Victim Services for the Disability Community

In partnership with CalOES, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, we have been working to raise awareness of victim services programs within California’s disability community. These important services are free of charge and can help victims of certain crimes recover. This is especially critical for people with disabilities because we are seven times more likely to become victims of sexual assault and at least twice as likely to become victims of violent crimes than nondisabled people.

Victim services programs can provide financial assistance and support services to people who have been victims of a qualifying crime and who have suffered physical, mental, or financial harm. Some of the services available to victims include:

  • Resource counseling and referral to appropriate agencies
  • Help understanding the criminal justice system process
  • Attending court hearings with victims
  • Assistance with preparing or delivery of a victim impact statement
  • Assistance with filling out applications for the Victims of Crime Program through the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board
  • Advocacy in felony domestic violence cases
  • Victim services programs and victim-witness assistance programs are typically offered at no cost through the district attorney’s office in each county, and the State Victims Compensation Program.

To learn more and find victim services in your county visit www.thearcca.org/victimservices

To help spread this vital information please share our public service announcement in English:

 

And Spanish:

 

Get FREE Copies of Victim Services for Disabled People Brochure

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are sexually assaulted at rates up to 7 times greater than non-disabled people according to data from the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics. This is just one of the reasons that it is vital that the I/DD community have access to resources and information on available victim services. Victim services programs exist on a local level to help victims of certain types of crimes – including sexual assault and other serious offenses – get financial assistance and supportive services.
We created a new brochure about victim services for people with disabilities in both English and Spanish – you can view them as PDFs by clicking the links below:

English

Spanish

If you think that members of your community would benefit from having copies of the brochure click the linked text below, fill in your information, and we will mail copies to you free of charge.

Request free copies

To learn more about victim services and find resources in your area visit: https://thearcca.org/victimservices/