Violence in rural areas against disabled people from the perspective of their families

OBJECTIVES: to know the violence spoken and felt by disabled people, living in rural areas, from the perspective of their families. METHODS: a descriptive-exploratory and qualitative study, carried out in four municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Twelve family members who lived with disabled people in rural areas participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: disabled people, living in rural areas, experienced physical, psychological and sexual violence, perpetrated by family members, colleagues, community members and health professionals. Adaptations were mentioned in family dynamics for the care of disabled people, social, financial and leisure impacts, and challenges in access and accessibility to education and health services. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: violence against this population manifests itself in a reality with socioeconomic and family particularities, marked by exclusion, disrespect and denial of rights and access to fundamental goods and services.