A recent study explains that people with disabilities are subjected to abuse at four to 10 times the rate of people without disabilities. The 2005 study, conducted by the Boggs Center, also found that people with disabilities are more likely to experience abuse at the hands of someone they know, such as a family member or caregiver, rather than a stranger.
The Public Advocate’s Division of Developmental Disability Advocacy is committed to making meaningful systemic changes to enhance the state’s prevention of and response to abuse, neglect and violence against people with disabilities.
To this end, we are exploring ways to promote practices that ensure state-funded or state-regulated services, programs and facilities are structured and monitored to prevent abuse and exploitation of people with developmental disabilities.
We are also aware that systemic changes are needed to ensure offenders with developmental disabilities and mental illness receive appropriate and equitable opportunities to exercise their rights to legal representation, to be free from self-incrimination and to be accorded fair treatment and non-discriminatory sentencing practices.
It is also critical that people with disabilities who are sentenced to incarceration have access to the treatments, medications and assistance they need.
Our current activities include:
- Research and investigation of the state’s Special Response Unit and other procedures for responding to incidents of possible abuse or neglect involving children and adults with disabilities receiving state services.
- Research on the use of restraints and aversive techniques with children and adults in state-regulated programs who have developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury.
- Collaboration with other public and private stakeholders to sponsor a statewide summit to enhance awareness of issues of abuse and neglect in various settings, to identify promising practices to address the issue and to develop recommendations for coordinated statewide action.
