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Communication Environment & Culturally Deaf Survivors

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Issues Related to the Communication Environment

Many domestic violence and sexual assault programs lack the resources or knowledge necessary to communicate effectively with Deaf survivors. For example, many local hotlines do not have TTY machines or videophones that allow calls from Deaf survivors. For those programs that do have them, oftentimes staff is not trained on how to use them. Most programs lack money for interpreters and other accommodations that would facilitate communication in their budgets. Even if money is available, oftentimes, staff does not understand how to find, secure, and work with qualified interpreters. Not every interpreter can meet the needs of every Deaf survivor. Moreover, communication between staff and Deaf survivors may not happen or may be very limited when interpreters are not available.

Technologies, such as video relay, instant messaging, and two-way pagers, can be used to facilitate communication between providers and Deaf survivors. But, programs are often unaware of these resources, lack the money needed to purchase them, or don’t have the technological requirements available to use them. Moreover, some Deaf survivors may prefer direct communication without an interpreter, or in-person with an interpreter present, especially during a crisis.

The consequence of these communication barriers is that Deaf survivors have limited or no access to available resources in the community that are designed to increase their safety and support them in their process of healing. Deaf survivors who access services that are not accessible are often left with the choice of staying in an environment that is safer, but not accessible or returning to an unsafe environment that is accessible. For example, they may go back to live with a batterer who understands Deaf culture and communicates in ASL.

Examples of Problems

• A Deaf woman who was recently sexually assaulted finds a brochure at her local library about sexual assault. It mentions a local hotline that people could call and get support, but it did not list a TTY number and she doesn’t want to use a relay service to have such an emotional conversation. She doesn’t know how to reach out to the organization or who else to turn to for support.
• A Deaf woman is brought to a shelter by the police in the middle of the night after she was attacked by her boyfriend. The house manager starts writing back and forth with her. The woman gets increasingly upset and it becomes difficult for her to write for the house manager to understand. She calls a few interpreting agencies, but they are all closed. The house manager does not know how to communicate with her so she shows her to her sleeping room for the night. The Deaf woman ends up feeling left out of the process and neglected.
• A Deaf woman is attending a support group for women who were sexually assaulted. When she came into the program to talk about the support group, she communicated by speaking and reading lips. The program did not get an interpreter for group. During group, she does not participate as much as everyone else and has a difficult time following the conversation. Program staff assumes that she is quiet and not paying attention.
• A Deaf woman enters a shelter in a neighboring community after fleeing abuse. After getting settled, she meets with a case manager and, together, they identify goals for her to work towards during her stay. Among other things, the plan includes getting her children enrolled in a new school, finding a job, and finding affordable housing. She is really motivated and wants to get started immediately. She finds a number of leads in the local paper, but the shelter does not have a TTY machine or any other technology that would allow her to make the calls needed to follow-up.
• A Deaf woman is in shelter for the first time. After a few days, her mind is filled with thoughts and feelings about her boyfriend who abused her. She wants to talk with someone about it. But, the shelter doesn’t have an interpreter on staff and it can take up to a week to request one from the local agency. She meets with her case manager and they write back and forth a little, but it wasn’t helpful. Frustrated, she leaves the shelter and returns to her boyfriend’s house.      
• A Deaf woman is attending a meeting with other survivors and an interpreter is present. People are talking very fast and the interpreter is having a hard time keeping up. The Deaf survivor is having a hard time following the conversation and she can’t figure out who is saying what. She is focusing her energy on trying to make sense of the meeting instead of participating in it.
• A young Deaf woman is brought to the hospital after a sexual assault. The hospital arranges for an interpreter to meet her there. The woman only knows a little bit of American Sign Language. Instead, she uses home signs – signs that she and her hearing family created to communicate. The interpreter is having a very difficult time understanding her, and asking her to repeat or rephrase what she is trying to say. The woman is starting to feel uncomfortable to disclose her experiences and fears that she will be misunderstood.
• A Deaf survivor brings her child with her to a shelter program. The program staff looks to her child with a hope or expectation that the child will help communicate what her mother is trying to say in English.

Suggested Solutions

• Get a TTY machine for your program and publicize the number to let Deaf people know how to contact you and access your services. Contact nearby Deaf organizations to train all staff and volunteers on how to use the TTY machine and other technologies that will aid Deaf survivors in contacting your services. Decide how future trainings will be carried out as staff and volunteers turnover, or they need to brush-up on their skills.
• One reason communication methods like TTY, instant messaging and videophone do not get used consistently is lack of outreach. People lose their training without practice. Lack of consistent use and lack of routine training for staff and volunteers, which is needed in organizations with high staff turnover, is an instant sign to a survivor that her needs won’t taken seriously.
• Include money in your program budget for qualified interpreters and other accommodations. This will help you be prepared to serve Deaf survivors who contact your program.
• Flexibility in communication is essential to meeting the needs of Deaf survivors. Deaf survivors’ communication needs are individual. Don’t make assumptions about how Deaf survivors prefer to communicate or that they can read lips. During your first meeting with a Deaf survivor, ask her about her communication preferences and needs in the different settings in which she will be communicating (one-on-one with staff or other survivors, group settings, etc.). Check in with her periodically to see if her needs have changed.  
• Allow extra time for conversations and meetings with Deaf survivors, as the communication process may be prolonged. Be positive, open, and patient with regards to the communication process. Let deaf survivors know that it is okay to interrupt and ask questions if something isn’t clear.  
• Writing back and forth with Deaf survivors is not a communication strategy that should be relied upon, especially to communicate important information or during emotionally difficult conversations. Survivors may miss important details since the information is not presented visually. They may not feel comfortable writing, or they may not be able to adequately express their thoughts and emotions especially if they are not fluent in English. It also takes more time. The process of writing back and forth may be an added burden to an already stressful situation for a survivor. This method should only be used after you have asked the survivor if it is okay to write and she has said yes.
• Never use hearing children or other family members as interpreters. They are not trained interpreters; it puts them in an awkward position; and it is harmful – especially to children. For these reasons, some states have passed laws that forbid using children as interpreters.
• Build relationships with interpreter agencies and/or independent (freelance) interpreters in your area. Identify interpreters who agree to be available on an emergency basis. Have emergency interpreters’ phone numbers readily available.
• Ask Deaf survivors if they'd like time with interpreters before a meeting to become familiar with their language styles and to discuss where they would like for the interpreters to sit.
• If communication barriers exist even with an interpreter, ask Deaf survivors if they would like a Deaf volunteer or certified Deaf interpreter present to support them in their communication process.
• If a Deaf survivor says she can hear and speak, and doesn’t require an interpreter, make sure to check in with her during conversations. Ask her what she understands from the conversation thus far.
• Ask Deaf survivors in advance prior to meetings that seem to require interpreters, how they would like effective communication to happen and if they would like an interpreter present.
• After any meeting with a Deaf survivor, ask her for feedback. How was the communication process? If an interpreter was present, did the interpreter meet her needs? Was she comfortable? How can things be done differently in the future? Does she prefer different interpreters next time?
• If a survivor arrives to shelter without an e-mail or instant messaging pager or some other needed technology (either because of a quick escape or because it was destroyed), there is the potential to get an assistive technology loan. The purpose of loan programs is for a person to test what works best using 30-day trials. You could also reach out to local businesses to see if anyone would be willing to donate a device.
• Have a TTY machine, videophone, computer with instant messaging capabilities, and amplification devices for telephones or Voice Carry Over phones (for Deaf survivors who prefer to speak) available for survivors to use. These technologies make it possible for Deaf survivors to make their own appointments and to advocate on their own behalf. The video-relay technology can also be used by survivors to contact Deaf service providers in other communities for advocacy and support services. Put these technologies in a private area, where other people would not be able to see the communication exchange.
• There is a range of communication technologies for people who are Deaf and hard of hearing to learn about. Despite rapid changes in the quality and availability of assistive technologies, well-developed resources make it easy to learn about other options. Consider the range of technologies that increase access to your services.

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