Working with Deaf Survivors

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Working with Deaf Survivors

• Sponsored by Transforming Communities Technical
  Assistance, Training Resource Center, Part of
  Marin Abused Womens Services, California. Funded
  by California Department of Public Health
  MCAH/OFP, Unserved/Underserved Training and
  Technical Assistance (U/U TAT).
• Presented by Cathy Hoog, Abused Deaf Womens
  Advocacy Services (ADWAS) Leigh Hofheimer,
  Washington State Coalition Against Domestic
  Violence (WSCADV). Partners in the disAbility
  Advocacy Project of WSCADV. Please do not reprint
  or distribute materials without permission, April
  2008.

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What is the disAbility Advocacy Project?

• There are four organizations that make up the
  disAbility Advocacy Project (dAP)
• Washington State Coalition Against Domestic
  Violence
• Abused Deaf Womens Advocacy Services
• Disability Rights Washington and
• Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
  
• The goal of the dAP partnership is to make
  domestic violence and sexual assault services
  more accessible for survivors with disabilities.
• HOW? By building collaborations at the local
  level

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Learning Objectives

• Discuss the broad community of Deaf, Deaf Blind
  and Hard of hearing people.
• Analyze the compacting impact of Deafness on
  Survivors
• Provide resources to help DV programs services
  for Deaf survivors
• Review specific procedures for safely working
  with interpreters, and a variety of adaptive
  technology

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Deaf, Deaf Blind, and Hard of hearing communities

• Culturally Deaf (with capital D)
• Oral Deaf
• Late Deafened
• Hard of hearing, ( or Hearing Loss)
• Deaf-Blind
• Ushers I,II, and III
• There are many subgroups within the Deaf
  community
• interests
• common experiences
• language

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• Each individual is unique
• Ask each individual their preferences
• Honor the individuals answer

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American Sign language

• American Sign Language (ASL) is a language with
  its own grammatical structure and syntax.
• ASL is the primary language, English is a second
  language for most Deaf individuals.
• American Sign Language (ASL) is a three
  dimensional language unlike any other language.
• Language is a part of culture.

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Exercise 1

• YOU ME CROSS
• MISS ME KNOW
• SORRY
• Keri Darling, Vermont 2005

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Exercise 2

• WOMAN SILLY MOUTH WIDE
• MY FACE
• ME UNDERSTAND NO
• Keri Darling, Vermont 2005

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Exercise 3

• DADDY MANY MANY HIT
• BLOOD ME SAW ME RAN
• TELL FRIEND ME AFRAID
• CALL POLICE MAYBE JAIL
• Keri Darling, Vermont 2005

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Historical perspective

• Almshouses, orphanages belief that disability
  is a moral failing
• Early 1800s Deaf Schools open
• Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc
• 1890 Alexander Graham Bell, referring to Deaf
  people, degenerative heredity
• Long wait 1970s Federal access education
  laws
• 1990s Americans with Disabilities Act

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Deaf Culture

• Deaf culture includes ASL literature and art,
  social, political, business and sports
  organizations, and rules and traditions.
• Deaf people are very visually oriented. Eyes are
  used not only to communicate, but also to take in
  environmental and situation information
• 10 of Deaf people have Deaf parents. Deaf
  Schools and Deaf Club formed Deaf Culture.

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Deaf Culture

• Eye Contact
• personal space differences
• Direct and to the point
• Equipment and flashing lights

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Compounding Impact . . .
Societal Bias
System Discrimination
Abuser
Survivor
Acts of Resistance
Power Control Tactics
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Deaf Survivors

• Deaf Survivors do not seem to be any more or less
  abused than other women.
• Abuse for Deaf women can be experienced
  differently from the perspective of the
  aftermath
• Dealing with the police and court systems
• Health care
• Trying to find safety
• Other related matters

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Survivor Issues

• Confidentiality- Scope of Deaf community
  international
• Historic distrust of mainstream providers
• Deaf Community still learning about abuse issues
• Safety Planning complex
• Huge system barriers still exist

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How hearing programs can enhance services for
Deaf survivors

• Knowledge of Deaf culture and ASL
• Recognizing ASL as a primary language for most
  Deaf people
• Providing them with appropriate communication
  accessibility
• Awareness of their resistance to using services
• Have resources available and work to develop
  connections in the Deaf community

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How Deaf and Hearing advocates can work for
systems change

• Be willing to work with an advocate, preferably
  Deaf.
• Choose the most appropriate assistive device and
  plan ways to deal with potential communication
  misunderstanding.
• Building relationships between organizations
• Developing survivor-centered co-advocacy
  strategies
• How to be a good host

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Technology Safety

• TTY or TDD Teletype communication or
  Telecommunication device for the Deaf
• Video Phone (VP) relay and other technology
• Web, email and other texting technologies

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Working with interpreters

• Washington State Coalition Against Domestic
  Violence internal protocol
• Recruiting, hiring, and supporting
• Safety issues

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Resources

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• TTY 1-800-787-3224 or ADWAS_at_NDVH.org
• Handbook for Shelters Serving Deaf women and
  their children, by Abused Deaf Womens Advocacy
  Services, available at www.ADWAS.org
• Registry of interpreters for the Deaf
  http//www.rid.org/
• National Association for the Deaf
  http//www.nad.org

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• Cathy Hoog
• Abused Deaf Womens Advocacy Services,
• 206-726-0093 (TTY),
• cathy_at_adwas.org and www.adwas.org
• Leigh Hofheimer,
• WSCADV,
• 206-389-2515 x202 (V), 206-389-2900 (TTY),
• leigh_at_wscadv.org and www.wscadv.org