• Stay alert and tuned in to your surroundings, whether on the street, in an office building or shopping mall, driving or waiting for the bus or subway.
• Send a message that you're calm, confident and know where you're going. 
• Be realistic about your limitations.  Avoid places or situations that put you at risk. 
• Know the neighborhood where you live and work.  check out the locations of police and fire stations, public telephones, hospitals, restaurants orstores that are open and accessible.
• Avoid establishing predictable activity patterns.  Most of us have daily routines but never varying them may increase your vulnerability.

At Home

• Put good locks on all your doors.  Law enforcement recommends double-cylinder, deadbolt locks, but make sure you can easily use the locks you install.
• Install peepholes on front and back doors at your eye level.  This is especially important if you use a wheelchair. 
• Get to know your neighbors.  Watchful neighbors who look out for you as well as themselves are a frontline defense against crime.
• If you have difficulty speaking, have a friend record a message giving your name, adddress, and type of disability to use in emergencies.  Keep the tape recorder next to your phone.
• Ask you local law enforcement to conduct a free home security survey to help identify your individual needs.  In addition, see if law enforcement can "flag" your name/address/phone number so if and when you ever need help, that gathered information will pop up with specifics about your needs and disabilities. 

Out and About

• If possible, go with a friend or family member.
• Stick to well-lighted, well-traveled streets.  Avoid shortcuts through vacant lots, wooded areas, parking lots or alleys.
• Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Carry a purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps.  Put a wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket.  If you use a wheelchair, keep your purse or wallet tucked snugly between you and the inside of the chair.
• If you use a knapsack or backpack, make sure it is securely shut.
• Always carry your medical information in case of an emergency.
• Consider keeping a cellular phone or installing a CB radio in your vehicle.

On Public Transportation

• Use well-lighted, busy stops.  Stay near other passengers.
• Stay alert.  Don't doze or daydream.
• If someone harasses you, make a loud noise or say, "Leave me alone."  if that doesn't work, hit the emergency signal on the bus or train. 

Take a Stand

• Join or help organize a Neighborhood Watch group.  Make sure their meetings are accessible to people with certain disabilities.  For example, do they need a sign language interpreter?  Can individuals who use walkers, crutches or wheelchairs enter the meeting place?
• Work with local law enforcement to improve responses to all victims or witnesses of crime.  Role-play how people with disabilities can handle threatening situations. 
• Work with rehabilitation centers or advocacy groups to offer a presentation to schools and other community organizations on the needs and concerns of individuals with disabilities.