People with disabilities have always had a voice. We’re just teaching the world different ways to listen.
A disability victim services agency

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Read the Latest

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Who We Are

The Adult Advocacy Centers exist to teach the world how to hear what people with disabilities have to say—particularly when they are victims of crime or abuse. We are a disability-led national organization piloting our groundbreaking programs in Ohio. 

Plans are in motion to develop regional permanent centers and fully outfitted RV mobile units throughout the state, each providing space for a multi-disciplinary team. These teams will include law enforcement, prosecutors, medical staff, victim advocates, mental health specialists, forensic interviewers and representatives from each of Ohio’s disability-specific agencies. This model is the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Read about the Adult Advocacy Centers' model

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Virtual Training

Find an ADEPT Virtual Training

ADEPT trainings—Advocacy and Disability-Focused Education for Professionals and Teams—are designed to teach professionals how to make appropriate accommodations when working with crime victims with disabilities.

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Virtual Training

What’s New

5/5/23
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Watch AACs' Presentation on Forensic Interviews and the ADA

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4/28/23
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AACs Executive Director Katherine Yoder Featured in HuffPost Story on Emergency Planning for Disabled Students During School Shootings

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4/25/23
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Forensic Interviews for Crime Victims with Disabilities a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA, New AACs Paper Says

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Recent Publications

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Forensic Interviewing vs. Forensic Interviewing Techniques

Forensic interviews and using forensic interview techniques are two different approaches used in gathering information from alleged crime victims with disabilities, particularly in investigative contexts. While both aim to elicit information in a non-leading manner, there are significant differences in their methods, goals and outcomes.

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Forensic Interviewing and the ADA Webinar Flyer 5-4-23

A flyer for an upcoming webinar on May 4, 2023.

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White Paper - Forensic Interviews and the ADA

A white paper about the need for universal acceptance of forensic interviews as an accommodation under the ADA for adult disabled victims of crime.

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AACs Annual Report 2022

Read about our important work in 2022.

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Forensic Interviews for Adult Crime Victims with Disabilities

Disabled adults are adults, not eternal children. Treating adult crime victims with disabilities the same as child crime victims is undignified, unfair and detrimental to the goal of providing equitable justice and equal access to services.

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The Need for Funding for Disability-Led Victim Service Organizations

A new white paper from the Adult Advocacy Centers discusses the need for a more inclusive and representative funding model that includes disability-led victim services organizations and supports all types of victims with disabilities.

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Ways to Support

Make a Donation

The Adult Advocacy Centers are revolutionary in the field of crime victim services. We need allies like you to help us to build our centers, outfit our mobile RV, hire our expertly trained staff and get our new programs off the ground. 

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What Your Gift Supports

We're raising money for something no one has ever done before: a mobile RV unit and regional centers to provide critical services for adult crime victims with disabilities.

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Fundraising

Help us help Ohioans with disabilities by creating your own fundraising campaign. Learn how to set up a Facebook fundraiser or send us your own creative ideas.

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