These resources were created for professionals working in the criminal justice system and for persons with disabilities who have been victims of crime. The Toolchest aims to provide practical information and guidance to ensure that people with disabilities who are victims of crime are able to report the crime, understand what is happening during the investigation, and give testimony in their case. The right to be heard and understood, to participate and be informed about investigation and courtroom processes, and to have access to the justice system are rights that all people have in national and international law. The Toolchest identifies the barriers to accessing justice experienced by victims with disabilities, and the practices and support that can help overcome these.
Much of the information in the Toolchest is relevant to all the audiences, but some is targeted to particular professionals, including legal professionals such as judges and prosecutors, social and victim support workers, and others to help them understand and meet their specific obligations to victims with disabilities. Equally important is developing cooperation across professions, including multidisciplinary teams, so that victims with disabilities do not become invisible or fall through the cracks in the system. In that sense, the message of the Voices for Justice project to ‘humanise justice’ is the responsibility of all who work in the system or find themselves in contact with criminal justice.
Watch the recording from the Voices for Justice: Tools for professionals and victims with disabilities webinar, where we launched the Toolchest and the Information for victims with disabilities, here: