Commonly Asked Questions About the Americans with Disabilities Act and Law Enforcement

18. Q: Procedures at my office require citizens to fill out forms when reporting crimes. What if the person has a vision disability, a learning disability, mental retardation or some other disability that may prevent the person from filling out a form?

A: The simplest solution is to have an officer or clerk assist the person in reading and filling out the form. Police officers have probably been doing this for years. The form itself could also be provided in an alternative format. Providing a copy of the form in large print (which is usually as simple as using a copy machine or computer to increase type size) will make the form accessible to many individuals with moderate vision disabilities.