Videos in Reader-friendly format, ASL, and Captioned:

Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has created a series of short videos on a number of topics on the criminal justice system – how it works and what to expect – in a reader-friendly format for people with low-literacy, and in sign language with captioning for people who are Deaf. These videos will help people with disabilities to increase their understanding of the procedures and processes they will go through if they have been a victim of a crime. For many people with disabilities, these procedures and processes can create barriers to fair access and, therefore, barriers to fair outcomes because the information is not in a communication format they use or understand; this is especially the case for people with intellectual disabilities, brain injury, learning disabilities, people who are blind, and people who are Deaf.

The videos are also intended to help the victim support worker to communicate important information to the victim/survivor in a more effective way and to support them better throughout the process.

The How I Need to Know Project video topics are:

• How to Report a Crime to Police
• How to Write Your Victim Impact Statement
• Being a Witness and Testifying in Court
• What Happens When You Go to Court
• What to Do if You Have Been Sexually Assaulted
• How to Report a Crime When You Have a Communications Disability

Illustrated Help Sheets That Are Reader-friendly:

Not all people with disabilities have access to computers or are physically able to use computers or devices to access videos, especially those who live in remote areas and those who are socially isolated. So, DABC has created help information sheets in English and French that cover the key information in the videos in an easy to understand print form that the victim support worker can give the person with a disability to take away and refer back to.

You can access the videos at:

https://disabilityalliancebc.therightfitbc.org/how-i-need-to-know-videos/

You can access the help sheets at:

https://disabilityalliancebc.therightfitbc.org/category/publications/violence-prevention/

Project Partners and Subject Matter Experts:

DABC wants to thank our subject matter experts and project partners who provided invaluable input and feedback into the content of the videos:

Communications Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) is a Canada-wide, non-profit organization that promotes accessibility for people who have communication disabilities.

Ending Violence Association (EVA) BC is a non-profit organization that provides support, training, resources, tools, education and research to victim-serving programs in BC, such as: community-based victim services, Stopping the Violence programs, and sexual assault centres.

Inclusion BC is a non-profit organization that works with individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Provincial Office of Domestic Violence, BC Ministry of Children and Families

BC Ministry of Public Safety, Community Programs, Victim Services and Crime Prevention

For more information about the videos and our project contact:

Karen Martin, How I Need to Know Project Coordinator,

karen@disabilityalliancebc.therightfitbc.org, 604 875-0188

This project has been generously funded by the Department of Justice Canada.

Would a smart tablet help you with your disability?

March of Dimes Canada Assistive Mobile Technology Initiative Can Help!

Applications and Guidelines available at: http://www.marchofdimes.ca/EN/events/special/Pages/Assistive-Mobile-Technology-Initiative.aspx

Was your organization and services impacted by the floods and fires in BC this year?

Were your clients, staff or volunteers with disabilities impacted?

If so, we’d like to hear from you. Your stories will help DABC educate local emergency programs to create more accessible and inclusive emergency response plans.

Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has funding from Emergency Management BC to work with local emergency programs throughout BC in order to increase their local capacity to respond to the needs of community members with disabilities in emergencies and disasters. This builds on more than 10 years of our work on emergency preparedness and people with disabilities.

Examples of areas we are working with local emergency programs on are: communicating with the public during emergencies; mass evacuations; public education on personal preparedness; and Emergency Support Services (ESS) response and accessible facilities and services. We provide training to local government programs and provide them with resources to help them integrate the needs of people with disabilities into their emergency response.

Your organization’s experiences, and those of your clients, will provide invaluable learning opportunities for local emergency programs throughout this province. DABC will keep the names and places anonymous, but real-life stories of how the floods and fires impacted people with disabilities and the organizations that help them, is important to ensuring better response and emergency services in all communities.

Please share your experiences with: Karen Martin, Project Coordinator, karen@disabilityalliancebc.therightfitbc.org.