The Tizard Centre at the University of Kent will support Autism London on a major new project that aims to provide a better understanding of hate crimes and victimisation against people with autism and learning disabilities.
The Medway-based project has received almost £350,000 of funding from the Big Lottery Research Programme and will run for three years. More than 500 individuals and 20 organisations are expected to benefit.
The Centre's role was announced during the launch event at Mid-Kent College on 4 December. Among those attending the event were: Jonathan Shaw, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Minister for Disabled People and Minister for the South East; Jacky Hammond, Area Director, Autism London; Kathy Johnson, Co-Chair of Valuing Medway People Partnership Board; Peter Thompson, Managing Director of MCCH and a member of the
Autism London board; Bob Hodges, Head of Foundation Studies at Mid-Kent College; Colin Guest of MCCH; and Professor Jim Mansell, Director of the Tizard Centre.
Titled 'Living in Fear: Promoting Better Outcomes for People with Disabilities', the project will use local focus groups and web- and telephone-based national surveys to research into the nature of hate crime, and responses and barriers to reporting. The aim will be to identify what happens to victims, addressing gaps in our knowledge of how crime against people with autism and learning disabilities is recorded and responded to by community safety agencies, including the police. The project will promote greater safety and well-being within the community, providing an evidence base to enable policymakers to improve the support and services on offer to people with autism and learning disabilities.
It will be led by Autism London and MCCH, working in partnership with the Tizard Centre, and will be steered by people with autism and learning disabilities as well as working in consultation with other stakeholders. These include Medway's Leadership Forum for adults with learning disabilities, Community Safety Partnership, Kent Police, Mid-Kent College, the Valuing Medway People Partnership Board and MCCH's Pathways to Inclusion project.