hand holding heart symbol for victim advocate GUIDE TO PROVIDING ACCOMMODATIONS: Victim Advocates People with disabilities and Deaf people are victims of violent crime at three times the rate of people without disabilities.1 They also experience some of the greatest barriers to getting help. Too often, victim services are not accessible to people with disabilities, making it difficult for them to get the help they need to stay safe and heal. Federal law requires government agencies and places of public accommodation, including non-profit organizations, to ensure their services are accessible to victims with disabilities.2 An important way to increase access to services is by providing victims with accommodations. Ask Everyone and Ask Often Why ask everyone? One in 4 Americans has a disability. For many, their disability may not be visible. For this reason, it may not be possible to tell if someone needs accommodations just by looking at them. Best practice is to ask everyone you work with if they need any accommodations. When? Ask during your first interaction with a survivor. Continue to ask at every new step in the process or new activity/ service the victim will participate in. Why ask often? SurvivorsÕ needs may change over time based on the services they receive. They may also feel more comfortable talking about their needs as they build trust with an advocate. To learn more about providing accommodations, visit reachingvictims.org/ resource/just-ask. STEP1 Set the stage. Explain why you are asking about accommodations. For example: ÒWe want to make sure every survivor in our community gets the help they need, including people with disabilities and Deaf people. We know that some disabilities may not be visible and some people may not feel comfortable asking for accommodations on their own, so we ask everyone if they need any accommodations.Ó Describe your services. Provide a brief overview of your services, including any activities or tasks the victim will need to do. This will help the victim determine if they need any accommodations. For example, if doing an intake, let the survivor know they will need to fill out paperwork and ask if they need help reading or completing forms. If they will be staying in shelter, inform them of shelter policies and ask if they need any changes or supports to follow them. What is an accommodation? Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) require government agencies and places of public accommodation to make all services available to people with disabilities. This includes providing and paying for auxiliary aids and services, such as sign language interpreters or Braille materials, to ensure equal access. It also includes making reasonable modifications to policies, procedures, and practices. Together, we refer to these as accommodations. When explaining what an accommodation is to a victim, use plain language. For example: ÒSome people with disabilities and Deaf people need service providers to make changes to the way we work with them so that the person with a disability can participate in services. These changes can include providing the person with equipment, such as a portable ramp; getting a sign language interpreter; or doing something to support the person like reading forms out loud. We call these changes accommodations.Ó 2 GUIDE TO PROVIDING ACCOMMODATIONS | Victim Advocates STEP2 Ask and listen. Ask. 1. Start by asking if the person needs any accommodations. Here are some examples of how to ask: ¥ Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you to participate in services? ¥ Are there any additional supports you need to participate in services? ¥ Are there any changes or modifications we can make to the way we do things so you can fully participate? ¥ Do you need any accommodations to fully participate in services? 2. If the person needs more context to understand what you are asking, ask more specific questions, such as: ¥ Do you need any additional supports to read and understand the paperwork? ¥ Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you to talk to me about your experience? ¥ Are there any changes or modifications we can make so that you can participate in our support group? 3. Give examples. Here are some things you can say to help survivors identify accommodations they may need: ¥ I can write down what we talked about if itÕs hard to remember or focus on what IÕm saying. ¥ We can meet in a quiet space to reduce distractions if youÕre having a hard time concentrating. ¥ I can read written information out loud. ¥ I can get a sign language interpreter so we can communicate. ¥ We can take breaks during our conversation if you start to feel overwhelmed or tired. Listen. Just as survivors are experts on their lives, people with disabilities and Deaf people know best what they need and how to meet those needs. People with the same disability may have different needs, so do not make assumptions about what will work for a person. 3 Victim Advocates | GUIDE TO PROVIDING ACCOMMODATIONS STEP3 Provide accommodations. Provide the requested accommodations as soon as possible, keeping in mind that some survivors may not be able to stay safe and heal without them. Cover any costs associated with providing accommodations. STEP4 Check in and make changes. Finding the right accommodation can take time. After providing an accommodation, check with the victim to see how it is going. Is the person able to fully participate in services? If not, what would work better? Did you know? Many accommodations are free and easy to provide and can make a significant impact on a victimÕs ability to receive services. For more examples of accommodations, refer to our Accommodations Tip Sheet. 1 Erika Harrell, Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2009Ð2014 - Statistical Tables (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2016). 2 Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-336, 104 Stat. 328 (1990). To learn more about providing accommodations, visit reachingvictims.org/resource/just-ask. This document was produced by the Vera Institute of Justice Center on Victimization and Safety under Award # 2016-XV-GX-K015, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims Logo: Helping those who help others The Vera Institute of Justice Logo Quick Response Code: reachingvictims.org/resource/just-ask