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The IWD (Interacting with People with Disabilities) curriculum from Pulse Line Collaborative Training addresses cultural challenges to help law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel understand how best to identify, serve, and safely interact with people living with disabilities and/or mental health disorders.
IWD courses are taught by current and former law enforcement officers with at least 10 years of experience and have a personal connection with someone with a disability or mental health disorder. They understand the situations first responders face and can offer examples from first-hand experience as to which approaches work and which may not be as effective.
The IWD curriculum began as a research project in which dozens of people with varying disabilities were interviewed about their experiences with first responders and asked what they wanted first responders to know about them. After researching, following best practices, and consulting with several experts and advocacy groups, the IWD training program was developed.
IWD training comprises a dynamic, collaborative, engaging curriculum that incorporates presentations, scenarios, interactive exercises, and case reviews. The training also includes video interviews with persons with various disabilities who describe their personal experiences with law enforcement personnel. This approach enables people with disabilities to speak for themselves and explain approaches that could lead to more positive interactions. The curriculum has been collaboratively developed with assistance from members of the disabled community, advocates, and law enforcement personnel.
This curriculum is unique. It truly represents both the side of people in law enforcement and the side of people with disabilities and/or mental health disorders because it was created by people who have experience with both. It provides concrete tools for officers to help identify characteristics of people with disabilities and communicate with them. Not only does the curriculum cover de-escalation techniques, it offers what we call “anti-escalation” tools that officers may find are effective to avoid using hands-on techniques during some interactions with people with disabilities and mental health disorders.
The training also includes using numerous scenarios to allow attendees to practice the tools they have learned. These scenarios are not reenactments or typical roleplay exercises, but real-life video and bodycam-based scenarios. The incidents are cut into smaller pieces to allow officers to talk about effective techniques, communication, and actions at different points in each incident.
IWD training is different from other disability awareness training:
PLCT instructors have all worked the street and know the real situations and danger first responders face daily. They can speak to that perspective and earn the trust of training attendees.
The following organizations have collaborated with and/or supported the IWD project.
(303) 803-2389
info@pulseline.org
Pulse Line’s IWD Training meets Colorado POST requirements for training on interacting with people with disabilities and situational de-escalation.
