Making PREA and victim services 
accessible for incarcerated people 
with disabilities: 

An implementation guide for practitioners on the 
adult and juvenile standards

Hands on a wheelchair
Sandra Harrell, Allison Hastings, and Margaret diZerega

October 2015



Bureau of Justice AssistanceU.S. Department of Justice
Acknowledgments

The authors extend their gratitude to 
the corrections staff and other experts 
who participated in the interviews 
that informed this guide, as well as 
to those with whom we consulted, 
particularly Ron Crouse, Holly 
Delcambre, and Mellie Nelson. The 
authors also acknowledge the work of 
Jacki Chernicoff and the design skills 
of Stephanie Grey. In addition, Vera 
acknowledges the PREA Resource 
Center (PRC), a project run through 
a cooperative agreement between 
the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) 
and the National Council on Crime 
and Delinquency (NCCD). The PRC 
is working to address sexual safety in 
confinement and to assist state and 
local jurisdictions with implementation 
of the Department of Justice 
National PREA Standards. 
Page 4 photo: courtesy of California 
Department of Corrections and 
Rehabilitation.

Notice of Federal Funding and Federal Disclaimer

This project was supported by 
Grant No. 2010-RP-BX-K001 awarded 
by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. 
The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a 
component of the Office of Justice 
Programs, which also includes the 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National 
Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 
the Office for Victims of Crime, 
and the SMART Office. Points of view 
or opinions in this document are 
those of the authors and do not necessarily 
represent the official position 
or policies of the U.S. Department 
of Justice nor those of the National 
Council on Crime and Delinquency 
(NCCD), which administers the 
National PREA Resource Center 
through a cooperative agreement 
with the Bureau of Justice Assistance. 



Table of Contents

Purpose of the guide..................................................................2

Defining disability......................................................................3

Sexual abuse and incarcerated people with disabilities.......5

 Applicable PREA standards..............................................6

 Legal compliance...............................................................8

Strategies for making PREA information and victim 
services accessible...................................................................11

 Increase access for the broadest range of users..........11

 Increase capacity for individualized 
accessibility solutions......................................................15

 Ensuring access to reporting..........................................19

 Ensuring access to victim services.................................20

Staff training and resources....................................................22

Conclusion.................................................................................24



Page 2

Purpose of the guide

The Prison Rape Elimination Act 
(PREA) sets standards to ensure that 
information about PREA and victim 
services are accessible to people with 
disabilities. The purpose of this guide 
is to provide strategies to correctional 
agencies that will aid their compliance 
with these PREA requirements. 
The strategies discussed in this guide 
draw on established practices used 
by victim service organizations—both 
community-based and those based in 
government agencies—to make their 
services more accessible for this population. 
By offering concrete recommendations 
on how to adapt these 
community practices to correctional 
settings, this guide aims to help adult 
and juvenile correctional facilities 
increase accessibility for people with 
disabilities. While it is not a focus of 
this guide, an important component 
to making PREA and victim services 
accessible for people with disabilities 
is to institutionalize any new practices 
or partnerships in facility policy.

This guide begins with an overview 
of the PREA standards specific to 
people with disabilities and a discussion 
of which types of disabilities are 
covered in the guide. The guide then 
provides background on the legal 
considerations for facilities and strategies 
for making PREA information 
and services accessible. Next, it provides 
strategies on how to increase 
the overall accessibility of PREA information 
and services, followed by key 
considerations for enhancing access 
for people with sensory, cognitive, 
and psychiatric disabilities. Finally, it 
describes resources on developing 
partnerships and training to help 
facilities learn more about these topics.

Image of a person using a walking cane

Page 3

Defining disability

The Americans with Disabilities Act 
(ADA) defines disability as any “physical 
or mental impairment that substantially 
limits one or more major life 
activity.” Major life activities include 
seeing, hearing, reading, walking, 
eating, and elimination of bodily 
waste. The ADA’s definition also includes 
people who have a history of 
impairment, even if they do not currently 
have a disability. For instance, 
if a person has been diagnosed with 
a mental illness that is managed with 
treatment, he or she would still be protected 
by the ADA even though the 
mental illness is no longer substantially 
limiting a major life activity. In 
addition, some people are protected 
under the ADA even though they do 
not have a disability that limits major 
life activities. For example, the ADA 
protects a person who has significant 
scarring from a burn, even if the scars 
do not affect a major life activity.

Disabilities have various causes but, 
in general, can be understood as 
either congenital—present at birth—or 
acquired through a genetic condition, 
illness, trauma, or injury. It is critical 
to remember, however, that a diagnosis 
does not predict an individual’s 
experience with disability. Two individuals 
with the same disability may 
have very different needs and varying 
levels of functionality. This is especially 
important to remember when 
responding to requests for modifications 
or auxiliary aids and services. It 
is also important to recognize that, as 
incarcerated people age, they can 
acquire disabilities through the normal 
process of aging as well as age-related 
conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, 
injury, and stroke. 

The following are the most prevalent 
types of disability:

• Physical disabilities restrict motion 
or agility and result from congenital 
conditions, accidents, or progressive 
neuromuscular diseases. These 
disabilities may include conditions 
such as spinal cord injury (paraplegia 
or quadriplegia), cerebral palsy, 
spina bifida, amputation, muscular 
dystrophy, cardiac conditions, cystic 
fibrosis, paralysis, polio/post-polio, 
and stroke.1

• Cognitive or intellectual disabilities 
result in below-average cognitive 
or intellectual capacity. The most 
common syndromes associated with 
intellectual disabilities are autism, 
Down Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome 
and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum 
Disorder (FASD). These types of disability 
are often a result of genetic 
conditions (Down Syndrome and 
Fragile X Syndrome are examples), 
problems during pregnancy (FASD) 
or delivery, health problems such as 



whooping cough, measles, or meningitis, 
and exposure to environmental 
toxins like lead or mercury.2 
Learning disabilities are generally 
less severe than intellectual disabilities 
but can cause difficulty in traditional 
learning environments.

• Psychiatric disabilities refer to psychological 
conditions that result in 
emotional or mental illness. They 
can be the result of imbalances in 
brain chemistry or can be brought 
on by traumatic experiences. 
Examples include major depression, 
bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders 
(which include panic disorders), 
schizophrenia, and post-traumatic 
stress disorder.3

• Sensory disabilities refer to disabilities 
that affect any of the five senses, 
but generally refer to a disability 
related to hearing, vision, or both. 
Loss of sight, hearing, and/or speech 
can be the result of trauma or genetic 
factors. Examples of sensory disabilities, 
which can occur in combination, 
include blindness, low-vision, 
Deafness, and aphasia, which affects 
one’s ability to communicate, 
often due to difficulty using and 
understanding words.

Deaf, deaf, and hard 
of hearing

Instead of viewing themselves as 
lacking hearing (or as having a 
disability), many Deaf and hard 
of hearing people identify as members 
of a distinct cultural group 
in the United States. Like any culture, 
Deaf culture is defined by its 
unique language—American Sign 
Language (ASL)—values, behavioral 
norms, and traditions. An uppercase 
“D” in “Deaf” is used to reflect 
identification with Deaf culture, 
whereas a lowercase “d” in “deaf” 
reflects an audiological perspective 
defined by a loss of hearing. 
In this guide, the terms “Deaf” 
and “hard of hearing” are used.

Man using American Sign Language (ASL)

Sexual abuse and incarcerated people 
with disabilities

Although there is no consistent 
national data collected on people 
in custody with disabilities, existing 
research suggests that a significant 
portion of incarcerated adults and 
juveniles in the United States have 
a physical, mental or intellectual, 
psychiatric, or sensory disability. For 
example, a 2008 Bureau of Justice 
Statistics (BJS) report found that 36 
percent of state and 24 percent of 
federal adult inmates reported having 
a learning, speech, hearing, vision, 
mobility or mental disability.4 Moreover, 
16 percent of the state inmates 
surveyed reported having multiple 
disabilities.5 Looking at the prevalence 
of mental health conditions 
among incarcerated people specifically, 
the proportion rises significantly: 
according to a 2006 BJS report, 
64 percent of jail inmates, 56 percent 
of state inmates, and 45 percent 
of federal inmates had a mental 
health problem.6

The proportion of incarcerated 
juveniles with disabilities is similarly 
high, with approximately one-third 
estimated to have a disability of 
some kind. A national survey of state 
juvenile correctional administrators 
identified 48 percent of incarcerated 
juveniles as having an emotional 
disturbance and 39 percent as having 
a learning disability.7 Administrators 
reported lower rates of juveniles 
having intellectual or other disabilities. 
Significantly, this study acknowledges 
that the number of incarcerated 
juveniles with disabilities is likely 
underestimated, due in part to variability 
in how states identify juveniles 
with disabilities and provide them 
with services.8

Yet despite the prevalence of disabilities 
among adult and juvenile corrections 
populations, there is almost 
no research that measures rates of 
sexual abuse against incarcerated 
adults and juveniles with disabilities. 
The research that does exist focuses 
solely on sexual victimization of adult 
inmates with serious psychological 
distress (SPD).9 In a 2011–2012 
national survey of incarcerated people 
in prisons and jails, BJS found that 
inmates with SPD reported being sexually 
victimized by another inmate at 
a rate nine times higher than inmates 
with no indication of mental illness.10 

Research into the violent victimization
—including sexual victimization—of 
people with disabilities in the community 
echoes the correctional statistics. 
In the community, where research 
is also limited, people with disabilities 
are violently victimized at higher 
rates than their counterparts without 
disabilities. A 2012 survey found that 
people with disabilities were three 
times more likely to be the victims 



of violent crimes than their counterparts 
without disabilities, and those 
with multiple disabilities experienced 
higher rates of violent victimization 
than those with one disability.11 Rates 
varied by gender, age, and disability 
type, but people with cognitive disabilities 
were at the highest risk of 
violent victimization.12

Given the information that exists 
about sexual victimization of people 
with disabilities both inside correctional 
facilities and in the community, 
the PREA standards require agencies 
to make materials and services related 
to sexual abuse accessible to incarcerated 
people with disabilities. People 
with disabilities who experience 
sexual abuse in the community face 
multiple barriers to services and information. 
For instance, Deaf or hard of 
hearing survivors may have difficulty 
connecting with services if intake is 
done over the telephone. People with 
physical disabilities may face barriers 
to entering service organizations 
due to stairways, narrow entrances, 
or security measures that prevent 
access. Generally, all people with 
disabilities may face barriers to using 
services due to a lack of trained staff 
and resources designed for survivors 
with disabilities. Challenges that 
are unique to correctional settings 
often magnify and compound those 
barriers for incarcerated people. 
Taking steps to make PREA materials 
and victim resources accessible to 
incarcerated people with disabilities 
should increase the likelihood that 
they will report and seek help if they 
experience sexual victimization.

Applicable PREA standards

PREA establishes standards to prevent, 
detect, respond to, and monitor 
sexual abuse in confinement settings, 
including prisons, jails, juvenile 
facilities, lockups, and community 
confinement facilities. Standard 
§115.16 (prisons and jails)/115.116 
(lockups)/115.216 (community confinement)/
115.316 (juvenile facilities) 
specifically focuses on incarcerated 
people with disabilities and requires 
that correctional agencies take steps 
to ensure that people with disabilities 
have an equal opportunity to participate 
in, or benefit from, all aspects of 
the agency’s efforts to prevent, detect, 
and respond to sexual abuse and 
sexual harassment.13

Although this standard also sets 
agency requirements for incarcerated 
people who are limited English proficient, 
this guide does not address that 
population. Except for the term used 
to describe the specific incarcerated 
population (inmate, detainee, and resident), 
the language of this standard is 
the same across facility types.14



PREA Standard §115.16: 
Inmates with disabilities 
and inmates who are 
limited English proficient.

(a) The agency shall take appropriate 
steps to ensure that inmates 
with disabilities (including, for 
example, inmates who are deaf 
or hard of hearing, those who 
are blind or have low vision, 
or those who have intellectual, 
psychiatric, or speech disabilities), 
have an equal opportunity 
to participate in or benefit 
from all aspects of the agency’s 
efforts to prevent, detect, and 
respond to sexual abuse and 
sexual harassment. Such steps 
shall include, when necessary 
to ensure effective communication 
with inmates who are deaf 
or hard of hearing, providing 
access to interpreters who can 
interpret effectively, accurately, 
and impartially, both receptively 
and expressively, using any 
necessary specialized vocabulary. 
In addition, the agency 
shall ensure that written materials 
are provided in formats or 
through methods that ensure 
effective communication with 
inmates with disabilities, including 
inmates who have intellectual 
disabilities, limited reading 
skills, or who are blind or have 
low vision. An agency is not 
required to take actions that it 
can demonstrate would result 
in a fundamental alteration in 
the nature of a service, program, 
or activity, or in undue financial 
and administrative burdens, as 
those terms are used in regulations 
promulgated under Title II 
of the Americans With Disabilities 
Act, 28 CFR 35.164.

(b) The agency shall take reasonable 
steps to ensure meaningful 
access to all aspects of the 
agency’s efforts to prevent, 
detect, and respond to sexual 
abuse and sexual harassment to 
inmates who are limited English 
proficient, including steps to 
provide interpreters who can 
interpret effectively, accurately, 
and impartially, both receptively 
and expressively, using any necessary 
specialized vocabulary.

(c) The agency shall not rely on 
inmate interpreters, inmate 
readers, or other types of inmate 
assistants except in limited circumstances 
where an extended 
delay in obtaining an effective 
interpreter could compromise 
the inmate’s safety, the performance 
of first-response duties 
under §115.64, or the investigation 
of the inmate’s allegations.



Lockup cells in a hallway
Several other PREA standards require 
agencies to take disabilities into 
consideration when making decisions 
about incarcerated people. These 
include standards that govern:

• Screening. Standard 
§115.41/115.241/115.341 requires 
agencies to take disabilities into 
account when making decisions 
about risk for sexual victimization 
or abusiveness; 

• Discipline. Standard 
§115.78/115.278/115.378 requires 
agencies to take disabilities into 
account when making decisions 
about disciplinary sanctions 
following an incident of inmate-on-
inmate/resident-on-resident sexual 
abuse; and 

• Education. Standard 
§115.33/115.233/115.333 requires 
agencies to provide education 
in formats accessible to all 
incarcerated people, including 
those who are Deaf, visually 
impaired, or otherwise disabled, 
as well as to incarcerated people 
who have limited reading skills. 

In addition, to the extent the information 
is available, Standard §115.141 
requires lockups to consider whether 
a detained person has a mental, 
physical, or developmental disability 
during screening, but lockups are not 
required to meet the disciplinary and 
education requirements discussed 
here. People detained in lockups are 
simply not held long enough to make 
those requirements relevant. 

Legal compliance 

Two federal statutes exist to regulate 
the treatment of incarcerated people 
with disabilities: Section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II 
of the ADA. 

Section 504 prohibits any facility or 
agency that receives federal funding—
which includes all aspects of law 
enforcement and correctional agencies—
from discriminating against 
incarcerated people with disabilities. 



This includes detained or incarcerated 
people who use wheelchairs, 
scooters, walkers, or other mobility 
devices, or who have mental health 
or cognitive disabilities.

The ADA gives civil rights protections 
to people with disabilities similar to 
those protections provided to people 
on the basis of race, color, sex, national 
origin, age, and religion. It guarantees 
equal opportunity for people with 
disabilities in accessing state and 
local government services, public 
accommodations, employment, transportation, 
and telecommunications. 
Title II of the ADA requires correctional 
facilities to make reasonable modifications 
in their policies, practices, 
and procedures that are necessary to 
ensure accessibility for people with 
disabilities.

Auxiliary Aids and Services

Section 504 and Title II of the ADA 
require that facilities provide auxiliary 
aids and services to incarcerated 
people with disabilities to ensure 
access to information and services.

Examples of auxiliary aids and 
services include:

• qualified interpreters for incarcerated 
people who are Deaf or hard 
of hearing;

• brailled materials, large print materials, 
or other effective methods of 
making visually delivered materials 
available to incarcerated people 
who are blind or low-vision; 

• acquisition or modification of equipment 
or devices, such as hearing 
aids, wheelchairs, magnification 
devices, and electronic devices to 
assist with communication;

• readers or note takers for incarcerated 
people with cognitive or intellectual 
disabilities; and

• quiet, distraction-free learning areas 
for incarcerated people with psychiatric 
disabilities.

A hand on a braille page

Learning from the field

To understand how correctional 
facilities provide information on 
PREA to incarcerated people and 
the barriers they face when providing 
this information to incarcerated 
people with disabilities, Vera 
interviewed corrections staff from 
prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities 
across the country, as well as 
experts from disability rights and 
disability service organizations 
who have had interactions with 
correctional facilities. The 17 interviews 
were focused generally on 
the experiences of people with 
disabilities in correctional facilities, 
the challenges correctional agencies 
face in meeting the needs of 
people with disabilities, which auxiliary 
aids and services (e.g., hearing 
aids, wheelchairs, and interpreters) 
are most often requested by incarcerated 
people with disabilities, 
and how correctional facilities are, 
or are not, meeting those requests. 
The interviews provided a snapshot 
of the current challenges 
facing correctional facilities. Based 
on this snapshot, Vera relied on its 
expertise to shape the recommendations 
provided in this guide to 
assist corrections staff in ensuring 
the PREA standards are implemented 
in ways that are accessible 
to the widest variety of incarcerated 
people with disabilities.

Incarcerated people talking outdoors

Strategies for making PREA information and 
victim services accessible

Incarcerated people with disabilities 
need access to the information and 
services required by the PREA standards. 
When implementing the PREA 
standards, correctional agencies must 
ensure that any new or enhanced 
policies, staff training, education 
materials, and facility protocols are 
accessible to all people working 
or housed in confinement settings, 
including people with disabilities. In 
addition, as the interviews Vera conducted 
revealed, facilities need support 
to be prepared to meet requests 
for auxiliary aids and services unique 
to certain types of disabilities.

Increase access for the 
broadest range of users

While facilities may differ in how they 
identify people with disabilities, there 
are two common practices: staff either 
identify people upon intake and 
begin to meet their needs immediately, 
or they respond to incarcerated 
people who request an auxiliary aid 
or modification to existing materials, 
policies, or services at a later time. 
Both approaches can result in a lack 
of access for people with disabilities 
because some people may not disclose 
their disability and others may 
not know to ask for an accommodation. 
Given the different disabilities 
within a corrections population, 
responding to such requests can 
become time and resource intensive, 
particularly in places with highly transient 
populations, like jails or lockups.

Correctional agencies can minimize 
the number of requests for modifications 
to materials, policies, and 
services by developing them to be 
accessible to the broadest range of 
users. As noted below, many of these 
modifications require little to no additional 
financial resources.

Spaces Used for Orientation Sessions

Many facilities provide the required 
PREA information to incarcerated 
people in classrooms, dayrooms, or 
other large spaces that can accommodate 
a group.15 The traditional 
approach to setting up a classroom or 
other similar space is to set the room 
with as many seats as possible and 
establish one or two seats accessible 
to wheelchairs. However, given the 
number and variety of mobility disabilities 
that may be present in correctional 
settings, wheelchair access 
alone should not be the only standard. 
Incarcerated people with disabilities 
may also use walkers, canes, 
or may simply need broader aisles 
to move through a space. Meeting 
rooms packed to maximum capacity 
also unnecessarily restrict the types of 
seating available, limiting access for 
incarcerated people with conditions 
that may require a hard surface for 



writing or variety in types of chairs. 
In addition, crammed meeting rooms 
are difficult for trainers or planners 
to rearrange quickly should sign 
language interpreters be needed. 
Finally, crammed meeting spaces 
can create barriers to learning for 
incarcerated people with cognitive/
intellectual disabilities or psychiatric 
disabilities. 

To create a meeting space that meets 
the needs of the widest range of 
users, facilities are encouraged to set 
the room as follows:

• Ensure that all aisles are a minimum 
of 36 inches wide so that people 
using mobility devices of any kind 
can traverse the meeting space 
with ease.

• Provide chairs with and without armrests. 
Chairs with armrests increase 
access for people who need them 
to lower or lift themselves in and out 
of a seat. Chairs without armrests 
increase access for those who need 
to transfer out of a wheelchair.

• If space allows, set the room “classroom” 
style, meaning that each row 
is set with a table and chairs. However, 
if this reduces the space in the 
aisles, you should only create one or 
two rows of classroom seating and 
designate it for use by people with 
disabilities who need a hard surface 
on which to write.

Printed Materials

Facilities disseminate important information 
about PREA and the prevention 
of sexual abuse in correctional 
settings through handouts, signage, 
and brochures. Printed training materials 
also often supplement in-person 
trainings. Because print materials 
require resources to produce, proactively 
designing them for access—
instead of creating one set that is 
inaccessible and then having to 
create multiple other sets to meet 
access requests—is more efficient 
and economical. 

This guide was written and designed 
to maximize accessibility. To create 
more accessible print materials:

• Use a fifth-grade reading level as 
a benchmark for information conveyed 
in written format. Microsoft 

Person in a wheelchair

Word allows users to check the 
reading level by selecting “show 
readability statistics” in the spelling 
and grammar tool. 

• Choose a font that comes from the 
sans serif family—fonts that do not 
have decorative strokes at the ends 
of characters. This will include Arial, 
Tahoma, and Helvetica. Avoid 
ornate fonts and fonts with serifs 
as these can blend together on the 
page and can be impossible to read 
for people with low vision. 

• Use a font size that is no smaller 
than 14 point. While it is common 
to use a smaller font size to put as 
much information onto a page as 
possible, anything smaller than 
14-point font creates eye strain for 
most readers. However, facilities 
should be prepared to increase the 
font size to 16 point or larger for 
those with low vision.

• Choose a font color that has the 
highest contrast against the paper 
on which it is printed. 

• Align the text to the left of the document. 
The ragged right edge of left-
aligned text creates breaks between 
lines that help people with low 
vision and learning or intellectual 
disabilities track when one line ends 
and the next begins. For this reason, 
right and full justification of text are 
discouraged. 

• Limit the amount of information on 
a page. Generally, this means ensuring 
that lines consist of eight to 15 
words maximum. Too much information 
can be daunting to people with 
learning or intellectual disabilities, 
causing them to skim the information 
and miss important points. 

• Choose an appropriate hierarchy for 
the order of the information being 
presented. For instance, the most 
important information should come 
first, or when describing a process, 
order the information in the order 
that it occurs. 

• Use upper and lowercase letters in 
your text as opposed to all upper or 
lowercase letters.

In addition to the overall design of 
the materials, making printed material 
accessible requires other important 
considerations:

• When posting or placing informational 
materials about PREA and 
available victim services, be sure 
they are readable and reachable 
from a sitting position for people 
who use wheelchairs.

• When providing materials in folders 
or binders, avoid using any that 



are difficult for people with limited 
manual dexterity to open and close, 
such as three-ring binders.

Electronic Materials and Devices

Some facilities provide information 
about PREA and the services available 
for incarcerated people who experience 
sexual abuse through videos 
or other electronic media or devices. 
Like printed materials, the creation 
of electronic resources or videos can 
require a significant financial investment 
and should be designed for the 
highest degree of accessibility. Facilities 
are encouraged to ensure that 
these types of resources meet the 
following accessibility standards:

• Videos should have a closed captioning 
option, which can be activated 
as needed. A less expensive 
option, known as open captioning, 
is to have captioning on all videos.

• When audio formats are used, 
provide accompanying transcripts.

• When accessing online content—
via tablets, desktop computers, or 
video conferencing equipment—
ensure that landing pages meet web 
content accessibility guidelines:16

• The tab order should be 
designed so that if somebody 
does not have the sufficient 
dexterity to use a mouse, they 
can quickly navigate the site 
using only the tab and enter keys. 

• Alternative text descriptions 
should be included for all photos 
so that individuals with visual 
disabilities using a screen reader 
or translator can understand the 
meaning behind them. 

Example of alternative text 
descriptions for electronic 
materials and devices:

• Links and anchor text (the visible, 
clickable text in a hyperlink) 
should plainly describe what a 
person can expect once they 
click on that link. For example, 
if the link leads to information 
about sexual abuse, the anchor 
text should read “information 
about sexual abuse.” 

Alt text example: image of a phone
Image of a phone



• Any colors used should provide 
sufficient contrast to the screen’s 
background. Avoid using color 
as a visual indicator, as this presents 
a barrier to people who are 
color blind. 

Increase capacity for 
individualized accessibility 
solutions

The accessibility needs of people with 
disabilities vary, even for people with 
the same disability. Depending on the 
person and the circumstances, individualized 
solutions for accessibility 
may involve taking additional steps. 
In some cases, creating accessible 
materials, educational sessions, and 
resources will require planning, 
time, partnerships, and/or financial 
resources. As such, facilities will benefit 
from preparing in advance to meet 
these requests. 

There are a number of key strategies 
for creating individualized accessibility 
solutions for incarcerated people with 
sensory disabilities, intellectual/cognitive 
disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. 
While this guide focuses on 
accessibility solutions for these specific 
disabilities, facilities may encounter 
a variety of disabilities not covered 
here. In these cases, the best practice 
is to work directly with the people 
with disabilities to better understand 
their needs and create solutions.

Sensory Disabilities

People with sensory disabilities experience 
unique barriers to information 
and educational opportunities within 
correctional settings. Incarcerated 
people who are Deaf, for example, 
lack access to verbal information 
and incarcerated people who are 
blind lack access to visual information. 
To enhance the accessibility of 
PREA resources and materials for 
people with sensory disabilities, 
facilities are encouraged to take 
the following steps:

• Set up meeting rooms to ensure 
maximum line-of-sight between 
Deaf people and interpreters, 
presenters, and any videos being 
shown. Remove obstacles from 
tables and obstructions from aisles. 
Stagger participant seating to minimize 
bodily obstructions to the 
presenters and content. 

• Make ASL interpreters available for 
in-person educational settings. Be 
sure to prepare interpreters by providing 
them with materials for the 
session in advance. Keep in mind 
that the PREA standards prohibit the 
use of other incarcerated people as 
interpreters, except in very limited 
circumstances.17



• Provide time to Deaf people and 
their interpreters in advance of the 
meeting to get comfortable with 
their language style and to determine 
the best signs to use. 

• Try to make the lighting in the 
meeting room as close to natural 
light as possible. It is important to 
ensure that sign language interpreters 
are positioned in the room to 
reduce glare and eye strain for the 
Deaf person.

• While an increasing number of 
people are relying on digital technologies 
instead of braille, facilities 
may want to have plans in place 
when people request materials 
in braille. The need for brailled 
materials should be identified at 
least two weeks in advance, as this 
is the minimum amount of time 
needed to convert text to braille. 
Where possible, facilities can identify 
a braille transcription company 
in advance and determine with the 
company if it requires more than 
two weeks to braille materials.

• Be prepared for requests for large 
print materials. Large print is 
defined as a minimum of 16-point 
font size, which is larger than 
the recommended 14-point font 
needed for broader access.

• If presentations are augmented by 
images, have the presenter/trainer 
describe the visual.

Key considerations for 
using ASL interpreters in 
correctional settings

For people who were born Deaf or 
acquired deafness early in life, ASL, 
not English, is often their first language. 
ASL is a unique language 
that has its own grammar and 
syntax and relies on signs, facial 
gestures, and body positioning 
to convey meaning. As such, ASL 
does not translate well into written 
English. Therefore, when communicating 
important information to 
Deaf incarcerated people or when 
communicating with Deaf incarcerated 
people in stressful situations, 
qualified ASL interpreters should 
be used.

Simply knowing ASL does not 
qualify a person to interpret. A 
qualified interpreter is one who 
can interpret accurately, effectively, 
and impartially, and use 
specialized vocabulary, as needed. 
Qualified interpreters subscribe 
to a strict code of ethics, should 
be familiar with the vocabulary 



used in correctional settings, 
and have the ability to convey 
these concepts through ASL.18 
Facilities should not use other 
incarcerated people to convey 
information through ASL. Standard 
§115.16(c)/116(c)/216(c)/316(c) 
also forbids the use of inmate/
detainee/resident interpreters, 
except in very limited circumstances.

It is important that the ASL interpreter 
has as much information 
as possible about what to expect 
in the correctional setting. This 
can include plans for emergency 
evacuation, any recent safety concerns, 
and any interactions they 
can expect with other incarcerated 
people (e.g., if other incarcerated 
people will be present 
during the exchange between the 
interpreter and the Deaf person). 
Additionally, because interpreters 
adhere to strict standards of 
confidentiality, facility staff should 
be clear with the ASL interpreter 
about any limitations around confidential 
communication, including 
what the incarcerated people 
and interpreter exchange during 
informal communications. Prior 
to any session requiring an interpreter, 
inform the Deaf person of 
any limits to confidentiality. Also, 
due to the small pool of qualified 
interpreters available, there is the 
possibility that the Deaf person 
and interpreter may have a prior 
connection. Explore any potential 
conflicts of interest in advance of 
the engagement. Finally, prepare 
the interpreter for the nature of 
the subject matter he or she will 
be interpreting.

Because Deaf people have unique 
communication needs, 10 minutes 
prior to the engagement should be 
set aside to allow the interpreter 
to understand the incarcerated 
person’s communication style 
and preferences. During this time, 
solicit the interpreter’s input as to 
the best location for the interpreter 
to be in relation to the other parties 
involved in the communication. 
Interpreters have the responsibility 
to do their best to interpret all 
communication. If there is anything 
the facility does not wish the Deaf 
or hard of hearing person to know, 
it is best to take that communication 
outside of the room or setting. 
Finally, there is typically lag time 
between a speaker and the interpretation. 
As a result, responses 
and questions from Deaf people 
may be slightly delayed. Interpreters 
may need to ask for clarification 
on key points. Allowing for this 
enables the interpreters to do their 
job well.



Cognitive/Intellectual Disabilities

People with cognitive/intellectual 
disabilities may experience barriers to 
communication, processing information, 
and retaining information. Facilities 
can take steps to promote access 
for incarcerated people with disabilities 
by making specific modifications 
to the delivery of PREA information 
and services:

• When creating informational documents, 
order the information visually. 
Use design to highlight the most 
important information.19

Order information visually so that 
the most important facts can be 
read first:

• Avoid long, unbroken narratives 
without clues to a hierarchy of information. 
This is most easily achieved 
by using descriptive headers and 
sub-headers.

• Use pictures to augment text and 
ensure the images are clear and 
direct.

• Use clear and simple language 
rather than abstract, bureaucratic, 
or insider information. 

• Spell out acronyms at least once.

• Offer information in multiple formats. 
This can range from verbal 
and written to video and audio. 

• Use one-on-one engagement as 
much as possible, and ensure comprehension 
by asking questions to 
garner the person’s understanding 
of materials.

• Provide a verbal review of written 
materials.

• When using a video to convey 
information, allot time following the 
video for people to ask questions 
and seek clarification.

Most Important 
Information

Who? What? When? 
Where? Why?

Details

General

Information



Psychiatric Disabilities

People with psychiatric disabilities 
experience barriers similar to those 
experienced by people with cognitive/
intellectual disabilities. However, 
they may also experience side effects 
from the medication prescribed to 
treat their mental illness that may 
cause or exacerbate barriers to learning, 
communication, and information 
retention. These side effects include 
confused speech, memory gaps, 
drowsiness, and restlessness. Some 
practices that increase access for 
incarcerated people with psychiatric 
disabilities include: 

• setting aside time before, during, 
and after in-person education sessions 
to verbally discuss and process 
the information being shared;

• minimizing distractions in the learning 
environment, including unnecessary 
noise and wall decorations;

• keeping presentations structured 
and on topic; and

• ensuring, whenever necessary, that 
a note taker for in-person education 
sessions is available. This may 
be important in situations where an 
incarcerated person’s medication 
affects his or her concentration and 
memory retention. Having written 
notes will allow the person to review 
the information after the education 
session and follow up with any 
questions. The note taker should not 
be another incarcerated person but 
can be a staff person.

Ensuring access to reporting 

While prevention of sexual abuse and 
sexual harassment is the ultimate goal 
in correctional facilities, PREA also 
requires agencies to provide multiple 
internal reporting avenues and at 
least one way to report sexual abuse 
and sexual harassment to a public or 
private entity or office that is not part 
of the agency. This allows incarcerated 
people to remain anonymous if 
they wish (Standard §115.51/115.151/115.251/115.351). To ensure that 
incarcerated people with disabilities 
have the ability to report sexual abuse 
and sexual harassment, facilities 
should provide the following:

• Videophones, text telephones 
(TTYs), and phone amplification 
where inmate phones are available.

• Phones that are wheelchair 
accessible.

• Written materials detailing how 
and to whom to report in large font 
(16 to 18 point).

• Written materials in braille.



• Written materials enhanced 
with pictures.

• Written materials in plain language—
clear succinct writing that avoids 
verbose language and jargon.20

Show all incarcerated people who are 
blind or have low vision where they 
can find the phones or the lock box 
for anonymous reports. People with 
disabilities should never have to report 
sexual abuse or sexual harassment 
through another incarcerated person.

Ensuring access to 
victim services

When sexual abuse occurs in correctional 
settings, access to victim 
services is a critical resource. PREA 
standards require facilities to provide 
incarcerated people who have 
been sexually abused with access to 
outside victim advocates for emotional 
support services (Standard 
§115.53/115.253/115.353). If facilities 
do not have pre-existing relationships 
with outside victim advocates, they 
will need to take steps to identify rape 
crisis programs that are prepared to 
work with people with disabilities. 
Programs that effectively serve people 
with disabilities will demonstrate 
their commitment and capacity in a 
variety of ways. When initiating contact 
with and getting to know local 
programs, consider the following 
questions: 

• Do the rape crisis center’s outreach 
materials include images of people 
with disabilities? By including 
images of people with disabilities 
in its outreach materials, a rape 
crisis center signals that the center 
recognizes that they, too, are at risk 
of sexual abuse and invites them to 
use its services. 

• Does the rape crisis center provide 
accessible modes of contact? Having 
accessible modes of contact 
ensures that people with disabilities 
can privately communicate with 
advocates. Examples include a TTY 
line that is monitored and answered 
and advocates trained to communicate 
through video relay services. 
(See “What is Video Relay Service?” 
on page 21 for more details). 

• Are rape crisis staff trained to work 
with people with disabilities? To 
effectively support a victim with a 
disability, staff of the rape crisis program 
should be trained in tailoring 
crisis intervention and advocacy 
services to meet the unique needs of 
people with disabilities. This includes 
the ability to increase or decrease 
the length of a session depending 
on the victim’s needs, understand if 
trauma will exacerbate the person’s 



disability, and respond to questions 
about whether the person’s disability 
was a contributing factor to the 
sexual abuse or sexual harassment. 

• Does the rape crisis center have 
policies and protocols that specifically 
address people with disabilities? 
A rape crisis center with the 
capacity to effectively serve people 
with disabilities will provide auxiliary 
aids and services and modify 
services to meet the needs of 
people with disabilities.

Facilities are encouraged to enter into 
formal partnerships with rape crisis 
programs and detail their expectations 
in a written contract or memorandum 
of understanding (MOU). However, 
facilities do not need to enter into 
separate contracts or MOUs to provide 
services to incarcerated people 
with disabilities; rather, a single 
agreement that details the full range 
of services the rape crisis program 
will provide to all incarcerated people, 
including those with disabilities, 
will suffice. In the absence of a formal 
relationship, facilities can use the 
above criteria to select which rape 
crisis programs to list as resources for 
incarcerated people who experience 
sexual abuse. 

What is Video Relay 
Service?

Video relay service (VRS) is a 
telecommunication service that 
allows Deaf, hard of hearing, and 
speech-impaired (D-HOH-SI) individuals 
to communicate with hearing 
people through the telephone 
system. The VRS caller, using a 
monitor with a video camera and 
high speed Internet connection, 
contacts a qualified ASL interpreter. 
They communicate with each other 
in ASL through a video link. The 
VRS interpreter then places a telephone 
call to the hearing person. 
The interpreter relays the conversation 
back and forth between the 
parties—in sign language with the 
VRS user, and by voice with the 
called party. People who use sign 
language prefer this service over 
the traditional TTY as the conversation 
flows more quickly and is easier 
to understand.



Staff training and resources

To fully prepare staff to meet the 
PREA standards and ensure meaningful 
access to PREA information and 
victim services, agencies should incorporate 
training on disabilities into 
their mandatory staff trainings. While 
they may not have training curricula 
specific to addressing sexual abuse 
and sexual harassment against 
incarcerated people with disabilities, 
facilities can adapt existing trainings 
to meet this need. Initial training modules 
should focus on understanding 
the concept of disability generally, the 
barriers experienced by people with 
disabilities and strategies to remove 
them, and the dynamics associated 
with sexual abuse of people with disabilities. 
These include increased risks 
of victimization, perpetrators uniquely 
positioned to target people with 
disabilities—for example, personal 
care providers and accessible transportation 
providers—and abuse 
specific to the victim’s disability.22

Agencies might find it helpful to consult 
with a local disability provider 
on the general disability content. For 
training on the dynamics of sexual 
abuse of people with disabilities, 
agencies may consult with local rape 
crisis programs with experience in 
this area or may choose to draw upon 
national resources. Vera’s Center 
on Victimization and Safety offers a 
monthly webinar series and annual 
in-person training opportunities 
featured on its website:

www.endabusepwd.org.

While these training opportunities are 
not specific to corrections, the information 
and materials can be adapted 
for correctional facilities. 

In addition to engaging disability 
providers for training, agencies might 
find it helpful to create resource-
sharing agreements with local disability 
providers for assistance with 
providing auxiliary aids and services 
to incarcerated people with disabilities. 
Many disability providers have 
programs available to loan assistive 
technology, wheelchairs, and other 
adaptive equipment. Agencies could 
also create a written agreement with 
interpreting agencies to provide ASL 
interpreters. Having a standing agreement 
with an interpreting agency 
helps to ensure the quality of interpreters 
and their comfort and capacity 
to interpret in correctional settings. 
Finally, agencies may want to form 
partnerships with providers in their 
community to stay abreast of emerging 
issues in the field of disability 
and in the community.

Correctional facilities officers

Local and National 
Resources

Disability providers that offer 
training and education include:

• Centers for independent living: 
www.ilru.org

• Deaf and hard of hearing centers

• Mental health centers: 
www.mentalhealthamerica.net/
our-affiliates

• National Network of University 
Centers for Excellence in Developmental 
Disabilities Education, 
Research & Service: 
www.acl.gov/programs/aidd/
Programs/UCEDD/Contacts.aspx

• Local chapters of The Arc, a 
national organization for parents 
and children when a child has 
an intellectual disability: 
www.thearc.org/find-a-chapter

• Goodwill Industries: 
www.goodwill.org/locator/
?location

• Protection and advocacy organizations, 
commonly referred to 
as Disability Rights Networks: 
www.ndrn.org/ndrn-member
-agencies.html

• A state’s department of 
services for people who are 
blind or low vision: 
www.nationaldb.org

Other national resources include:

• End Abuse of People 
with Disabilities:
www.endabusepwd.org

• The National Council 
on Independent Living: 
www.ncil.org

• National Disability 
Rights Network: 
www.ndrn.org

• The National Organization 
on Disability: 
www.nod.org

• The Arc – National Office: 
www.thearc.org

• American Council of the Blind: 
www.acb.org/node/65

• U.S. Department of Justice 
Disability Rights Information Line: 
(800) 514-0301

• The ADA National Network: 
www.adata.org 



Conclusion

People with disabilities in correctional 
facilities may experience sexual abuse 
and/or harassment at higher rates 
than incarcerated people without 
disabilities. Recent research indicates 
that incarcerated people with mental 
illness are sexually victimized at 
higher rates than those without mental 
illness.23 Corrections staff can ensure 
equal access to PREA education 
and services by adopting strategies 
that are accessible to people with 
disabilities and preparing to meet 
unique needs that may arise among 
this population. By implementing the 
strategies outlined in this guide, correctional 
facilities can enhance their 
supervision and service provision to 
incarcerated people with disabilities, 
many of whom may never self-disclose 
their disability or may not know 
to request an accommodation. As 
facilities implement these approaches 
and forge new partnerships with 
agencies that can help with accommodations, 
correctional agencies 
should be sure to memorialize these 
efforts in policy and reinforce them 
in training. In doing so, they will be 
contributing to an important body of 
resources and practices that can help 
reinforce a correctional culture that 
prioritizes dignity, respect, and safety 
for all.

An incarcerated person reading and writing outdoors

Endnotes

1. Johns Hopkins University Office of 
Student Disability Services, “Physical 
Disabilities,” http://web.jhu.edu/
disabilities/faculty/types_of_disabilities/
physical.html 
(accessed January 4, 2015). 
2. The Arc, “Intellectual Disability,” 
http://www.thearc.org/page.aspx?
pid=2543 
(accessed December 30, 2014).
3. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission, “EEOC Enforcement 
Guidance on the Americans 
with Disabilities Act and Psychiatric 
Disabilities,” http://www.eeoc.gov/
policy/docs/psych.html 
(accessed December 30, 2014).
4. The term “impairment” is used to 
describe the findings of the Bureau 
of Justice Statistics because it is the 
term used in its report. However, 
Vera uses the term the “disability” 
in its work, which is the term more 
commonly used today in the field.
5. Laura M. Maruschak, Medical Problems 
of Prisoners (Washington, DC: 
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau 
of Justice Statistics, 2008). 
6. In the report, mental health problems 
are defined by two measures: 
a recent history or symptoms of 
a mental health problem. Symptoms 
must have occurred in the 12 
months prior to the interview, and 
a recent history of mental health 
problems included a clinical diagnosis 
or treatment by a mental 
health professional. Symptoms of 
a mental disorder were based on 
criteria specified in the Diagnostic 
and Statistical Manual of Mental 
Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). 
See Lauren E. Glaze and Doris J. 
James, Mental Health Problems of 
Prison and Jail Inmates 
(Washington, DC: U.S. Department 
of Justice, Bureau of Justice 
Statistics, 2006).
7. “Emotional disturbance”—as defined 
in 34 Code of Federal Regulations 
Section 300.8 - Child with a disability
—is a condition exhibiting one or 
more of the following characteristics 
over a long period of time and 
to a marked degree that adversely 
affects a child’s educational performance: 
(a) an inability to learn that 
cannot be explained by intellectual, 
sensory, or health factors; (b) an inability 
to build or maintain satisfactory 
interpersonal relationships with 
peers and teachers; (c) inappropriate 
types of behavior or feelings 
under normal circumstances; 
(d) a general pervasive mood of 
unhappiness or depression; and/or 
(e) a tendency to develop physical 
symptoms or fears associated with 
personal or school problems.



8. Mary Magee Quinn, Robert B. 
Rutherford, Peter E. Leone, David 
M. Osher, Jeffrey M. Poirier, “Youth 
with Disabilities in Juvenile 
Corrections: A National Survey,” 
Exceptional Children 71, no. 3 
(2005), 339–345.9. Researchers administered a 
six-question survey referred to as 
the “K6 screening scale” to measure 
frequency of mental health 
symptoms during the preceding 30 
days. Based on inmate responses, 
they were able to determine how 
many experienced serious psychological 
distress. The researchers 
note that since 2008, the K6 scale 
has been used to predict serious 
psychological distress, rather than 
serious mental illness. To predict 
serious mental illness more 
accurately, the K6 needs to be 
supplemented with questions on 
functional impairment. See Allen 
J. Beck, Marcus Berzofsky, Rachel 
Caspar, and Christopher Krebs, 
Sexual Victimization in Prisons and 
Jails Reported by Inmates, 2011–12 
(Washington, DC: U.S. Department 
of Justice, Bureau of Justice 
Statistics, 2013).
10. Among state and federal inmates, 
6.3 percent of those identified 
with serious psychological distress 
reported being sexually victimized 
by another inmate, compared 
with 0.7 percent of inmates with 
no indication of mental illness. 
See Allen Beck, Marcus Berzofsky, 
Rachel Caspar, and Christopher 
Krebs, 2013.11. In 2012, people with disabilities 
in the community experienced 
an estimated 233,000 robberies, 
195,200 aggravated assaults, 
838,600 simple assaults and 
80,100 rapes or other sexual 
assaults. People with multiple disabilities 
experienced higher rates 
of violent victimization than their 
counterparts with one disability. 
People with cognitive disabilities 
had the highest rate of violent 
victimization with 63 victimizations 
out of every 1,000 people 
versus 30.5 victimizations out of 
every 1,000 in persons with physical 
disabilities, before adjusting 
for age. See Erika Harrell, Crime 
Against Persons with Disabilities, 
2009–2012 - Statistical Tables 
(Washington, DC: U.S. Department 
of Justice, Bureau of Justice 
Statistics, 2014).
12. Erika Harrell, 2014.13. 28 C.F.R. Part 115, National 
Standards to Prevent, Detect, and 
Respond to Prison Rape; Final 
Rule, Standard §115.16: Inmates 



with disabilities and inmates who 
are limited English proficient, 
(Washington, DC: U.S. Department 
of Justice, 2012).
14. For more information on the terms 
used in the standards, see 28 
C.F.R. Part 115, National Standards 
to Prevent, Detect, and Respond 
to Prison Rape; Final Rule, §115.5: 
General Definitions, 
(Washington, DC: U.S. Department 
of Justice, 2012).
15. PREA Standard §115.33: Inmate 
education states that during the 
intake process, agencies are 
required to provide inmates with 
an explanation of the agency’s 
zero-tolerance policy regarding 
sexual abuse and sexual harassment 
and tell them how they can 
report incidents or suspicions of 
sexual abuse or sexual harassment. 
Agencies are required to 
provide comprehensive education 
regarding sexual abuse and 
sexual harassment to inmates 
within 30 days of intake. See 28 
C.F.R. Part 115, National Standards 
to Prevent, Detect, and Respond 
to Prison Rape; Final Rule, Standard 
§115.33: Inmate education, 
(Washington, DC: U.S. Department 
of Justice, 2012).
16. World Wide Web (W3) Consortium, 
“Web Content Accessibility 
Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0,” December 
2011, http://www.w3.org/TR/
WCAG20/

.

17. Using inmate interpreters or 
other helpers to provide services 
or support to an inmate with a disability 
may create an unintended 
power imbalance among inmates. 
It may create situations where an 
inmate with a disability is reliant 
on the helper for some activities 
of daily living, rather than giving 
the inmate an accommodation 
that makes the person more independent. 
Additionally, situations 
could arise where the inmate 
helper exacts control over the 
inmate with the disability and 
demands money or sexual favors 
in exchange for helping the 
person access what he or she 
needs (e.g., making a phone call 
or having mail read aloud). 
E-mail exchange with Vera, New 
York City, July 29, 2014; e-mail 
exchange with Vera, New York 
City, July 31, 2014.

 



18. Registry of Interpreters for the 
Deaf, “Code of Professional 
Conduct,” http://www.rid.org/ethics/
code-of-professional-conduct/ 
(accessed March 25, 2015).
19. For more information and examples, 
see http://www.vanseodesign.
com/web-design/visual-
hierarchy/

.

20. For more information on writing 
in plain language, see http://www.
dailywritingtips.com/20-strategies-
for-writing-in-plain-
language/.

21. Federal Communications 
Commission, “Video Relay Services,” 
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/
video-relay-services 
(accessed March 25, 2015).
22. Peace Over Violence, “The Dynamics 
of Persons Who are Deaf/
Hard of Hearing or Who Have a 
Disability,” http://www.calcasa.
org/wp-content/uploads/files/
dynamics-of-abuse-deaf-disabled-.
pdf 
(accessed June 18, 2015).
23. Allen Beck, Marcus Berzofsky, 
Rachel Caspar, and Christopher 
Krebs, 2013.



About the Vera Institute of JusticeThe Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) has 
been committed to helping agencies 
prevent and address sexual abuse 
in confinement settings since 2006, 
when Vera provided technical assistance 
to the National Prison Rape 
Elimination Commission. Since that 
time, Vera’s Center on Sentencing 
and Corrections (CVS) has produced 
numerous Prison Rape Elimination 
Act (PREA) resources for the corrections 
field, including a guide for correctional 
agencies on how to deliver 
coordinated, victim-centered care to 
victims of sexual abuse in confinement 
settings. Vera has also provided 
technical assistance to adult and juvenile 
correctional agencies working to 
implement the PREA standards. 
With more than 10 years of experience 
in the area of disability and victimization, 
Vera has a long-standing 
commitment to, and track record of, 
improving services for victims with 
disabilities and is a recognized expert 
in the field of abuse of people with 
disabilities. Since December 2004, 
CVS has served as the comprehensive 
technical assistance provider for the 
Office on Violence Against Women’s 
Disability Grant Program. In this role, 
Vera has fostered the development of 
more than 50 collaborations between 
disability organizations and victim 
service organizations. Central to 
Vera’s work with these collaborations 
is the identification and removal of 
barriers within their organizations’ 
physical, attitudinal, policy, and communication 
environments. Through 
this work, Vera has identified strategies 
to address the unique challenges 
victim service organizations experience 
when attempting to serve victims 
with disabilities. 
For more information, visit
www.vera.org.