IWD: Disability Awareness Training for First Responders

IWD (Interacting with People with Disabilities) for law enforcement is a dynamic and interactive curriculum designed to equip first responders with the best practices for interacting with individuals who have various disabilities. The goal is to avoid inadvertent escalation, misunderstandings, and resulting crises that often lead to the use of force. The curriculum was developed with the collaboration of industry experts as well as people with disabilities.   

This program is taught by current and former law enforcement officers with decades of experience in both law enforcement and working with people with disabilities. IWD assists first responders in identifying individuals who may have disabilities or mental health disorders, providing them with realistic and practical communication tools to peacefully resolve incidents where individuals may initially appear “non-compliant” due to their disability or mental health issues. 

Ultimately, IWD aims to decrease incidents of “unwarranted” use of force and arrests of people with disabilities, increasing officer retention and reducing ADA-based lawsuits for agencies throughout the United States.  

In Colorado, the IWD training curriculum meets POST requirements for annual training on interacting with people with disabilities and bi-annual situational de-escalation training. 

IWD – For Law Enforcement

8 Hours

Modules Available for Patrol/Investigations and Corrections

Learning Objectives

  1. The importance of learning to effectively interact and communicate with people with disabilities, dementia, and mental health conditions.
    • Officer survival (physical, emotional, legal).
    • Increase quality of case investigations when people with disabilities are victimized.
    • Reduce unwarranted use of force.
    • Increase safety for both officers and suspects when taking a person with disabilities into custody.
  2. Examine and become aware of assumptions, perceptions, and biases that exist for both first responders and people with disabilities.
  3. Identify indicators and characteristics of people with various disabilities, dementia, and mental health conditions.
    • Discuss physical and behavioral indicators.
    • Describe issues with transitions, overwhelm/overstimulation.
  4. Identify tools and tactics officers can employ that may avoid escalating encounters (i.e., anti-escalation techniques) with people with disabilities to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
  5. Identify tools and tactics that may peacefully de-escalate individuals with disabilities who are in a behavioral crisis or overwhelmed to avoid use of force.
  6. Discuss procedures and reasonable accommodations officers may use to ensure compliance with the ADA when interacting with a person with disabilities.

IWD – For Dispatchers

4 Hours

Multiple sessions available so all shifts may receive training

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify indicators and characteristics of people with various disabilities, dementia, and mental health conditions.
    • Discuss communication and behavioral indicators
    • Describe issues with transitions, overwhelm/overstimulation
  2. Identify tools and tactics dispatchers can employ to avoid escalating encounters (i.e., anti-escalation techniques) with people with disabilities to ensure communication and information can be gathered during the initial 9-1-1 or non-emergency call.
  3. Discuss specific questions and information to gather (emergency and non-emergency) to discern a disability, information that can help officers have a more successful encounter with the reporting party, and imperative information to include in call notes and provide officers enroute.
  4. Understand procedures and reasonable accommodations needed to ensure compliance with the ADA when interacting with a person with disabilities.

IWD – For Fire/EMS

3-5 Hours Depending on Requested Content

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand the importance of learning to effectively interact and communicate with people with disabilities, dementia, and mental health conditions.
  2. Examine and become aware of assumptions, perceptions, and biases that exist for both first responders and people with disabilities.
  3. Identify indicators and characteristics of people with various disabilities, dementia, and mental health conditions.
    • Discuss physical and behavioral indicators.
    • Describe issues with transitions, overwhelm/overstimulation.
  4. Identify tools and tactics firefighters and EMS can employ to avoid escalating encounters (i.e., anti-escalation techniques) with people with disabilities to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
  5. Identify tools and tactics to peacefully de-escalate individuals with disabilities who are in a behavioral crisis or overwhelmed to avoid use of sedatives.
  6. Discuss procedures and reasonable accommodations needed to ensure compliance with the ADA when interacting with a person with disabilities.