There were an estimated 923,000 non-fatal violent crimes committed against people 12 or older with disabilities each year in 2010 and 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics said today. The count included rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. (Homicides are not included because the report was based on a survey asking Americans if they were crime victims). There was no trend in the numbers over the two year period.
The National Crime Victimization Survey defines disability as a sensory, physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or longer and causing difficulty in activities of daily living. The victimization rate among people with disabilities was highest among those 16 to 24 years old, similar to that among people without disabilities. People with cognitive disabilities had the highest rate of victimization compared to those with hearing, vision, and ambulatory disabilities.