Barriers Built In: Accessing Survivor Justice and Care as a Woman with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience disproportionately high rates of violence, yet are often excluded from gender-based violence policy and legal protections. This thesis examines how the Violence Against Women Act addresses—and fails to address—the needs of women with IDD. Through qualitative interviews with survivors, advocates, and legal experts, along with legal case analysis, this research identifies critical failures in service accessibility, legal protection, and survivor autonomy. It finds that survivors with IDD face structural and interpersonal violence that is often compounded by institutional neglect, disbelief, and carceral responses. While the Violence Against Women Act offers important protections, it does not adequately serve this population. These structural failures reflect deeper flaws in how state systems conceptualize disability and gender violence. This thesis recommends reforms that expand accessibility, center survivor autonomy, invest in cross-sector coordination, and reduce overreliance on punitive systems.