Recent News
AACs, FNN Paper Asserts Forensic Medical Exams May Be Accommodation for Disabled Crime Victims Under the ADA (9/25/23)
Adult crime victims with disabilities can qualify for medical forensic examaminations as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to a new white paper published by Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs), in partnership with Forensic Nursing Network. Read more...
Upcoming Webinar: Forensic Nursing Exams and the ADA (8/31/23)
Forensic nurse examiners (FNEs) provide trauma-informed, patient-centered medical forensic care for people who have been victims of violent crimes. This includes anyone with a disability. Read more...
New AACs Publication Focuses on Traumatic Brain Injury and Victims with Disabilities (8/22/23)
In our newest publication, the Adult Advocacy Centers examine the complex relationship between traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), disability and victimization. Read more...
The Adult Advocacy Centers Granted Consultative Status to the United Nations (8/2/23)
The United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has voted to grant the Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) special consultative status under the ECOSOC’s Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Consultative status to the UN will allow the AACs to learn, collaborate and share about the issues facing crime... Read more...
AACs' Katherine Yoder a D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree (7/31/23)
The Adult Advocacy Centers are proud to announce that Katherine Yoder, our Executive Director, has been named as an honoree of the D-30 Disability Impact List for 2023. Katherine joins the ranks of other trailblazers across the globe who are advancing disability inclusion, leadership, and representation at all levels. Read more...
The Carter Center, ASAN, Communication First Among Dozens of Organizations Joining AACs in Support of Forensic Interviewing for Adult Crime Victims with Disabilities (7/5/23)
A broad coalition of organizations representing leadership in the fields of disability, global health, victim services, law and policy joins the AACs in support of specialized forensic interviews as a reasonable accommodation available to crime victims with disabilities under the ADA. Read more...
A Disaster Justice Guidebook for People of Color with Disabilities Set for Fall Release (6/2/23)
The Adult Advocacy Centers are proud to announce our new partnership with Justice Shorter on a Disaster Justice Guidebook for People of Color with Disabilities. Scheduled for release this fall, the guidebook will center disaster justice frameworks and contributions reflective of a future where no body or mind is left... Read more...
Watch AACs' Presentation on Forensic Interviews and the ADA (5/5/23)
On May 4, 2023, the Adult Advocacy Centers and our partners gave a presentation about the need for specialized and disability-focused forensic interviews as an accommodation for crime victims with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Read more...
AACs Executive Director Katherine Yoder Featured in HuffPost Story on Emergency Planning for Disabled Students During School Shootings (4/28/23)
Yoder quoted in reporter Shruti Rajkumar story: "Disabled Lives Are An Afterthought During School Shootings. But Why?" Read more...
Forensic Interviews for Crime Victims with Disabilities a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA, New AACs Paper Says (4/25/23)
Adult crime victims with disabilities can qualify for specialized forensic interviews as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to a new white paper published by the Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs). Read more...
Advocates Celebrate as Gov. DeWine Signs Ohio House Bill 281 (1/6/23)
After two years of advocacy from Ohioans with disabilities and dozens of disability, aging and victim advocacy organizations, Gov. DeWine has signed the Mental Health and Disability Terminology Act (HB 281). The Act changes harmful and derogatory language about people with disabilities that had been written into the Ohio Revised... Read more...
Watch the AACs Interview on Daytime Columbus (11/15/22)
Last week, the Adult Advocacy Centers’ Katherine Yoder and Leigha Shoup appeared on Daytime Columbus to spread the word about our important and groundbreaking work. Watch it now! Read more...
Forbes Article Discusses Our Centers and the Importance of Trauma-Informed Design (10/28/22)
Jeffrey Steele writes in Forbes magazine about the architectural plans for our centers. Read more...
Two Publications Outline the AACs' Forensic Interview Services for Adult Crime Victims with Disabilities (10/26/22)
A new publication joins the AACs' existing brochure in outlining the Adult Advocacy Centers' forensic interview services for crime victims with disabilities. Read more...
AACs White Paper Outlines Need for Funding for Disability-Led Victim Service Agencies (9/16/22)
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. Read more...
New AACs White Paper Explores Intersections of LGBTQ+ Identity, Disability and Victimization (7/28/22)
Our new white papers explores how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other noncisgender (LGBTQ+) identities intersect with disabilities, discusses the higher levels of victimization for these groups and suggests ways to better serve them. Read more...
AACs, Partner Orgs Collaborate on Guidebook for Immigrants and Refugees with Disabilities (5/31/22)
People come to the United States from many different countries and may need guidance to navigate the complex system of services and programs available to immigrants and refugees with disabilities. The Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) and our partners at US Together, the Ohio Hispanic Coalition and Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services... Read more...
Ohio AG Honors AACs with Promising Practice Award (5/10/22)
Today the Adult Advocacy Centers were honored by the Ohio Attorney General's Office with the 2022 Promising Practice Award. This award highlights our innovative work with crime victims/survivors with disabilities. Read more...
The AACs featured in 2022 NCVRW Theme Video! (4/22/22)
We are so proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime chose the Adult Advocacy Centers as a featured organization in this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) Theme Video. Read more...
AACs, DWAVE training with Dayton Police highlighted in local news stories (3/3/22)
The Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) and Deaf World Against Violence Everywhere (DWAVE) are training Dayton Police on how to better interact with people with disabilities. Read more...
New Annual Report Outlines the AACs' Work in 2021 (2/2/22)
As year two of the global pandemic unfolded, the Adult Advocacy Centers continued to adapt and collaborate in our efforts to support crime victims with disabilities. Read more...
AACs Release White Paper on Little-Discussed Problem: Human Trafficking and Older Adults (1/31/22)
On this last day of Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2022, the Adult Advocacy Centers are releasing a new white paper that focuses on the largely unrecognized tragedy of the trafficking of older adults for sex, labor or benefits. Read more...
Adult Advocacy Centers Awarded $26K Grant to Develop Screening, Assessment Tools for Human Trafficking Survivors with Disabilities (12/1/21)
The Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) are pleased to announce an award of $26,000 in grant funds from the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington. The money will be used to create screening and assessment tools for human trafficking survivors with disabilities, in addition to a curriculum to train professionals to use the... Read more...
Make an Impact #4TheHolidays (11/30/21)
The Adult Advocacy Centers is a nonprofit doing innovative work to support adult crime victims with disabilities. Because people with disabilities are four times more likely to be victimized than people without disabilities, we are asking you to donate $4, $40, $400 or $4,000 this holiday season. Read more...
Web story features JCJ Architecture's designs for the Adult Advocacy Centers (11/23/21)
A new article on Topic Architecture discusses the collaborative process that went into JCJ Architecture's designs for the Adult Advocacy Centers prototype. We are still seeking funding to build the first of 10 regional centers. Read more...
New AACs Series Gives Survivors with Disabilities a Platform to Help Others (11/18/21)
Recovery is a long journey for many survivors of crime. Sometimes, as part of their journey, a survivor may want to talk about what they wish they'd known before or right after a crime happened to them. The Adult Advocacy Centers' new series, Tools for a Survivor's Journey, gives survivors... Read more...
AACs, Eyes Up Appalachia Release New Human Trafficking Publications for I/DD Community (11/15/21)
Today, the Adult Advocacy Centers and our partners at Eyes Up Appalachia are releasing a series of four new publications about human trafficking written specifically for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Read more...
New White Paper Explains the Need for the Adult Advocacy Centers (9/20/21)
Consultant Susan Kahan, MA, LCPC, has authored a new white paper that explains the systemic problems the Adult Advocacy Centers are working to solve for adult crime victims with disabilities. Read more...
Join the AACs’ Individual Challenge! (9/9/21)
The Adult Advocacy Centers’ Individual Challenge 2021 is a virtual event that runs September 9-30. What will your challenge be? Read more...
Architecture Firm Features AACs in Magazine Article (9/2/21)
Peter Bachmann, Principal and Market Sector Leader at JCJ Architecture, discussed their work designing the Adult Advocacy Centers in the most recent issue of NOMA Connecticut, the magazine of the National Organization of Minority Architects Connecticut Chapter. Read more...
New Publications Offer Advocacy Help for Ohio’s DD Community (7/20/21)
Today the Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) are releasing two new publications to help people with developmental disabilities (DD) become better advocates. Read more...
Read About Our Work in Our New Brochure (6/7/21)
Want to read more about the different kinds of work we're doing at the Adult Advocacy Centers? Our new full-color brochure provides a great overview to get you up to speed. Read more...
New Publication Outlines AACs' Available Victim Services (5/4/21)
When people with disabilities are victims of or witnesses to a crime, forensic interviewers with specialized training in working with people with disabilities can be the best option for gathering court-admissible information about the incident. The victim and/or their family may also need guidance from a specialized victim advocate, who... Read more...
New AACs Guidebook Offers Help for Human Trafficking Victims with Disabilities in Ohio (4/23/21)
NEW TODAY! The Adult Advocacy Centers are releasing a new publication that puts Ohio at the forefront in the fight against human trafficking, focusing on the needs of people with disabilities. The publication, A Resource Guidebook for Human Trafficking Victims and Survivors with Disabilities, was written in partnership with consulting... Read more...
Expand Your Knowledge in an Upcoming Project FIND Training (3/24/21)
The Adult Advocacy Centers and our partners at Modell Consulting Group currently offer four different Project FIND trainings for professionals who want to improve their skills when conducting forensic interviews for victims with disabilities. All trainings are free and online, but seats are limited. Read more...
The AACs Support the AAPI Community (3/18/21)
Hate and violence against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has a long and abhorrent history in our country. In the last year, hate crimes and other incidents of violence against AAPI people have increased, stoked by white supremacist rhetoric and COVID-19 disinformation. Read more...
New AACs Annual Report Released (1/28/21)
This past year has been full of unexpected twists and turns due to the ongoing precautions in place for COVID-19. Yet even with all the uncertainties, the Adult Advocacy Centers have been able to forge ahead and make impactful change for crime victims with disabilities throughout Ohio. Read more...
Adult Advocacy Centers and 26 Partner Organizations Ask State Legislators to Remove Harmful Language from State Law (1/13/21)
Today the Adult Advocacy Centers and 26 partner organizations from around the state sent a letter to state lawmakers requesting that Ohio work to remove language from the Ohio Constitution and the Ohio Revised Code that is degrading and harmful to people with disabilities. These words include such words as... Read more...
UPDATED: Bring Light to Our Neighbors in OhioMHAS Hospitals with a Gift from Our Wish List Project (12/15/20)
Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, cases are once again rising, and we’re facing a difficult winter. As we did in the spring when the pandemic first started, we wanted to bring some light to our neighbors seeking care in the psychiatric hospitals operated by Ohio Department of Mental Health... Read more...
Learn about Medical Forensic Exams in the AACs’ New FAQ Booklet (12/14/20)
After a crime occurs, victims may choose to undergo a medical forensic examination, in which a forensic nurse examiner (FNE) documents their injuries and gathers evidence that may be used in the prosecution of the crime. Read more...
New Guidebook Offers Tips for Jurists (12/1/20)
Today the Adult Advocacy Centers are releasing A Jurist’s Guide for Criminal Cases Involving Individuals with Disabilities to help Ohio jurists create strategies that ensure people with disabilities have meaningful interactions, accommodations, treatment and access when intersecting with the justice system, within the constraints of the law. Read more...
New AACs Guidebook Explains Informed Consent for People with Disabilities (9/30/20)
The foundation of informed consent is the ethical principle that people should have a right to decide what is to be done with their body. The Adult Advocacy Centers today are releasing a new guidebook to assist advocates, providers and medical professionals who work with people with disabilities to better... Read more...
New AACs Report: Human Trafficking Victims with Disabilities Need More Support (9/25/20)
In an effort to evaluate the services needed for victims of human trafficking with disabilities, the Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) sent a survey to Ohio’s 24 Anti-Trafficking Coalitions, and 14 coalitions responded. Their responses have been collected in our new report, which also includes the AACs’ planned next steps to... Read more...
New AACs Publication Offers Guidance for Forensic Nurses (9/17/20)
Today the Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) are releasing a new publication to assist Ohio’s Forensic Nurse Examiners (FNEs) as they provide medical forensic care for crime victims with disabilities. Read more...
New Brochure Illustrates Plans for Regional Adult Advocacy Centers (9/16/20)
Plans are in motion to build 10 specially designed regional centers throughout Ohio. These centers will bring together highly trained teams of professionals to perform forensic interviews and collect evidence in crimes against adults with disabilities, including cases of assault, sexual violence, domestic violence and human trafficking. Read more...
AACs, Modell Consulting Group Celebrate First Academic Publication (9/1/20)
The Adult Advocacy Centers and Modell Consulting Group are celebrating the publication of our first academic article, Sexual Abuse of Individuals with Disabilities and Adult Advocacy Centers, in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Read more...
Collaboration Leads to New Legacy Guide for Older Adults (7/21/20)
The historic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique opportunity for reflection, particularly for older adults, who have much to teach us about sacrifice and resilience. With that in mind, the Adult Advocacy Centers, the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County and Dr. Diana Spore have worked... Read more...
Spread the Word about Our Advocacy Survey (7/10/20)
The Adult Advocacy Centers have created a survey to learn more about how our neighbors with intellectual and developmental disabilities think about advocacy. Read more...
Supporting Seniors with Disabilities During COVID-19 (6/23/20)
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed every part of our society and brought to light inequalities and risk factors that must be addressed as we move forward together. Foremost on the mind of Adult Advocacy Centers consultant Dr. Diana Spore has been the mental health and well-being of seniors with disabilities,... Read more...
New AACs report highlights effects of pandemic on I/DD community (5/14/20)
In April, the Adult Advocacy Centers sent out a survey to assess just how much the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ohio. A total of 134 people responded, and the results have now been gathered in a new report titled COVID-19... Read more...
Adult Advocacy Centers hope to empower I/DD community with new safety planning guidebooks (5/1/20)
Today the Adult Advocacy Centers are releasing two tools meant to help people with developmental and intellectual disabilities think through and document their personal safety networks. Read more...
Pattern for mask with clear window panel now available (4/30/20)
Early in April, college student Ashley Lawrence made national news when she designed a face mask with a clear panel that makes communication easier for deaf and hard of hearing people. That news coverage led to many front line workers in Ohio’s disability community wondering how they could find something... Read more...
Support our neighbors at Ohio’s developmental centers (4/24/20)
For more than a month, residents of Ohio’s eight developmental centers (DCs) have not been able to have visitors or take part in group activities. Although this action is necessary to limit the spread of COVID-19, it’s difficult to be so isolated â€" especially if your disability makes it hard... Read more...
AACs ready to help Ohio agencies by offering crime victims’ services (4/10/20)
The Adult Advocacy Centers have heard from our partners in crime victims’ services that COVID-19-related staff shortages are making it harder for them to serve their clients. We believe that we are all in this together, so we’d like to offer the following services free of charge to partnering agencies... Read more...
Fulfill a neighbor’s need with our Wish List project (4/2/20)
Social distancing is a critical part of slowing the spread of COVID-19. In an effort to keep all Ohioans safe, the state made the difficult decision to suspend visitation at facilities where people receive care, including Ohio’s six state-run psychiatric hospitals. Read more...
A Resource Guide for Ohioans with Disabilities: How To Stay Healthy and Safe During the Coronavirus (3/20/20)
The Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) have created this list of resources for people with disabilities and their care providers. Read more...
New AAC resources explain multi-disciplinary teams and common acronyms (3/9/20)
Five new publications from the Adult Advocacy Centers provide additional information about our agency’s important work. Read more...
New Prosecutor’s Guide provides practical help for prosecuting crimes against people with disabilities (2/21/20)
Today the Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) are proud to release a new publication, Prosecutor’s Guide for Crimes Involving Victims with Disabilities, which provides practical help for prosecutors in Ohio as they work to build cases against perpetrators of crimes against people with disabilities. Read more...
Now Hiring: Director of Outreach & Community Supports (2/9/20)
The Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) are hiring a Director of Outreach & Community Supports. Read more...
AACs invited to present at mental health conference in Paris (12/17/19)
The Adult Advocacy Centers have received an invitation to present at the 2nd World Mental Health Congress in Paris, France, in June 2020. Read more...
Adult Advocacy Centers to present at three international conferences (12/4/19)
The Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) have been invited to present their groundbreaking model to international audiences at three upcoming conferences. Read more...
New survey of Ohio’s county boards of developmental disabilities outlines critical need for services for victims of crime with disabilities (11/9/19)
Today, Ohio’s newly formed Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) have released a report that outlines the critical need for services, supports and protocols to help victims of crime with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in the state. The report, entitled Needs Assessment 2019, summarizes a survey the AACs sent to 88... Read more...