Accessing Safety Initiative Web Conference Series:  

Serving Survivors with Disabilities and Deaf Survivors: Practical Guidance and Information for Advocates and Others Working to End Sexual and Domestic Violence.

Registration is now available for additional upcoming web conferences:

March 13       Working with Deaf Survivors

April 17         Requests for Accommodations and How to

                       Meet Them

May 15         Tools to Assess Your Agency's Accessibility

All web conferences start at 3:00PM Eastern Time.

Bridging the Gap: Creating a Community of Support for Survivors with Disabilities

2012 National Conference on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Against People with Disabilities

October 31-November 1st, 2012, in Louisville, KY.

Bridging the Gap: Creating a Community of Support for Survivors with Disabilities conference will highlight promising practices for serving survivors with disabilities; explore emerging issues at the intersection of violence and disability; and foster networking among those working to end violence against people with disabilities.

Office for Victims of Crime Offers Training by Request

APA Issues Guidelines for Assessment of and Intervention with Persons with Disabilities

The January 2012 issue of American Psychologist contains several new practice guidelines for specific populations: seniors, LGBT clients, people with disabilities, and parents. Among the 22 guidelines for clients with disabilities is one directed to the issue of disability and abuse. Guideline 11 recommends that psychologists should strive to recognize that people with disabilities are at increased risk for abuse and they should address abuse-related situations appropriately. The guideline recognizes that people with disabilities are victims of violence and abuse at a much higher rate than the population at large. This is true for men as well as for women. Abuse and neglect can be the initial cause of a disability or abuse may exacerbate an existing disability.

The Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD)  announces the release of a consensus statement, Recognizing Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) in Primary Health Care of Children. These recommendations are the result of a consensus development style conference which took place in November 2011, sponsored by the ICCFASD, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

2012 NCVRW Resource Guide Available Online

The 2012 National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) Resource Guide is available online.  It contains everything you need to host and promote NCVRW in your community, including posters, camera-ready artwork, and Web ads. This year, the guide is also available in Spanish. NCVRW will be observed April 22-28, 2012; "Extending the Vision: Reaching Every Victim" is the theme.

University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Jurist Legal News and Research Calling for Greater Awareness of Disability Culture in the Legal System

JURIST Guest Columnist Robert Borrelle, Syracuse University College of Law Class of 2013, works in the Disability Rights Clinic at Syracuse University. He argues that the current medical model of disability used in the US legal system should be rejected in order to further societal and legal recognition of Disability culture... 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)

The website includes links for the full report, an executive summary, and a fact sheet. Some documents are available in Spanish. While the statistics to not address violence against people with developmental disabilities, data may be used to help emphasize the prevalence in that population.

Update on Colorado HB12-1085: Hearsay Exemption for Persons with Developmental Disabilities

Last month we told you about our efforts to help create a hearsay exemption for persons with developmental disabilities here in Colorado. The Bill passed the House and is off to the Senate. 

Prevalence and risk of violence against adults with disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

About 15% of adults worldwide have a disability. These individuals are frequently reported to be at increased risk of violence, yet quantitative syntheses of studies of this issue are scarce. Study authors aimed to quantify violence against adults with disabilities.   The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 2/28/2012   

PSA ... It's Time to Talk about Sexual Assault and People with Developmental Disabilities. Produced by the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault with the support of The Arc of Aurora and arc Thrift Stores. Truly, It's Time to Talk About It!

DVD Assists Law Enforcement Agencies Serving Victims

Service, Support & Justice: Law Enforcement Response to Crime Victims presents the benefits, challenges, and methods of placing a high priority on crime victims' interests and meeting their needs, and of enhancing law enforcement agencies' response to crime victims. The DVD highlights Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims,  a national strategy designed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime. 

Articles

A parent's 'total nightmare'

Investigation Alleges Abuse Cover-Up At Calif. Centers For Developmentally

Ryan Gabrielson covers public safety for California Watch and the Center for Investigative Reporting. Gabrielson's investigation reveals a failure to protect and serve the state's most vulnerable residents. --- KPBS --- February 27, 2012 (CALIFORNIA) http://is.gd/RyombY

Man Charged with Assault on Developmentally Disabled Person

State Police arrested a staff member on Friday who they say attacked a resident at a home for the developmentally disabled. Ramiro Detraglia, 40, of Sherburne was charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or ... --- NewsChannel 9 WSYR --- February 27, 2012 (NEW YORK) http://is.gd/KhMptj

Man Accused of Raping Disabled Woman Waives Hearing

A man accused of raping a mentally disabled woman on several occasions since August 2011 in Susquehanna waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday in front of District ... --- Scranton Times-Tribune (PENNSYLVANIA) --- February 23, 2012 --- (PENNSYLVANIA)  http://is.gd/DfCQkD

House Gives Preliminary Approval to Bill Protecting Students with Disabilities

Then there's Alexis, a 10-year-old from Johnson County with a disability. Alexis was dragged through a hall and outside of the school to a bus by two staff members not trained to use safe restraint. She had to be taken to the emergency room with ... --- Lawrence Journal World --- February 22, 2012 (KANSAS)   http://is.gd/MQmDxo  

NY1 Exclusive: Mother Says Her Autistic Son Was Abused Twice In A Manhattan School 

A teacher's aide is back in the classroom, even though an investigation found she had physically abused a nine-year-old student with autism. It also turns out an earlier allegation of abuse involving the same child was never even investigated. --- NY1 --- February 22, 2012 (NEW YORK)   http://is.gd/2hETIq

Mom Describes Disabled Teen's 'Treatment' as Seven Hours of Torture

A specialized school for special needs children and adults is under investigation after a video surfaced of a disabled teen being tied face-down to a board and being subjected to electric shock therapy for seven hours. Fox News in Boston reports that ... --- Babble --- February 24, 2012 (MASSACHUSETTS)   http://is.gd/xhfKoS  

Chief Fired After Videotaped Prank on Mentally Disabled Teen

A Mid-South police chief was fired after he and other officers were caught on camera abusing a mentally disabled teen with cinnamon and boxing on city property. A video shot by a Tutwiler city official in city ... --- WMC-TV --- February 23, 2011 (MISSISSIPPI)   http://is.gd/CJfUW1

Caretaker Accused of Beating Disabled Man to Face Trial

A jury trial has been scheduled for a man accused of beating a disabled resident he was assigned to care for at an Allen group home last year. Michael Reginald Fuller, 41, of Allen, is expected to appear in ... --- Allen American ---- February 23, 2012 (SOUTH CAROLINA) February 20, 2012 (SOUTH CAROLINA)  http://is.gd/LkcszY

Special Needs Girl, 11, Sexually Assaulted in Trenton, Police Say 

An 11-year-old mentally handicapped girl was allegedly kissed and fondled by a 50-year-old man as she walked home in South Trenton yesterday afternoon, police said. --- The Star-Ledger - NJ.com --- February 21, 2012 (NEW JERSEY)   http://is.gd/uDKdqh

Prison Sentence for Man Accused in Abuse and Death of Vulnerable Woman

Dale Beckering, 53, said little before he was sentenced by 3rd District Judge Robert Faust to one to 15 years in prison for aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult acting recklessly, a second-degree felony, in the death of 22-year-old Christina Harms. --- Desert News --- February 13, 2012 (UTAH) http://is.gd/M5NIPK

This week the Supreme Court of Canada overruled an Ontario court that denied a 19-year-old woman, who had allegedly been sexually assaulted by her step-father, the right to testify against her accused offender. She was not allowed to testify because the court determined that she was not able to understand the meaning of taking an oath.

Mentally Challenged Teen Rescued, Woman Arrested

Investigators say a missing mentally challenged teenager has been rescued after a Southern California woman befriended the girl and taunted her mother with cellphone texts. --- San Jose Mercury News --- February 10, 2012 (CALIFORNIA) http://is.gd/HWjoE6

Former Administrator of Grafton Group Home Charged with Stealing $22K

The former residence director of a group home for developmentally disabled adults in Grafton was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail this week on charges of stealing nearly $22,000 from ... --- Worcester Telegram --- February 10, 2012 (MASSACHUSETTS) http://is.gd/gwOcCr 

2 Arrested in Beating of Autistic Boy

The boy was described in the report as having "Asperger's autism." When deputies and detectives examined the boy they determined he had extensive ... --- ABC15.com (KNXV-TV) --- February 9, 2012   (ARIZONA)   http://is.gd/hKJcUz

School Bus Driver Accused of Sexually Assaulting Mentally Challenged Girl

A school bus driver was arrested after police said he sexually assaulted a mentally disabled girl. --- WPXI Pittsburgh --- February 9, 2012 (PENNSYLVANIA) http://is.gd/0H7Ea2

Willard Man Accused of Abusing Developmentally Disabled Child Will Be Sentenced on Friday

A Willard man charged with repeatedly hitting his girlfriend's four year old son in the face, will be sentenced tomorrow morning. --- KSPR --- February 9, 2012   (MISSOURI)   http://is.gd/e3q4g2

Man Accused of Raping Girlfriend's Disabled Daughter

A 61-year-old man was arraigned Tuesday on charges he raped the disabled daughter of his girlfriend. An 18-year-old woman told sheriff's deputies on Jan. 1 that she had been raped by her mother's boyfriend. --- Stockton Record --- February 8, 2012 (CALIFORNIA)   http://is.gd/xgLlpH

Former DART Driver Gets 10 Years for Sex Assault of Mentally Challenged Woman

A former Delaware Department of Transportation employee who molested a mentally challenged woman on his minibus in an Elkton-area neighborhood ... --- Newark Post --- February 8, 2012 (DELAWARE) http://is.gd/7xm1gc

Police Investigate Alleged Sexual Assault