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"In early 2012 Tairawhiti Community Voice commissioned Kaitiaki Research and Evaluation to undertake research to:
- increase their understanding of the multidimensional nature in which abuse manifests in relation to disabled people
- the individual and structural barriers that prevent disabled people from voicing and extracting themselves from abusive environments.

In the first instance, the study was inspired by a growing awareness of the abuse of disabled people living in the New Zealand community. Next, while international research
has highlighted that disabled people are vulnerable to an array of abuse by family members and those outside of the family charged with their provision of care (Hague, Thiara, Magowan & Mullender, 2008; Saxton, Curry, Powers, Maley, Eckels and Gross,2001), no such research has been conducted in New Zealand.

In response, the current research was designed to meet the following specific objectives:
- understand the nature of abuse experienced by disabled people who require high levels of support by family/whânau members and other parties involved in their dayto-day care
- identify the individual, societal and structural barriers that assist in the continuation of abuse
- explore the barriers faced by disabled people in voicing abuse
- identify the systematic structures that maintain the abuse of disabled people and inform how Tairawhiti Community Voice can advocate for the safety and well-being of these people
- provide an evidence base from which interventions can be developed to help identify and prevent abuse." (from the Executive Summary)