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Promising Practices
Deaf-Specific Services
There has been significant movement within the Deaf community to develop services that are based on a battered women’s shelter and rape crisis model but modified to incorporate elements of Deaf culture and other components that more effectively meet the needs of Deaf victims/survivors.
Since the establishment of Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services (ADWAS) in 1986 as the first Deaf-specific organization to address domestic and sexual violence, approximately 17 Deaf-specific organizations and programs have been founded across the country, many of which have replicated the ADWAS model.
Mainstream Services
Since most communities across the country do not yet have Deaf-specific services to address domestic and sexual assault, mainstream services (i.e., services that are not tailored to meet the needs of Deaf survivors) need to create accessible and welcoming environments for Deaf survivors. This will help to ensure that all Deaf survivors have access to services and support in the community. It will also increase the number of options Deaf survivors have when deciding where to go to get support.
Existing promising practices that can guide hearing service providers in creating welcoming environments for Deaf survivors are provided in Addressing Accessibility. As this field continues to evolve, service providers will invent their own solutions and contribute them to the ever-evolving knowledge repository of best practices in service design.
