THE release of a report that says people with disabilities face significant and complex barriers when reporting crime to police has prompted a call for more funding.
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Information gathered at a forum held in Albury last October has been utilised in the creation of a report by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission that detailed the experiences of people with disabilities.
Commissioner Kate Jenkins has called for urgent steps to be taken to provide equitable access to justice and safety for those with a disability.
The Disability Advocacy and Information Service already operates a justice support program, helping clients to speak to police and attend court, but funding for the program will no longer be provided at the end of the year.
The program has been well supported and has been extended to other courts in the region in line with a growth in demand for its services.
Senior advocate Michelle Critchley says supporting those with a disability when they go to police means they are usually taken seriously.
Disability advocates are building important relationships with police and the courts on their clients’ behalf and should be allowed to continue.
