A policy win!
After testifying twice at the State Legislature - once at the Capitol building and once from home - we're thrilled to share that House File 3336/Senate File 3177 has passed! Because of this new policy, disability service providers will be required to train DSPs (Direct Support Professionals) on strategies that prevent sexual violence; including consent, bodily autonomy, and healthy relationships for people with disabilities.
This is the hard-won effort of a collective of disability advocates, including Upstream Arts, The Arc, The Brain Injury Alliance, and The Autism Society of Minnesota, among others, who came together to address the alarming epidemic of sexual violence within our disability communities (people with disabilities are seven times more likely to experience sexual violence in their lifetimes than people without disabilities). We will continue to be active in advocating as this policy goes into effect on August 1st. Thank you to all who made this milestone possible!
Click here to read more.
Click here to learn more about Upstream Arts' sexual assault and violence prevention program, The Art of Relationships.
Click here to view the poster advocacy campaign we did in collaboration with artists from MSS.
