safety alertalert exclamation

If you are in danger, please use a safer computer, call 911 or your local hotline or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233 voice), 1-800-787-3224 (tty). There is always a computer trail, but you can click ESCAPE to leave the site quickly.

Issues Related to the Social & Policy Environment

Survivors miss information in conversation when the form of communication does not align with their functional needs. However, many people do not know that they are missing information and do not self-identify that they have difficulty hearing. Further, because hearing loss exists on a continuum, communication needs are different for each individual. Responding to a survivor’s individual requirements acknowledges the importance you place on what is communicated and of the survivor understanding.

Examples of Problems

  • A survivor who uses a hearing aid arrives at a shelter for intake.  The provider brings her to a private office that is located close to the family room where the television is on and children are playing loudly.  The survivor's hearing aid picks up the all of the background noise, making it difficult to hear the advocate.  After asking the advocate to repeat herself several times, the survivor begins to just nod along, pretending to understand. 
  • During a support group, a survivor with hearing loss struggles to keep up with the flow of the conversation.  The facilitator does not recognize her look of frustration and does not make an attempt to slow the pace of the conversation or review what has been said.  The survivor leaves feeling that she is not a part of the group and decides to not return.
  • A survivor with hearing loss contacts a crisis line only to discover they do not have a TTY and they only use Relay Services.  The survivor does not know American Sign Language and cannot speak to the volunteer through the relay service.    
  • A survivor with hearing loss arrives at a shelter with her "hearing dog." Unfortunately, the shelter has a strict policy against against animals in shelter.  Without realizing they are in violation of federal law, they deny her accommodations. 

Suggested Solutions

  • Each person who uses your services should be asked about any communication methods that would help during conversations with staff and volunteers. Ask specifically if she has hearing loss. If so, does the person have difficulty hearing under certain circumstances? Does the person require technology? Ask for the person’s own advice about what works. If a survivor says she has some hearing loss, but doesn’t require any help, make sure to check in with her during conversation by asking her what she understands from the conversation thus far. Use her feedback to gauge whether you need to speak more loudly or discuss certain details again. Be conscious of her needs even if she is not pressuring you to. Allow extra time in conversations for someone who is significantly impaired whether or not she has a hearing aid or other assistive technology. Technology is imperfect.
  • If a survivor is silent, be cautious about giving any signals to indicate that she/he is wasting your time. Be aware that the survivor may still be interpreting what you said.
  • Allow flexibility in any activities, like support groups, where the person may want a particular chair farthest away from background noise. Allow for breaks to provide the individual with hearing loss an opportunity to rest briefly from the strain of listening.
  • Do outreach to hearing loss organizations. When survivors find out about your services through a familiar organization, they may be less cynical that they can get their communication needs met. .
  • Advocates for survivors with hearing loss need to be extra sensitive to the possibility that others, like the court system, may have a bias that she is non-credible, unaware, or of lesser intelligence, just because she has a hearing limitation. Advocates need to prepare survivors who may be unaware of this level of bias.
  • “Hearing dogs” or “Signal Dogs” are specially trained dogs who assist people with significant hearing loss or who are deaf in navigating in situations where hearing would reduce a person’s vulnerability.  Federal law requires that a person using an assistive animal is provided an accommodation to have a pet in shelter situations.