The Issue

Everyone should have access to responsive services to help them feel safe and heal from the harm done to them.

Everyone deserves access to responsive, culturally relevant services that support safety, healing, and dignity. Yet not all survivors receive the care they need. Many face barriers that prevent them from accessing services designed to recognize and respond to their unique experiences.

These gaps create “underserved” groups of survivors—people who encounter additional obstacles when seeking help and whose needs are too often overlooked.

Research shows that individuals from underserved communities, including people with disabilities, Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, religious minorities such as Muslims and Orthodox Jews, and LGBTQ+ individuals, experience higher rates of violence, discrimination, and other traumatic stressors. Ensuring that services are accessible, inclusive, and affirming is essential to reducing these disparities and supporting every survivor’s right to safety and healing.