__________________________________________Ask the DA
 

I am deaf and a victim of domestic violence.  My boyfriend was recently arrested, and I received a letter telling me to come into the Brooklyn D.A.’s Office.  I’m not sure what I need to bring or what to expect when I get there.  I am worried that I will not be taken seriously or understood.  Will there be an interpreter for me? 

Your question raises an important issue, namely, abuse of the disabled.  Research shows that women with disabilities are at higher risk of abuse than their non-disabled peers and are re-victimized more frequently.  Sadly, there is often stigma attached to persons with disabilities.  This contributes in large part to their being devalued, ignored, isolated and a-sexualized.  Additionally, there is a woeful lack of appropriate services for persons with disabilities in our society in general. 

Through my Office, I have learned that this fundamental lack of understanding of the issues faced by people with disabilities can create difficulties when someone with a disability reports a crime.  For example, the language and cultural gap between people who are deaf and those who are hearing-impaired often leads to misinformation and misunderstanding.  To be sure, there are many obstacles to justice for victims with disabilities within the criminal justice system.   

For all of these reasons, I created a program for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault who have disabilities called Barrier Free Justice. Barrier Free Justice was launched in January 2000 and is the first project within a criminal justice agency to address the issue of violence against women with disabilities.  By taking into consideration the highly specific needs of a victim’s disability, our social workers facilitate understanding and appropriate responses for both the victim and the assigned assistant district attorney.  In your case, you can be sure that there will be an American Sign Language interpreter available to you during your appointment with my staff.  An assistant district attorney and a social worker will meet with you to talk about the incident of violence as well as to fully explain the legal process that lies ahead.  They will also answer any questions that you have and will provide you with assistance in obtaining social services, including counseling, support groups, case management, advocacy and deafness services.  All you need to bring on the appointed day is a photo ID and the letter that you received from my Office – my experienced staff will take it from there. 

Thanks for writing and best of luck to you.