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Serving Victims With Disabilities
Removing Barriers
SARTs can provide victim-centered responses by evaluating the accessibility barriers that victims with disabilities might experience when seeking services. For example, victims with mental illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, or neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or stroke could be easily distracted by bright lights and loud noises. In this respect, you may want to evaluate the lighting and noise level at your agency. It also may be helpful to refrain from wearing uniforms with ornamental designs and jewelry, which can be especially distracting to individuals with cognitive disabilities.
Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal Helps SARTs identify accessibility problems and their solutions in existing facilities to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In addition, you can take steps to enhance physical accommodations to improve accessibility:
- Install ramps or bathroom grab bars.
- Lower paper towel dispensers.
- Rearrange furniture.
- Install offset hinges to widen doorways.
- Paint new lines to create accessible parking spaces.
