Activating Change

Activating Change improves victim services and the criminal justice system’s treatment of people who have disabilities and Deaf people, particularly victims of crime who have disabilities. Activating Change operates in over 20 states across 150 communities, training more than 11,000 practitioners since 2022 to improve services for survivors with disabilities and Deaf individuals.

The Problem
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities in the U.S. are victims of violent crime, experiencing rates three to five times more than the general population. Despite this alarming statistic, the vast majority of victims with disabilities and Deaf victims do not receive victim services, and their cases are not prosecuted. Many victim service organizations and criminal legal systems are ill-equipped to address the unique needs of this community due to inadequate resources and training, as well as communication, physical, programmatic, and attitudinal access barriers. Also, they often lack partnerships with disability organizations, a valuable resource in meeting the needs of this community. As a result, people with disabilities and Deaf individuals are less likely to report crimes and to receive services that help interrupt violence and support healing from trauma.

The Solution
Activating Change is ending the widespread victimization and mass incarceration of people with disabilities and Deaf people by bringing together people and organizations across the country working in disability, survivor advocacy, and justice systems reform movements. Activating Change helps disability organizations become more trauma-focused, and survivor advocacy and justice systems become more accessible and integrate a disability lens. They foster alignment and support greater coordination across these movements to remove barriers to services and create new pathways to healing and justice for people with disabilities and Deaf people.

Activating Change plays a crucial role in the victim services ecosystem by promoting trauma-informed, accessible, and equitable services for disability and Deaf communities. Activating Change improves services for crime victims with disabilities and Deaf individuals through two programs:

1. Survivor Advocacy: Activating Change collaborates with local justice systems (including victim services organizations, disability service organizations, hospitals, law enforcement, district attorneys, and courts) to increase their capacity to deliver more effective services for victims of crime who have disabilities. Through assessment, training, consultation, and the integration of best practices, this work enables crime victim services and supports to be tailored to the unique needs of victims with disabilities.

2. Deaf Services: Activating Change is actively working to increase the availability of culturally and linguistically specific services for Deaf crime victims across the country. Activating Change runs a national, virtual
“for Deaf, by Deaf” direct victim service program that provides crisis intervention, long-term advocacy, and other services to Deaf victims. Staffed entirely by Deaf advocates, this program is delivered in sign language and ProTactile Language — to the 70% of the country lacking such services.