People typically assume someone with slurred speech and a wobbly gait is intoxicated, but that is not always true. ACIL and Disability Rights Ohio (DRO) have teamed up to show local law enforcement that those symptoms can also describe some disabilities.
People with disabilities sometimes encounter problems when interacting with first responders like police officers or paramedics due to a lack of disability awareness. The Dayton Police Department (DPD) is helping to address this problem locally by having all officers go through a disability awareness training developed by DRO and ACIL.
ACIL staff educate officers about the breadth of disability, the various types and forms of disabilities, the difference between visible and invisible disabilities, and how a person with a disability may act in their presence throughout the training.
“We also go over disability etiquette including dos and don’ts that first responders, and people in general for that matter, should follow. As a person with a disability, I can’t say enough how much less stressful interacting with a first responder is when they speak to me directly and look me in the eye. Having that respect from a first responder makes me feel so much more comfortable,” said Dylan Boot, one of the facilitators of the disability awareness training and an Independent Living Specialist at ACIL.
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which covers the reasonable modifications that must be made by public entities, including how it applies to law enforcement, is also discussed at the training.
ACIL and DRO staff plan to conduct this training for members of DPD over the next 3 years and are hopeful that doing so will have a positive impact in the Dayton community.
Potential harmful example scenarios, such as the assumption mentioned at the beginning of this article, and suggestions on how to avoid them are included in the training.
“I love it when we discuss scenarios with officers and it spurs questions from them or I see in their eyes that they are having a light bulb moment and are understanding something they didn’t before. Those are the moments that make me realize the impact our training will have on the community,” said Dylan.
The disability awareness training DPD is going through is not available or open to the public because it is specifically for law enforcement, but the center offers many other services and trainings that are open to the public. To find out more about the services ACIL offers, visit www.acils.com, call 937-341-5202 or email [email protected]. Additionally, if you are connected to a law enforcement department and are interested in learning more about the disability awareness training developed by DRO and ACIL, please contact Jeremy at 937-341-5202 Ext 101 or [email protected].