Persons with disabilities are at an increased risk of victimization and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are particularly vulnerable (Harrell, 2021). Women with IDD are more likely to experience gender-based violence or violence against women (VAW) (i.e., intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking) compared to the general population, as well as among persons with disabilities (Ledingham et al., 2022). Further, research finds that victims with IDD are at an increased risk of physical injury during victimization and report greater mental distress (Hayes and Powers, 2022). Despite the increased risk and consequences, individuals with IDD are less likely to report to the police compared to the general population and individuals with other disabilities (Powers and Hayes, 2024).
While victims might not report a crime for many reasons, communication challenges are a unique hurdle to reporting, seeking victim services, or even disclosing to informal sources of support, among victims with IDD (Burrow et al., 2021). While advancements have been made in accommodations for victims with other types of disabilities, the same developments in the legal system have not been seen in accommodations for victims with IDD, including language access accommodations.
The goal of our work is to identify the barriers to help-seeking and language access needs among survivors with IDD and determine the feasibility of accommodations as it relates to victims of VAW with IDD pursuing safety and justice. Our work has included three parts to establish the problem domain and existing policies and accommodations. These include a systematic review of empirical research that examines VAW for victims with IDD, a nationwide review of mandatory reporting policies applicable to adult victims with IDD, and a review of official policies from law enforcement agencies and victim service providers in a sample of four states (Arizona, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey). This presentation will provide a brief overview of findings from these aspects of our work as they relate to communication challenges.
In addition, we have examined challenges to accessing justice and recommendations for accommodations through the collection of 152 semi-structured interviews and focus groups with victims, the disability community, and practitioners. Individuals chose whether to participate in an interview or focus group. We are in final stages of data analysis for practitioner participants and coding for victims with IDD and disability community members. We look forward to sharing the qualitative results from this extensive database in this presentation including stated communication recommendations from stakeholder groups.
The focus of these interviews/focus groups was on establishing barriers to help-seeking,
sharing lived experiences interacting with the criminal legal system or working with victims with IDD, as well as proposing recommendations for accommodations to improve access to justice and services for victims with IDD. The scope of the completed interviews and focus groups included:
Practitioner:
• Experiences investigating cases and serving victims with IDD
• Existing accommodations and policies when interacting with victims with IDD
• Barriers to expanding accommodations, including those proposed by victims and disability community
• Recommendations to improve access to justice and services for victims with IDD
• Training needs specific to VAW with victims with IDD
Victims with IDD and Disability Community:
• Communication barriers to reporting among victims with IDD
• Other barriers to seeking help (e.g., fear of institutionalization) among victims with IDD
• Experiences with the criminal legal system in pursuing justice
• Experiences with victim service agencies in receiving services
• Accommodation recommendations to increase language accessibility and facilitate help-seeking in general
Informed by findings from all stakeholders, inclusive of individuals with disabilities who have been directly impacted by sexual violence, we will provide recommendations and examples of potential visuals and communication supports for agencies to incorporate on their websites to ensure equitable access for victims with disabilities. Through universal design, supports that are designed for individuals with disabilities may be beneficial for other victims experiencing trauma and accessing services. Our presentation will discuss the impactful first steps we have taken in our work to ensure survivors with disabilities can fully participate and have a voice in the criminal justice system.
