NCJ Number
79693
Date Published
Unknown
Length
93 pages
Annotation
This manual, designed for victim services providers, presents information on counseling the physically handicapped victim, assisting the victim through the legal process, and making services accessible to handicapped persons.
Abstract
An introductory chapter gives background information on disabilities, on the number of disabled persons in the United States, and on legislation regarding public services and the disabled. Then it addresses specific characteristics and degrees of severity of specific disabling conditions: hearing impairments (hard-of-hearing, deaf, prelingually deaf), visual impairments (partially-sighted, blind), combined deafness and blindness, mobility impairments (spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, amputation, arthritis, cerebral palsy, stroke, epilepsy), and communication impairments (speech disorders, language impairments). For each type of condition, the manual discusses the implications for the victim services process, and explains the clients' special needs and abilities and how to deal with the clients on a personal basis. The final chapter focuses on providing outreach to the disabled community, particularly through advertising the availability of the services via appropriate organizations and the media. Resources for information on handicapping conditions and the legal obligations of law enforcement personnel to render themselves accessible to deaf persons are appended.