Activating Change Inc

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 continued 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.

Ending criminalization and incarceration: our team presented at conferences for state court systems on the overrepresentation of people with disabilities and deaf people in the criminal legal system. Additionally, we hosted our own virtual event on the mass incarceration of people with disabilities and featured a guest presenter. We also provided consultations and support to defense organizations and other non-profits, specifically on how to ask about and provide accommodations to people with disabilities and deaf people. In the summer of 2024, we launched a 5-part toolkit series titled: partnering with disability organizations to enhance criminal legal reforms. This toolkit included tip sheets and guidance on being more accessible and included strategies for partnering with disability and deaf organizations and providing sign language interpreters. We provided guidance on using the toolkit through a virtual webinar training. We continue to expand our partnerships and networks within the public defense space, by having intensive engagements and consultations with various public defender offices and organizations, to have a better understanding of where the gaps are, what the need is, and how we can develop tools and resources to help achieve the best outcomes for their clients with disabilities.

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 7 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 a keynote presentation at the national prea coordinators conference in july 2024 on prea and supporting incarcerated people with disabilities and deaf people. Additionally, we facilitated a roundtable discussion of approximately 35 experts across diverse fields on applying sexual abuse prevention strategies from the military, law enforcement, and college campuses to corrections. We were able to reach and train more than 270 corrections practitioners across juvenile and adult agencies.