Accessibility and Responsiveness Review Tool: community agency capacity to respond to survivors with disabilities

For persons with disabilities who have experienced trauma in the forms of abuse and violence, options for accessible and trauma-informed services are often limited. Using a self-assessment and planning process, disability service providers and victim/survivor service providers are able to strategize ways of addressing the needs of survivors with disabilities. The Accessibility and Responsiveness Review Tool (Review Tool) incorporates the principles of universal design and trauma-informed practices into an agency-wide discussion tool leading to increases in knowledge, reduction in barriers, and overall improved programs for survivors with disabilities. Results of agencies that participated in the Review Tool process are presented.