Gaining Understanding of Individuals with Disabilities through Education                                                                            

The UCEDD received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to develop and training curriculum which would increase the capacity of law enforcement to communicate with victims with severe communication disabilities, specifically individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe articulation problems, and those that utilize augmentative communication devices. The curriculum will be available on DVD or videotape, and will portray interviewing techniques for people with a variety of disabilities, and will identify ways officers/detectives can modify their interviewing techniques to solicit information directly from victims.

The DVD/videotape will be disseminated through police academies throughout the State and is being marketed as an enhancement to LD 37, which is the curriculum currently being utilized by the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) program, to train officers about people with disabilities. We anticipate reaching a minimum of 1,000 offices/detectives through this dissemination effort.

Targeted Population: Police Officers (First Responders) and Detectives
Population Served: Victims of crime with severe disabilities
Program Type: Model Training Program
Project Director: Barbara Wheeler, Ph.D.
Project Coordinator:  Rita Maldonado
                                        323-361-2450 x8325
                                        rimaldonado@chla.usc.edu
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Project Period: 2003 – June 2006