WHEN Wednesday, March 27 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT

WHERE 1310 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515

Experts from the Vera Institute of Justice and practitioners in the field of victimization of people with disabilities will hold a briefing on the national problem of violence against adults and children with disabilities and Deaf people. The briefing, on Wednesday, March 27 at 2 p.m. EDT, will address the barriers these people face when they seek support services and criminal justice interventions, as well as what is being done around the country to address this issue.

At the briefing, Vera will release Sexual Abuse of Children with Disabilities: A National Snapshot. This issue brief, drawing on a partnership between Vera’s Center on Victimization and Safety and the Ms. Foundation for Women, is an overview of the latest research on the incidence and prevalence of sexual abuse of children with disabilities, as well as the factors that contribute to its high prevalence; the status of prevention and intervention services designed to address this problem; and critical gaps and opportunities. It includes recommendations for next steps to create a national strategy that advances the response to this epidemic.

Panelists include:

• Nancy Smith, Director of the Center on Victimization and Safety, Vera Institute of Justice;
• Erin Esposito, Executive Director of Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims (ASADV) in Rochester, NY
• Teresa Tudor, Program Administrator for the Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention

Christine Leonard, Director of Vera’s Washington DC Office, will moderate.

This event will be interpreted in American Sign Language.

Please register to attend.

For more information on Vera’s Center on Victimization and Safety, visit the CVS webpage.