Safety
Do people with disabilities feel safe in their homes and communities? Do they face violence, abuse, or health risks at home?
Safety means being free from violence, abuse and health risks at home. It also means staying safe in emergencies.
- Goal: People with disabilities feel safe in their homes and communities.
- International law sources:
- Article 16 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse
- Article 11 of the CRPD - Situations of risk and emergencies
Outcome indicators
- Percentage of people with disabilities who feel safe and secure in their homes and neighborhoods
- Description: This looks at people who feel safe leaving their homes. It also looks at people's satisfaction with the safety and security of their homes.
- Results:
- Many people with disabilities don’t feel safe when they leave their homes. In 2017, 29% of people with disabilities said they were housebound because they didn’t feel safe when leaving their homes. In 2022, this had gone down to 21%.
- Data source: Canadian Survey on Disability (2017 and 2022): Housebound
- People with disabilities are less likely to feel safe and secure at home than people without disabilities. In 2021, 16% of people with disabilities didn’t feel safe and secure at home. This is compared to 10% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Canadian Housing Survey (2021): Dwelling Characteristics
- Many people with disabilities don’t feel safe when they leave their homes. In 2017, 29% of people with disabilities said they were housebound because they didn’t feel safe when leaving their homes. In 2022, this had gone down to 21%.
- Percentage of people with disabilities who experienced violence or harassment by landlords or other tenants
- Description: This looks at people who experienced violence or harassment by their landlords or other tenants.
- Results: Not available. This data is not currently collected through national or provincial / territorial surveys. We are advocating for better data collection and transparency in this area.
- Percentage of people with disabilities who experienced homelessness due to violence or abuse
- Description: This looks at people who experienced homelessness because of violence or abuse by intimate partners, caregivers or family members. This includes people who experienced hidden homelessness. Hidden homelessness is when a person lives somewhere else temporarily, but they don’t have a permanent place to live.
- Results:
- People with disabilities are more likely to experience homelessness because of violence or abuse. In 2018, 53% of people with disabilities who experienced homelessness in their lifetime said it was because of violence. This is compared to 36% of people without disabilities.
- Data source: Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (2018): Homelessness
- The numbers are even higher for women with disabilities. 63% of women with disabilities who experienced homelessness in their lifetime said it was because of violence. This is compared to 54% of women without disabilities.
- Data source: Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (2018): Homelessness.
- The General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety (2019) also included data on this issue. Statistics Canada didn’t publish this data because it didn’t meet their quality standards.
- People with disabilities are more likely to experience homelessness because of violence or abuse. In 2018, 53% of people with disabilities who experienced homelessness in their lifetime said it was because of violence. This is compared to 36% of people without disabilities.
- Percentage of people with disabilities who experienced violence or abuse while homeless
- Description: This looks at people who experienced violence or abuse while they were experiencing homelessness.
- Results: Not available. This data is not currently collected through national or provincial / territorial surveys. We are advocating for better data collection and transparency in this area.
- Rate of exposure to health risks for people living in institutions
- Description: This looks at people living in institutions who face more health risks. For example, these health risks can be related to COVID-19.
- Results: Not available. This data is not collected through national or provincial / territorial surveys for all types of institutions. We are advocating for better data collection and transparency in this area.
Policy effort and resource indicators
In development