Activating Change Inc

TO END VICTIMIZATION, CRIMINALIZATION, INCARCERATION, AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND DEAF PEOPLE.

CREATING PATHWAYS TO HEALING: WE WELCOMED FIVE NEW COMMUNITIES INTO OUR ACCESSING SAFETY NETWORK A DIVERSE GROUP OF DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS, RAPE CRISIS CENTERS, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THEIR SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS WITH DISABILITIES AND DEAF SURVIVORS. WE ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW COHORT OF 10 COMMUNITIES THAT ARE STARTING DIRECT SERVICES PROGRAMS FOR SURVIVORS FROM THESE COMMUNITIES. WE CONTINUED TO CONVENE AND PROVIDE CAPACITY-BUILDING SUPPORT TO THE DEAF-LED SURVIVOR ADVOCACY PROGRAMS. WE ARE NOW WORKING IN MORE THAN 130 COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE TRAINED MORE THAN 5,900 PEOPLE AND PROVIDED INTENSIVE EXPERT GUIDANCE TO MORE THAN 1,300 PEOPLE ON IMPROVING SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS WITH DISABILITIES AND DEAF SURVIVORS. WE ALSO ENTERED THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SPACE AND COMPLETED A YEAR-LONG ANALYSIS OF TRAFFICKING OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE STATE OF SERVICES FOR TRAFFICKED SURVIVORS WITH DISABILITIES. WE FOUND WIDESPREAD GAPS AND BARRIERS IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING POLICY, CRIMINAL STATUTE, AND COMMUNITY-BASED AND SYSTEM-BASED RESPONSES THAT PREVENT TRAFFICKED VICTIMS WITH DISABILITIES FROM BEING IDENTIFIED AND SUPPORTED, AND THEIR CASES FROM BEING PROPERLY INVESTIGATED AND PROSECUTED.

HEALING BEHIND AND BEYOND BARS: WE CONTINUED OUR LONG-STANDING COMMITMENT AND WORK TO PROMOTE SEXUAL SAFETY BEHIND BARS. OUR WORK ENCOMPASSED MULTIPLE EFFORTS AND STRATEGIES TO ENSURE MEANINGFUL COMPLIANCE WITH THE PRISON RAPE ELIMINATION ACT (PREA) STANDARDS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SUPPORTING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ACCESS FOR INCARCERATED PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND DEAF PEOPLE. WE PROVIDED SITE-BASED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND COACHING SUPPORT TO 13 LOCAL CONFINEMENT FACILITIES (ADULT JAILS, LOCKUPS, AND COMMUNITY CONFINEMENT FACILITIES). WE ALSO DEVELOPED RESOURCES, FACILITATED A VIRTUAL DISCUSSION SERIES FOR LOCAL CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES, AND DELIVERED ONLINE TRAINING. WE WERE ABLE TO REACH AND TRAIN MORE THAN 165 CORRECTIONS PRACTITIONERS ACROSS JUVENILE AND ADULT AGENCIES.

EXPANDING DEAF SERVICES AND ADVOCACY: WE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TRAINING, EXPERT GUIDANCE, AND PEER TO PEER LEARNING EXCHANGES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF "FOR DEAF, BY DEAF" VICTIM SERVICES PROVIDERS AND STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF THE MORE THAN 20 PROGRAMS THAT EXIST ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE ALSO LAID THE FOUNDATION BOTH IN DESIGN AND PARTNERSHIPS TO ESTABLISH A NEW, NATIONAL "FOR DEAF, BY DEAF" VICTIM SERVICES PROGRAM THAT WILL PROVIDE VIRTUAL CRISIS INTERVENTION AND LONG-TERM ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT TO DEAF VICTIMS WHO LIVE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IN COMMUNITIES WITHOUT IN-PERSON DEAF SERVICES. WE LAUNCHED THE NATIONAL SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER SERVICE FOR DEAF VICTIMS, AN EFFORT DESIGNED TO CLOSE COMMUNICATION GAPS FOR DEAF VICTIMS OF CRIME WHO ARE ACCESSING VICTIM SERVICES FROM HEARING PROVIDERS. WE ARE PROVIDING THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE DEAF VICTIMS THEY SERVE WITH REMOTE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION SERVICES USING SAFE AND SECURE TECHNOLOGY FREE OF CHARGE. THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE MOSTLY IN RURAL OR REMOTE COMMUNITIES AND DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO TRAUMA-INFORMED INTERPRETERS.

ENDING CRIMINALIZATION AND INCARCERATION: WE LAUNCHED THE ENDING CRIMINALIZATION AND INCARCERATION PROGRAM TO END THE OVER-POLICING AND MASS INCARCERATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. AS AN INITIAL STEP, WE CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS ON DISABILITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, INCLUDING A LITERATURE REVIEW, LISTENING SESSIONS WITH MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE WORKING IN THE REFORM SPACE, A SURVEY ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM TO MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WHO WORK IN DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND A SURVEY ON DISABILITY EQUITY TO KEY CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ORGANIZATIONS. USING THE INFORMATION WE LEARNED FROM THE LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS, WE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM PLAN TO GUIDE THIS PROGRAM'S WORK. WE ALSO ENGAGED PEOPLE FROM KEY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM SPACE AND TOOK STEPS TO RAISE AWARENESS WITHIN THIS SPACE ABOUT DISABILITY DISPARITIES IN THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM. WE LAUNCHED SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGNS AND PROVIDED TRAININGS TO MORE THAN 600 PEOPLE WORKING IN THE REFORM LANDSCAPE ON THE OVERREPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND DEAF PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM.