Victim Advocacy

man in wheelchair speaking up at community event.

Disability Rights Wisconsin’s Victim Advocacy Program provides direct services to individuals with disabilities who have experienced a crime — whether or not that crime was reported to law enforcement. Advocates provide support to victims and their families to ensure they understand and know how to exercise their rights. DRW also works with service providers, government agencies, and the criminal justice systems to insure that victims with disabilities are able to access those systems to obtain safety. Please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-928-8778.

Strategies

Disability Rights Wisconsin has specialists in many areas of advocacy and law. Some advocacy services provided by Disability Rights Wisconsin include:

Personal Advocacy
Victim Accompaniment
Information and Referral
Criminal Justice Support (Law Enforcement, Courts)
Advocacy within Civil Proceedings
Crime Victim Compensation/Rights
Co-Advocacy with Local Service Providers
Employment Victim Related Supports
Access to Services (criminal justice, victim, and disability services)
Post-Crisis Stabilization
Safety Planning

If you are in urgent need of protective services, please call:

End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin (End Abuse): 608-255-0539
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault: 608-257-1516
The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
The National Domestic Violence Hotline Deaf Services: 1-855-812-1001

Self-Advocacy Resources

Our self-advocacy resources have helpful guidance and further information on issues related to this topic. Learn more below:

Factsheet: Neighbor Disputes or Harassment Issues

This fact sheet is designed to give some examples of neighbor dispute or harassment issues that people with disabilities may experience and give suggestions for how to deal with them.

Updated: April 2024

Referrals

Other places that may be able to help you:

Deaf Unity

Deaf Unity provides services to and advocates for Deaf victims.
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin

For advocates, survivors and allies, End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin is the only statewide coalition led by social policy advocates, attorneys and experts working to support, connect, equip, empower and lead organizations for social change to end domestic abuse because everyone deserves dignity and safety.
Free Legal Answers

American Bar Association
National Domestic Violence Hotline

Highly-trained advocates are available 24/7 to talk confidentially with anyone experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information, or questioning unhealthy aspects of their relationship.
State Bar Lawyer Referral Modest Means Program

The Modest Means Program of the State Bar of Wisconsin assists people whose income is too high to qualify for free legal services, but too low to pay a lawyer’s standard rate.
Wisconsin Coalition against Sexual Assault

WCASA is a membership agency comprised of organizations and individuals working to end sexual violence in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Lawyer Lookup

Look up a lawyer in the Wisconsin Court System.

Learn More

You can find more information on this topic from these websites and publications:

A Practical Guide For Creating Trauma-Informed Disability, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Organizations

An exciting and transformative component of 21st century work among disability, domestic violence and sexual assault services organizations is the recognition that together we have the capacity to positively impact the intervention with and recovery and healing of so many individuals with disabilities who have experienced or currently are experiencing violence in their lives.
Abused and Betrayed

A series about the epidemic of sexual assault against people with intellectual disabilities
Access From an Interpersonal Angle

We have learned that in addition to the legal requirements, full access or genuine access involves more than measurable minimum standards.
Accessibility Guide For Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Service Providers

Accessibility is a large and varied topic. This Guide is designed to assist you in your role with a domestic violence and/or sexual assault services program to learn about and then address the scope of what encompasses accessibility.
Advocacy Tool Kit

This Advocacy Tool Kit provides individuals with information and skill building exercises to develop and enhance self and peer advocacy skills.
Confidentiality of Information and Records: A Guide for Programs Working with Women with Disabilities who are Survivors of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence

This paper represents background information for a work in progress of the Violence Against Women with Disabilities Project.
Creating a Safety Plan

A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave.
Creating Safety by Asking What Makes People Vulnerable?

As a society, we consider some people more vulnerable than others.
Cross Training Workbook

This is a workbook. It is not a textbook on domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or women with disabilities.
Custody Information for Victims of Abuse Violence and Sexual Assault

Legal custody is the legal right to make major decisions about your children, such as non-emergency health care and choice of school and religion.
In Wisconsin, Treatment Never Includes Sex
Legal information and support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Online Resource providing state-specific legal information and resources for survivors of domestic violence.
Out of Darkness: Into the Light

A report outlining DRW’s findings on the topic of Seclusion and Restraint, and recommendations on how to combat unlawful and unneeded seclusion and restraint.
P&As Can’t Do It Alone

This resource guide is designed to promote the necessity for and benefits to Protection and Advocacy agencies joining with state and local sexual assault and domestic violence coalitions and programs to forge powerful partnerships on issues of violence against women with disabilities and Deaf women.
Power and control wheel: People with disabilities and their caregivers
Self-assessment Tool for Ensuring Access for People with Disabilities

This tool is to be used by sexual assault and domestic violence programs to review their
programs and services to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access and an equal opportunity to participate.
Signs of Abuse and Abusive Relationships

Noticing and acknowledging the warning signs and symptoms of domestic violence and abuse is the first step to ending it.
State Bar Lawyer Referral and Information Service

Information and referral to lawyers in Wisconsin
The Legacy Log of the Group of Learning and Infusion

This booklet is our effort to communicate about one of the initiatives used in Wisconsin’s Violence Against Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women Project to achieve sustainable systems change regarding the abuse of women with disabilities.
Understanding the Connection: Traumatic Brain Injury and Violence

This booklet explains why Traumatic Brain Injury is important to screen for in cases of domestic abuse, and goes over how to screen for traumatic brain injury.
Victims/Survivors who use Service Animals
When Deaf and Hearing Meet: Until We Can Communicate With Ease

A workbook for Hearing People connected to the Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Disability, and Related Programs.

Act

Want to do more to help protect individuals with disabilities? Please visit our Take Action Page for some ideas and to sign up for news and other alerts from our website. Or Donate Now to help protect and advocate for the rights and futures of all Wisconsin citizens. We'd love to have you join us.

Get Help

Need further information or support? Please visit our Contact Page.

Resource Center

COVID-19 Information

Victim Advocacy

Strategies

If you are in urgent need of protective services, please call:

Self-Advocacy Resources

Referrals

Learn More

Act

Get Help

Resource Center

Contact Us

Toll Free Number:

Agency Email:

DRW Voter Hotline:

Medicare Part D Helpline:

Helpful Links

Translate Site