The Committee for Persons with Disabilities (the Committee), a Board of Supervisors-appointed community advisory group, exists to assure the self determination of persons with disabilities. One way the Committee accomplishes this is by collaboration with county and community-based organizations and sharing their own lived experiences as subject matter experts. The Committee’s recent focus has been on improving interactions between law enforcement and people with disabilities. The Committee has worked in ongoing collaboration with partners at both the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney (DA) to help ensure law enforcement is better able to identify and serve individuals with all types of disabilities. People with disabilities are more likely to interact with law enforcement because they are:

1. More likely to be victims of crime; and

2. More likely to experience miscommunications and misunderstandings with law enforcement.

Despite accounting for only about 20% of the general population, research by the Ruderman Family Foundation reported that people with disabilities are about 30-50% more likely to be subjected to use of force and/or killed by officers. Most often, people with disabilities report negative interactions as a result of a general lack of understanding of their needs and appropriate accommodations. This collaboration increases access to justice and builds trust between public safety partners and people with disabilities.

Learning Objectives

1. Increase awareness, promote inclusivity, and demonstrate enhanced awareness tools

2. Understand the importance of building partnerships with community leaders