This short paper provides an overview of the existing links between disability and trafficking in human beings, how persons living with disability are affected by trafficking, and to what extent legal standards, policy frameworks, and anti-trafficking measures integrate concerns associated with disabilities.
This analysis is approached from four distinct perspectives: disability as an enhanced vulnerability factor that traffickers target; disability as a feature of exploitation (e.g., forced begging, withholding or theft of social security benefits); disability as a result of trafficking and exploitation (e.g., physical injury, PTSD, dissociative disorders); and disability of trafficking survivors as a factor in accessing justice, protection, employment, health and rehabilitation services.
Finally, the paper presents a series of recommendations and potential strategies aimed at elevating awareness and prioritizing the disability dimension within efforts to combat human trafficking.
