domestic violence survivors with disabilities. 3) Increase understanding about what keeps a domestic violence survivor with a disability in the relationship and how trauma impacts this decision. 

As a result of this session, participants will be better able to: 

1. Define the word disability from both a medical and social model perspective. 

2. Understand the barriers to seeking safety for domestic violence survivors with disabilities.

3. Learn strategies to make programs accessible to domestic violence survivors with disabilities  

Speaker Bios:

Cynthia Amodeo, LMHC

Barrier Free Living’s Chief Executive Officer

Ms. Cynthia Amodeo is a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in the intersection of domestic violence and disabilities. Her current role is Barrier Free Living’s Chief Executive Officer.  She began as the children’s counselor and has since held several leadership positions in the agency including Coordinator of Family Services, Director of Family Services, Director of Social Services, and Chief Program Officer.  Ms. Amodeo regularly presents at Domestic Violence and Trauma conferences nationally to spread awareness of how domestic violence affects people with disabilities. Prior to working at Barrier Free Living, Ms. Amodeo counseled children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and survivors of the 2001 World Trade Center attack.  Ms. Amodeo received her Master of Education and Master of Arts from Teacher’s College, Columbia University.

Questions? Contact Sierra Schnitzer.