Ending the Silence of People with Little or No Functional Speech: Testifying in Court

Author:

Bryen Diane Nelson,Wickman Christopher H.

Abstract

<p>Keywords</p><p>crime, abuse, testify, court, speech disability, AAC</p><p>Abstract</p><p>Crime against people with developmental and other disabilities is similar in scope to that of women, children and the elderly. However, their victimization remains largely invisible and unaddressed (Bryen, Carey, &amp; Frantz, 2005; Sobsey, 1994). Research from the United States indicates that people with developmental disabilities are four to 10 times more likely to be victims of a crime and that crimes against them are less likely to be reported or prosecuted (Martin, Ray, Sotres-Alvares, Kupper, Moracco &amp; Dickens, 2006). Individuals with disabilities who have little or no functional speech face a double vulnerability when it comes to crime, abuse, and neglect as they are often the voiceless and invisible members of society (Bryen &amp; Frantz, 2004; Bryen, Carey, &amp; Frantz, 2005; Davies, 2002). The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) describe court rulings in the United States that clarify the impact that having a little or no functional speech (LNFS) and relying on the use of AAC plays in testifying in court, and (2) describe the outcomes of court cases when someone with LNFS testifies in court as a witness in their own defence when they have been a victim of a crime. In order to accomplish these dual purposes, a comprehensive search of federal and state cases involving people with LNFS and their ability to successfully testify in court, a comprehensive search of federal and state cases involving people with LNFS and their ability to testify in court was performed using LexisNexis. The results of this study are discussed in terms of policies and practices that affect people with LNFS themselves, professionals who support them, and the court system.</p>

Publisher

The Ohio State University Libraries

Subject

General Medicine

Cited by 8 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3