FORUM has implemented a Europe-wide two-year project (July 2020 – June 2022) entitled Information and Communications: Cornerstones of Justice for Victims of Crime with Disability. The project focused on creating practical tools for people with disabilities who are victims of crime, to help ensure that they can participate actively in criminal justice processes.
The EU Victims’ Rights Directive (2012/29/EU) guarantees victims the rights, among others, to understand and be understood, to information, and to be heard. Where criminal justice professionals fail to provide victims with disabilities with accessible information, do not have the knowledge and tools to communicate in ways victims with disabilities can understand, or cannot support victims with disabilities to express their needs and experiences, these rights are violated and victims do not receive justice.
People with intellectual disabilities, people with psychosocial disabilities and people with physical disabilities are the focus of the project, including those who experience multiple and intersecting discrimination because of their disability together with their gender, ethnicity, or other status.
The project took place in seven EU countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Lithuania, Croatia). FORUM was responsible for the implementation of the project in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
As part of the project, our legal team in cooperation with graphic designer and easy-to-read expert Lucka Cangárová from the Social Work Advisory Council prepared a series of information materials for victims of crime with intellectual disabilities in an easy-to-read format. The information materials are intended for victims of crime with disabilities, their supporters and other persons who work directly with victims (social workers, police, court officials, etc.). These materials are available in Czech and Slovak languages and can be downloaded from our website and used freely.
Information materials for victims of crime in Czech language:
Information materials for victims of crime in Slovak language:
Information materials for victims with disabilities are also available on the user-friendly website for people with intellectual disabilities WWW.ZAHRANOU.EU. The website works well on a phone or tablet and is so far only available in Czech (we are working hard on a Slovak version). The webpage also includes dedicated instruction videos on how to work with the easy-to-read materials.
As part of the project, FORUM lawyers have prepared national research reports mapping the situation of victims of crimes with disabilities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia:
Our partners in the project were:
- Validity Foundation– Mental Disability Advocacy Centre (Hungary)
- Shans i Podkrepa (Chance and Support, Bulgaria)
- Udruga za podršku žrtvama i svjedocima (Victim and Witness Support Service – VWSS, Croatia)
- Psichikos Sveikatos Perspektyvos (Mental Health Perspectives – PSP, Lithuania)
- Centrul de Resurse Juridice (Centre for Legal Resources, Romania)
- Pravno-informacijski center nevladnih organizacij (Legal-Informational Centre for NGOs – PIC, Slovenia)
- The Inštitut Republike Slovenije za socialno varstvo (Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia – IRRSV, Slovenia)
- The Faculty of Social Work from the University of Ljubljana (University of Ljubjlana, Slovenia)
This project was funded by the European Union Justice Programme (2014-2020) – JUST-AG-2019 / JUST-JACC-AG-2019-878604
