A future where people with disability, inclusive of all identities, experience social and sexual safety everywhere and always.

Today is the National Domestic Violence Remembrance Day. It is part of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month of May. The Royal Commission statistics showed us that people with disability are 2.2 times more likely to experience intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence, than those without disability. They are 2.4 times more at risk for being stalked. With 64% of people with disabilities reporting to have experienced or currently experience physical violence, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, emotional abuse and/or stalking. These statistics are shocking. We need to do more to protect the safety of the disability community. One small step you can take to help change these statistics is to advocate for better safety practices in disability services. How can you do that? You can help promote the National Guidelines to organisations - which outlines the 6 key areas the disability community told us were essential to their social and sexual safety. You can also share the easy read version of these areas in the I START Tool easy read book or poster. These documents can be found on our website: https://safermesaferyou.org.au/projects/guidelines Everyone deserves safety. It is a human right. Today we honour those whose rights were taken from them, and commit to making change. Statistics taken from https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/people-disability-face-much-greater-risk-violence-people-without-disability #Violence #DomesticViolence #Disability #GreaterRisk #humanrightsday Image description: Tile 1- a blue background with coloured blobs in the Safer Me Safer You brand colours. In the middle in bold writing it says "National Domestic Violence Remembrance Day". There is an image of 2 candles underneath. Other text on the image says "Today we remember those we have lost. Everyone deserves safety."

Tomorrow is the big day! We are so very excited that our third big online meeting is so close. Join us from 10am - 4.30pm as we listen to a range of extraordinary presenters who discuss this year's theme - the sexual rights of people with disability. Access accommodations include AUSLAN interpreters, live captioning, and access to a counsellor. Whether you're a person with a disability, a worker in the sector, or someone simply passionate about human rights we would love to have you join us! Link for registration is in our bio. Image description: Tile 1- A blue tile with SMSY coloured blobs. It says Tomorrow. The sexual rights of people with disability - online big meeting. On the big blob at the bottom is a laptop with an online meeting on screen. There is a speech bubble saying "see you soon!"

Part of the work we do here at Safer Me Safer You (SMSY) is to make resources - and we have been blessed to work with the fabulous Melinda Brown and Aerina Yun from the South Australian Council for Intellectual Disability (SACID)! Over the past 12 months, the SACID and SMSY have collaborated to develop Easy Read guides, posters and videos for adults with intellectual disability to learn about various topics around Online Safety. These topics include: -What is an online friend? -Red and green flags of online friends -How to keep your online space safe Melinda is a passionate self-advocate from Adelaide. She likes to speak up for the rights of people with disability and does so through the many groups she is involved in. Melinda is employed at SACID as an Inclusion Advisor and is a Member of the Participant Reference Group for the NDIS. Melinda is also a Peer Mentor for Our Voice SA where she runs peer groups. Her goal is to break down barriers in communication for people with intellectual disability so they can get information in a way that they need and that is accessible. Aerina works at SACID as a Project Officer on the Inclusion Services team. She has extensive experience in co-design and creating accessible resources such as videos and Easy Read. She has previously worked on SACID’s workshop’s team, co-designing and delivering capacity building workshops for people with intellectual disability and families across South Australia. In addition, she has led the Cyber Wise project, co-designing an accessible online training module about online safety for people with intellectual disability. She has completed a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of South Australia. #Disability #Speaker #SexualRights #Safety #OnlineSafety #Resources Image description in alt text

Join Jenny Watts Sampson at our Big Meeting as she explores empowerment for women and girls with disability through storytelling in her talk "I am capable." She says, "it can sometimes feel that our lives and choices are beIng determined by others, particularly our personal relationships. Let's explore together a scenario that shares the experience of Alex and discover what empowerment is and how healthy relationships maintain our safety, choice and control." Jenny is an accomplished professional in the disability and violence space. We are thrilled to have her join us as a Project Advisory Group member and speaker at this year's Big Meeting. You can register for the Big Meeting at the link in our bio or on our website. #Disability #Speaker #SexualRights #Safety #CaseStudy Image Description: Tile 1- A dark purple and dark blue square. A photo of Jenny is in the middle. She has bob length curly blonde hair and a big smile. She looks lovely. The words on the image read "I am capable - empowerment through storytelling. Jenny Watts Sampson. Meet the speakers! Join us Tuesday 6th May - Registration link in bio."

We are SO LUCKY to have singer/songwriter Rachael Leahcar not showcase her new song at our Big Meeting! Eeeep!! Rachael is a muscian with dynamic range, explosive vocals and powerful performances have stunned audiences across the globe. Her career has seen her release three Top 10 ARIA charting albums, tour her live show to sold out crowds and travel to Italy to sing with Andrea Bocelli’s orchestra, Rachael has shown that she is capable of achieving anything despite being legally blind. WOW. We cannot wait to hear what she has in store for us next week! You can listen to her music on YouTube or find out more about her at https://www.rachaelleahcar.com.au #Disability #Speaker #SexualRights #Safety #Music #NewSong Image Description: Tile 1- A two tone purple square. There is a photo of Rachael looking wonderful. She has long wavy blonde hair and a welcoming smile. The text says "Showcasing her new song. Rachael Leahcar. Meet our performer! Join us Tuesday 6th May- Registration link in bio."

Freya will be brining so much to this year's Big Meeting! Not only will she be speaking about the body connection and the right to pleasure, but she will also be leading us through short meditations to help us reconnect to our body throughout the day. How lucky are we! These mindfulness exercises will be a great way to help process the big nature of this year's theme - the sexual rights of people with disabilities. Freya is an activist, creative, and embodied movement facilitator. She’s ridden the waves of many movements, from disability rights to safety and embodied liberation, alongside a complicated dance with blindness. Freya has led the building access project for People with Disability Australia for 5 years and worked on the Safer Me Safer You project since it began. She is an Ambassador the Human Rights Commission’s Equality at Work project. She lives, loves and dances on Gadigal and Bijigal country. You can read more about Freya on her website https://freyawolf.com/ #Disability #Speaker #SexualRights #Safety Image description: Tile 1- A light purple and blue square. There is a photo of Freya in the center. She has long blond hair pulled into a cute ponytail. She is smiling at the camera. The text reads "Body connection and the right to pleasure. Freya Wolf. Meet our speakers! Join us Tuesday 6th May- registration link in bio."