Persons with Disabilities and the Legal System

Persons with disabilities represent one of the nation's largest minority populations. They are overrepresented in the criminal legal system as persons who are accused as well as persons who are victims of crime. In both the criminal legal system and in society generally, persons with disabilities are often denied meaningful access to the processes and protections afforded to the general population. These training materials and resources provide introduction to some of the issues and challenges that exist in our criminal legal system for persons with disabilities. 

It is important that all criminal legal system stakeholders gain a better understanding of core concepts relating to intellectual and developmental disabilities and their impact on involvement with the legal system.

On the page linked below, you will find a series of videos on the intersection of disability rights and the criminal legal system. 

Watch The Videos

For those interested in a general introduction to Disability and the Criminal Legal System, we encourage you to watch our webinar series with Disability Belongs™.

Webinar Series


Comfort Kits for People with Disabilities

Lucy Beadnell (Director of Advocacy, The Arc of Northern Virginia) and Melissa Heifetz (Founder, Advocacy Partners) introduce and explain comfort kits and their component parts. The affordable, household items in comfort kits improve criminal legal system interactions for many people with disabilities. The kit is designed to be kept by a first responder or justice personnel and re-used over time. For more detailed information about comfort kits, see our information sheet.


Resources

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RECENTLY ADDED & UPCOMING

  1. The Champion
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    March/April 2025

    What are the evidentiary implications of field sobriety tests in marijuana cases? Does the odor of marijuana give officers probable cause to search a vehicle?

  2. Amicus Brief
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    Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP v. Executive Office of the President

    Brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and New York Council of Defense Lawyers as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment.

  3. News Release

    Nation’s Defense Bar Reiterates Opposition to Actions Against Law Firms – Washington, DC (March 18, 2025)

    The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) remains deeply concerned over recent executive orders targeting law firms, most recently Paul Weiss and Perkins Coie, and repeats its call to uphold the right to counsel and the independence of the legal profession. Despite a ruling blocking the action against Perkins Coie, the administration has continued to target law firms representing disfavored clients and positions, threatening the right to a zealous defense.

  4. Live Event
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    2025 Forensic Science & Technology Seminar

    "Making Sense of Science: Forensic Science, Technology & the Law"

    LOCATION: Sahara Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
    DATES: April 24-26, 2025

  5. Trials, Technology, and the Fourth Amendment: Case Law Review [Engage & Exchange]

    EXCLUSIVE NACDL MEMBER BENEFIT
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    CLE CREDIT: not available
    COST: Free

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