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Crime Victims with Disabilities

2008 Hate Crimes Statistics

In the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, the victim of a hate crime may be an individual, a business, an institution, or society as a whole. The Nation's law enforcement agencies reported that there were 9,691 victims of hate crimes in 2008. Offenders targeted 85 victims, or .9%, of a hate crime due to a bias against a disability. The 2008 Uniform Crime Report can be downloaded in PDF format.

Abuse & Women with Disabilities
Provides valuable information for victims of abuse, physicians, women's shelters and centers for independent living working with women with disabilities who have been abused.
Abuse of Children with Cognitive, Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
Information on the abuse and neglect of children with cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities and how to help prevent and report abuse. Document is in Word format.
Commonly Asked Questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) & Law Enforcement

Information from the Department of Justice (DOJ) on suggestions drawn from real-life situations to assist law enforcement agencies in complying with the ADA when enforcing the law. Call the DOJ's toll-free ADA Information Line for additional answers to questions at 1-800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY).

First National Study on Crime Against Persons with Disabilities

The report Crime Against People with Disabilities, 2007 has been released by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Office of Justice Programs. In 2007 persons age 12 or older with disabilities experienced about 716,000 nonfatal violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault (47,000), robbery (79,000), aggravated assaults (114,000) and simple assaults (476,000). They also experienced about 2.3 million property crimes during the year. The report opens a PDF document.

First Response to Victims of Crime Who Have a Disability
Handbook from the U.S. Department of Justice provides information to law enforcement officers regarding how to assist crime victims who have a disability.
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
Remarks by President Barack Obama after signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This law closes the current gaps in federal law to also provide federal assistance in the cases of a hate crime committed against persons because of their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. In his remarks the President stated that "No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are, or because they live with a disability."
Promising Practices in Serving Crime Victims with Disabilities

Findings of a project funded by the Department of Justice's Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) to improve the local response of criminal justice personnel and victim service providers to people with disabilities. The bulletin provides a snapshot of promising practices, as well as statistics, surveys and anecdotal evidence on crime and disability. The companion toolkit identifies the issues encountered by people with disabilities who have been victimized or abused. OVC also offers a directory of services for crime victims.

Serving Crime Victims with Disabilities
Brochure from the U.S. Department of Justice written for victim assistance providers who want to learn more about serving victims of crime who have disabilities. Document is in .pdf format.
Uniform Crime Reports: Hate Crimes

A portal to the crime reports compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, including hate crimes which, since 1994, has included crimes motivated by a bias against the victim's disability.

Violence Against Women Online Resources
Articles and resources related to abuse and violence against women and people with disabilities.
Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities
Information from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding working with victims of crime who have disabilities.

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