Nancy Smith directs the Center on Victimization and Safety at the Vera Institute of Justice. She designs and oversees the Center’s work to center survivors of crime who are marginalized from healing services and system-based responses to violence. A main focus of her work has been on building movements to end violence against people with disabilities and Deaf people. She has worked closely with organizations around the country to develop equitable, accessible, and coordinated services for survivors with disabilities and Deaf survivors; is a national speaker and trainer on a wide-range of issues related to disability, Deaf culture, and victimization; facilitates national roundtables on topics ranging from preventing sexual abuse of children with disabilities to enhancing law enforcement responses to Deaf victims; and has written numerous reports on the topic. Nancy has a bachelor’s degree in criminology and women’s studies and a master’s degree in women’s studies with a concentration in feminist policy studies from the Ohio State University.
Pronouns: she/her