SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL FOR GAO-24-106366: Federal Domestic Violence Assistance: HHS Should Assess Accessibility-Related Technical Assistance for Local Centers
Fast Facts
Some local programs receive federal money to help survivors of domestic violence. We reported that the Department of Health and Human Services could do more to make sure these programs are accessible to people with disabilities.
This is an "Easy Read" version of our report. Easy Read is a way some groups make their written information easier to understand. For example, Easy Read documents use short sentences and plain language. They also put difficult words in bold and define them in the next sentence.
We published this version to make our report more accessible to certain people with disabilities.
Highlights
This supplement is a companion to GAO's report entitled Federal Domestic Violence Assistance: HHS Should Assess Accessibility-Related Technical Assistance for Local Centers GAO-24-106366. The purpose of this supplement is to provide an "Easy Read" version of the report. Easy Read reports are one way some groups make their written information easier to understand. For example, Easy Read documents use short sentences and plain language.
In this report, GAO found that people with disabilities reported experiencing domestic violence about five times more often than people without disabilities. People with cognitive disabilities were most likely to experience domestic violence. GAO also found that some local domestic violence centers have taken steps to make their services accessible to people with disabilities, such as modifying space to make it more accessible to people in wheelchairs or using American Sign Language for people who are deaf. Some local centers still reported challenges with accessibility, such as the need to add handrails in hallways or not having enough mental health services. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides some funding for training for local centers on how to make their services accessible, but several local centers told GAO they would like more such training.
GAO made one recommendation in this report to the Department of Health and Human Services. GAO recommended that the agency review the training it supports for local centers to make sure that training is helping them as they seek to make their services accessible. The agency agreed with this recommendation.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Curda at (202)-512-7215 or curdae@gao.gov.