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Just Ask: A Toolkit to Help Advocates, Attorneys, and Law Enforcement Meet the Needs of Crime Victims with Disabilities

NCJ Number
304421
Author(s)
Anneliese Brown
Date Published
May 2020
Annotation

The intention of this toolkit is to assist victim advocates, attorneys, and law enforcement officers in expanding and improving their interaction with and services for crime survivors with disabilities.

 

Abstract

Data indicate that people with disabilities experience violent crime at three times the rate of people without disabilities; however, they often have difficulty in accessing victim services and receiving legal assistance tailored to their needs. This introductory page provides online access to three audience-specific toolkits, with separate toolkits for victim advocates, legal professionals (defense attorneys and prosecutors), and law enforcement officers. This introductory page also presents a video on the general topic of “accommodations” for disabled survivors. “Accommodations” refers to the tailoring of services and physical environments for interactions with disabled survivors to the features of their disability, such that communications and services can be delivered effectively and without unnecessary difficulty or discomfort for the survivor.