We have been carrying out research into how disabled women and non-binary people experience non-consensual touching. Many people came forward with their stories which are archived on this site.
We are now looking to update this work by gathering views on how the pandemic might have impacted on this. If you have any thoughts on the following questions then please email me – h.mason-bish@sussex.ac.uk
Questions :
Since the Covid-19 pandemic has your experience of non-consensual touching changed ?
Has social distancing had an impact on the extent to which you are touched or on how people treat you in public spaces?
Are you a disabled woman or non-binary person who has experienced non-consensual touching in a public place?
Have you been grabbed; pushed; tapped; pulled or forcibly ‘helped’?
Have you experienced intrusive behaviour or questions from strangers?
If so, and you are 18 or over, then please consider submitting your story to this research project.
As part of a research project that I am conducting at the University of Sussex, I am looking for contributions from disabled women and non-binary people who have experienced non-consensual touching from strangers in public spaces. These might be the unwanted ‘helping hand’ of a stranger who touches you. They might be gentle or more forceful in nature. They might escalate when you respond and end in hostility or violence. They might also be in the form of sexual violence or harassment.
The common theme is that they often involve some form of physical touch and they are non-consensual. Say as much or as little as you wish.
You can use your own name or a pseudonym. Either leave your story as a comment (which will be anonymised) or email it to me directly at h.mason-bish@sussex.ac.uk. Click on the Sharing Your Story menu above to leave a comment.
-
Bal’s Story – Wheeling myself is part of my independence and every time someone pushes me without my consent they take that away from me
I’m a part time wheelchair user and travel on trains a fair bit. Train staff push my wheelchair without my consent every damn time I need a ramp. Most recently (this summer) I asked the staff member to carry my bags so that I could wheel myself but they still insisted on pushing me declaring… Read more
-
Emma’s Story – staff commented on a perceived improvement or deterioration in my condition that didn’t actually exist. They even offered to pray for me!
I’m a lifelong disabled woman. My condition isn’t degenerative but the face I present to the world has changed significantly throughout my life. I have a lot of experiences of unwanted reactions (both physical and verbal.) and they really vary depending on which of my mobility aids I’m using. As a child I walked and… Read more
Follow My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
How Disabled Women and Non-Binary People Experience Non-Consensual Touching 