The History
Nicole Moehring and her daughter, Maci, founded Voices of Change 2018 (“VOC18”) out of heartbreak, courage, and an unshakable refusal to let others suffer in silence. Their world changed forever when both Maci and her brother Evan, who lives with Fragile X Syndrome, Autism, and two heart conditions, became victims of sexual abuse and assault. In those moments, Nicole discovered a painful and devastating truth: the very systems meant to protect her children were never built with individuals with disabilities in mind.
VOC18 was born from that pain. It exists because no child, with a disability or not, should ever be left unheard, unprotected, or unseen.
Unlike organizations centered on a single diagnosis, VOC18 serves all individuals with cognitive, intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, embracing people of every race, religion, ethnicity, and gender identity. This mission extends to their families and guardians, many of whom are desperate for someone to guide them through the fear, confusion, and isolation that come after abuse.
Before this trauma entered their lives, Nicole had no idea how vulnerable Evan truly was. No one warned her of the staggering statistics. No one explained the heightened risks. No one provided the preventive education her son desperately needed. She often reflects that with the right information, information that should be readily available everywhere, her family might have been better prepared, better protected, and better able to help Evan find safety before the unthinkable happened.
In the fight for justice, Nicole watched something no mother should ever witness: her son’s rights slowly disappear. Evan was doubted, dismissed, and discriminated against by the very systems designed to defend him. Because of his disability, his voice was never heard. His trauma was minimized. His pain was met with indifference.
Nicole was forced to fight alone, searching for answers, resources, and hope in a world that offered little of any of it.
VOC18 exists to make sure no one else has to endure that same loneliness.
Individuals with disabilities who experience abuse need more than support, they need a voice when they are silenced, advocates when they are dismissed, and education when the world fails to prepare them. They need clear steps, trusted guidance, access to healing, and a community that refuses to turn away.
VOC18 was created so families no longer have to navigate this darkness on their own. It was built to shine a light for every child, every parent, every survivor, and every person who has ever been told by systems, by society, or by silence that their voice does not matter.
VOC18 stands to prove that it does. That every voice matters. And that change begins when one family’s pain becomes a movement that refuses to be ignored.
VOC18 was born from that pain. It exists because no child, with a disability or not, should ever be left unheard, unprotected, or unseen.
Unlike organizations centered on a single diagnosis, VOC18 serves all individuals with cognitive, intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, embracing people of every race, religion, ethnicity, and gender identity. This mission extends to their families and guardians, many of whom are desperate for someone to guide them through the fear, confusion, and isolation that come after abuse.
Before this trauma entered their lives, Nicole had no idea how vulnerable Evan truly was. No one warned her of the staggering statistics. No one explained the heightened risks. No one provided the preventive education her son desperately needed. She often reflects that with the right information, information that should be readily available everywhere, her family might have been better prepared, better protected, and better able to help Evan find safety before the unthinkable happened.
In the fight for justice, Nicole watched something no mother should ever witness: her son’s rights slowly disappear. Evan was doubted, dismissed, and discriminated against by the very systems designed to defend him. Because of his disability, his voice was never heard. His trauma was minimized. His pain was met with indifference.
Nicole was forced to fight alone, searching for answers, resources, and hope in a world that offered little of any of it.
VOC18 exists to make sure no one else has to endure that same loneliness.
Individuals with disabilities who experience abuse need more than support, they need a voice when they are silenced, advocates when they are dismissed, and education when the world fails to prepare them. They need clear steps, trusted guidance, access to healing, and a community that refuses to turn away.
VOC18 was created so families no longer have to navigate this darkness on their own. It was built to shine a light for every child, every parent, every survivor, and every person who has ever been told by systems, by society, or by silence that their voice does not matter.
VOC18 stands to prove that it does. That every voice matters. And that change begins when one family’s pain becomes a movement that refuses to be ignored.
The vision, THE MISSION
THE VISION
Voices of Change 2018 advances abuse-prevention efforts for individuals with disabilities by uniting education, healthcare, law enforcement, and community partners.
This initiative empowers individuals with cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities through awareness, education, and critical resources.
THE MISSION
Building awareness and delivering preventative education to reduce abuse of individuals with cognitive, developmental, and intellectual disabilities.
Voices of Change 2018 advances abuse-prevention efforts for individuals with disabilities by uniting education, healthcare, law enforcement, and community partners.
This initiative empowers individuals with cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities through awareness, education, and critical resources.
THE MISSION
Building awareness and delivering preventative education to reduce abuse of individuals with cognitive, developmental, and intellectual disabilities.
Statistics
In the United States, disability touches every generation. And with it comes a level of vulnerability our systems are failing to confront.
Nearly 7.3 million children ages 3–17 live with a disability, representing almost one in six children in this country. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Survey of Children’s Health, 2019.)
Research consistently shows that children with disabilities are abused or neglected at rates two to three times higher than children without disabilities. When applied to these numbers, that means hundreds of thousands of children with disabilities experience abuse or neglect each year. (Sources: CDC; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; Sullivan & Knutson.) These children grow up but the danger does not disappear.
More than 61 million adults in the United States (25%) live with a disability. (Source: CDC, Disability and Health Data System, 2018.)
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, adults with disabilities experience violent victimization at more than twice the rate of adults without disabilities. In some disability categories, the rate is three to four times higher, resulting in millions of adults with disabilities experiencing abuse, assault, or exploitation over their lifetime. (Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), DOJ.)
And the most devastating truth is not just how often abuse happens but who commits it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 90% of abuse is perpetrated by someone known and trusted. A caregiver, a family member, a provider, or a professional. (Source: CDC, Violence Prevention Data.) But even these numbers do not tell the full story.
We must assume these statistics significantly underestimate the true scope of abuse. Abuse involving individuals with disabilities is profoundly underreported. Many victims lack the communication tools to disclose what is happening. Others fear retaliation, loss of services, institutionalization, or not being believed. Too often, when reports are made, they are dismissed, minimized, or mishandled.
The result is a devastating reality: much of the abuse never enters the data and therefore never enters the response.
Abuse does not discriminate. It happens in every socioeconomic setting, across all races, religions, and communities. And far too often, it continues unchecked.
These numbers represent people. They represent lives shaped by harm that could have been prevented. They represent systems that respond too late, or not at all. This is not inevitable. This is not acceptable.
This is a preventable public health and human rights crisis affecting millions of individuals with disabilities in the United States and globally.
Safety is not a privilege. Dignity is not optional. Protection is not negotiable.
The numbers demand action. The silence demands accountability. And the time to act is now.
~ Nicole Moehring
Founder
Nearly 7.3 million children ages 3–17 live with a disability, representing almost one in six children in this country. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Survey of Children’s Health, 2019.)
Research consistently shows that children with disabilities are abused or neglected at rates two to three times higher than children without disabilities. When applied to these numbers, that means hundreds of thousands of children with disabilities experience abuse or neglect each year. (Sources: CDC; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; Sullivan & Knutson.) These children grow up but the danger does not disappear.
More than 61 million adults in the United States (25%) live with a disability. (Source: CDC, Disability and Health Data System, 2018.)
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, adults with disabilities experience violent victimization at more than twice the rate of adults without disabilities. In some disability categories, the rate is three to four times higher, resulting in millions of adults with disabilities experiencing abuse, assault, or exploitation over their lifetime. (Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), DOJ.)
And the most devastating truth is not just how often abuse happens but who commits it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 90% of abuse is perpetrated by someone known and trusted. A caregiver, a family member, a provider, or a professional. (Source: CDC, Violence Prevention Data.) But even these numbers do not tell the full story.
We must assume these statistics significantly underestimate the true scope of abuse. Abuse involving individuals with disabilities is profoundly underreported. Many victims lack the communication tools to disclose what is happening. Others fear retaliation, loss of services, institutionalization, or not being believed. Too often, when reports are made, they are dismissed, minimized, or mishandled.
The result is a devastating reality: much of the abuse never enters the data and therefore never enters the response.
Abuse does not discriminate. It happens in every socioeconomic setting, across all races, religions, and communities. And far too often, it continues unchecked.
These numbers represent people. They represent lives shaped by harm that could have been prevented. They represent systems that respond too late, or not at all. This is not inevitable. This is not acceptable.
This is a preventable public health and human rights crisis affecting millions of individuals with disabilities in the United States and globally.
Safety is not a privilege. Dignity is not optional. Protection is not negotiable.
The numbers demand action. The silence demands accountability. And the time to act is now.
~ Nicole Moehring
Founder
Why are Individuals with disabilities more vulnerable to being abused?
Individuals with disabilities often require significant emotional, physical, social, and financial support. Families give everything they have heart, time, energy, resources and still, the reality is this: caring for a child or adult with disabilities can be overwhelming, exhausting, and deeply isolating.
To meet these complex needs, many families rely on a wide network of support caregivers, teachers, aides, assistants, therapists, medical providers, and service professionals. This circle of care is essential. It brings relief, compassion, and understanding. It allows families to breathe.
But it also carries risk.
Every additional caregiver, every new helper, every unfamiliar person granted access widens the door for someone with harmful intentions to enter. Not because families are careless but because they are doing everything they can to survive and support the person they love.
For families already under extraordinary pressure, this truth is heartbreaking.
And yet, that same network can also be a powerful layer of protection. More eyes. More hands. More caring hearts. When properly supported, multiple caregivers can notice injuries, behavioral changes, or subtle signs that something is wrong. Shared care can lift the crushing weight placed on primary caregivers.
Protection, however, is only possible when caregivers are carefully screened, thoroughly trained, and consistently supervised. Unannounced check-ins, open communication, and the willingness to accept a hard truth that any individual can be abused, disability or not are critical to safety.
Why Individuals with Disabilities Are Especially Vulnerable
Vulnerability does not come from disability itself. It comes from how the world responds to disability.
Individuals with disabilities face risks others rarely consider:
The true danger lies in a world that has failed to protect, educate, and honor the humanity of individuals with disabilities and to uphold their fundamental right to safety.
To meet these complex needs, many families rely on a wide network of support caregivers, teachers, aides, assistants, therapists, medical providers, and service professionals. This circle of care is essential. It brings relief, compassion, and understanding. It allows families to breathe.
But it also carries risk.
Every additional caregiver, every new helper, every unfamiliar person granted access widens the door for someone with harmful intentions to enter. Not because families are careless but because they are doing everything they can to survive and support the person they love.
For families already under extraordinary pressure, this truth is heartbreaking.
And yet, that same network can also be a powerful layer of protection. More eyes. More hands. More caring hearts. When properly supported, multiple caregivers can notice injuries, behavioral changes, or subtle signs that something is wrong. Shared care can lift the crushing weight placed on primary caregivers.
Protection, however, is only possible when caregivers are carefully screened, thoroughly trained, and consistently supervised. Unannounced check-ins, open communication, and the willingness to accept a hard truth that any individual can be abused, disability or not are critical to safety.
Why Individuals with Disabilities Are Especially Vulnerable
Vulnerability does not come from disability itself. It comes from how the world responds to disability.
Individuals with disabilities face risks others rarely consider:
- Conditioned compliance — Being taught from a young age to follow instructions during therapies, interventions, and routines, even when something feels wrong.
- Constant exposure to numerous adults, increasing access while reducing protective barriers.
- A deep capacity for trust — a desire for connection, approval, and kindness that can be exploited by those with harmful intent.
- Harmful societal myths — false beliefs that individuals with disabilities are asexual, unaware, or incapable of understanding abuse, which silences safety conversations.
- Dependence on others for intimate care, creating repeated opportunities for touch to be misused or normalized.
- Social isolation from typical peers, limiting opportunities to compare experiences or recognize unsafe behavior.
- Communication barriers, making it difficult to describe what happened or ask for help.
- Lack of body safety education, leaving individuals unaware of boundaries or what is inappropriate.
- Caregiver fear and discomfort around puberty and relationships, often delaying or avoiding critical conversations about consent and safety.
The true danger lies in a world that has failed to protect, educate, and honor the humanity of individuals with disabilities and to uphold their fundamental right to safety.
Why we need to Start having tough conversations
Many families live in a place our founder, Nicole, once lived to the quiet belief that “it could never happen to my child because they have a disability.” It feels like protection. It feels like hope. It feels like the one thing we can hold onto in a world that already demands so much from us.
But that belief is not safety. It is silence. And silence is rarely born from indifference. More often, it grows from fear and from not knowing where to begin.
Most parents are never taught how to talk about body safety: how to explain boundaries, consent, secrets versus surprises, safe and unsafe touch, or how to help their child identify who is truly safe. Without those conversations, individuals with disabilities are left unprepared not just once, but repeatedly.
Because abuse involving individuals with disabilities does not often happen only one time.
Research shows that individuals with disabilities are far more likely to be revictimized harmed again, and again, often by multiple people especially when they are not given the tools, language, and support to understand what happened or how to speak up. Silence after the first harm does not heal. It leaves the door open for the next.
Parents are the first and most powerful teachers of safety and trust. But these conversations cannot be rushed or reduced to a single moment. They must be shaped to each individual’s cognitive understanding and revisited again and again through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Safety is not one conversation. It is a lifelong commitment.
Even with education and growing awareness, abuse involving individuals with disabilities remains one of the hardest truths to face. It forces us to confront the reality that harm often comes from people we know, people we trust, people we once believed would protect our loved ones. But avoiding that truth does not shield anyone, it only increases risk. Silence fuels stigma. Silence deepens vulnerability. Silence allows revictimization to continue.
We no longer have the luxury of staying quiet not when prevention is possible, not when education can interrupt cycles of abuse, generational abuse, and not when systems have already failed so many.
Protecting our children and loved ones is not just instinctual, it is a responsibility. And that responsibility begins at home, with courage, honesty, and conversations that feel uncomfortable but are absolutely necessary.
Change does not begin after the harm. It begins before.
It begins with us.
But that belief is not safety. It is silence. And silence is rarely born from indifference. More often, it grows from fear and from not knowing where to begin.
Most parents are never taught how to talk about body safety: how to explain boundaries, consent, secrets versus surprises, safe and unsafe touch, or how to help their child identify who is truly safe. Without those conversations, individuals with disabilities are left unprepared not just once, but repeatedly.
Because abuse involving individuals with disabilities does not often happen only one time.
Research shows that individuals with disabilities are far more likely to be revictimized harmed again, and again, often by multiple people especially when they are not given the tools, language, and support to understand what happened or how to speak up. Silence after the first harm does not heal. It leaves the door open for the next.
Parents are the first and most powerful teachers of safety and trust. But these conversations cannot be rushed or reduced to a single moment. They must be shaped to each individual’s cognitive understanding and revisited again and again through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Safety is not one conversation. It is a lifelong commitment.
Even with education and growing awareness, abuse involving individuals with disabilities remains one of the hardest truths to face. It forces us to confront the reality that harm often comes from people we know, people we trust, people we once believed would protect our loved ones. But avoiding that truth does not shield anyone, it only increases risk. Silence fuels stigma. Silence deepens vulnerability. Silence allows revictimization to continue.
We no longer have the luxury of staying quiet not when prevention is possible, not when education can interrupt cycles of abuse, generational abuse, and not when systems have already failed so many.
Protecting our children and loved ones is not just instinctual, it is a responsibility. And that responsibility begins at home, with courage, honesty, and conversations that feel uncomfortable but are absolutely necessary.
Change does not begin after the harm. It begins before.
It begins with us.
A Message From THE Founders
Raising an individual with a disability already comes with layers of responsibility, advocacy, and vigilance. When abuse enters that reality, everything becomes heavier, more complex, and more painful.
Our family lived this nightmare.
When we needed support and services the most, they weren’t there. When we should have been guided, protected, and surrounded by help, we were left to navigate devastation alone.
The impact was overwhelming, and it changed our lives forever. No family should ever have to experience that kind of isolation and heartbreak.
That is why we chose to turn our lived experience into purpose.
We built this foundation so others would not have to walk the same path alone. Through our work, we provide:
- Preventive education for individuals with disabilities, parents, guardians, medical and mental health professionals, and law enforcement because prevention and awareness can stop harm before it happens.
- Guidance, resources, and support for victims and their families because healing requires compassion, understanding, and a community that believes and stands beside you.
Nicole Moehring, Founder Maci Moehring, Co-founder
the Team
Nicole Moehring
Founder
As the Founder, Nicole Moehring has played a pivotal role in initiating and shaping the vision of our organization, ensuring its continuous growth and excellence.
Chris Moehring
Chief Financial Officer
In the capacity of Chief Financial Officer, Chris Moehring is dedicated to maintaining financial integrity and fostering economic growth within the organization.
Maci Moehring
Community Liaison
Maci Moehring, in the position of Community Liaison, is dedicated to enhancing community outreach and facilitating mutual understanding between stakeholders.