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National Conference: November 5 - 6, 2013

Bridging the Gap

2013 National Conference on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Against Deaf Individuals

SAVE THE DATE

November 5 and 6, 2013 - Vancouver Washington

The Bridging the Gap: Creating a Community of Support for Deaf Survivors conference will take place on November 5 and 6, 2013, at the Hilton Vancouver Washington, situated in the beautiful Pacific Northwest just minutes away from Portland Oregon. The conference will include 4 keynote addresses and more than 15 workshops on meeting the needs of Deaf survivors, including understanding Deaf culture, working with interpreters, and how to be a hearing ally, among many others. The presentations will be provided by a diverse array of practitioners, including Deaf survivors and hearing allies. For those interested in presenting at the conference, a Call for Workshop Proposals will be released in the next month.

Mark Your Calendars! Space will be limited.

Registration will open in late June/early July.

Meeting the Needs of Deaf Survivors

Limited research suggests that Deaf women experience domestic violence and sexual assault at rates equal to or higher than hearing women. However, they are much less likely to receive services and supports from mainstream hearing victim services. Lack of outreach, communication barriers, including lack of TTYs and access to American Sign Language interpreters, and the lack of Deaf cultural competency, are all barriers that contribute to Deaf survivors not receiving the services and support they need. When a Deaf survivor does get connected to an agency, oftentimes communication barriers prevent them from being able to fully participate in the services and supports offered. Due to this, Deaf survivors and advocates report high levels of isolation among Deaf survivors. This isolation can keep Deaf survivors in dangerous situations with no perceived way out, or leave them without critical health support after an assault.

At the Bridging the Gap conference, you will learn how to: create an environment within your organization that is Deaf friendly; communicate with Deaf survivors; work with American Sign Language interpreters; safety plan with Deaf survivors; and conduct more adequate outreach to the Deaf community. You will also learn about Deaf organizations from across the country, and how to partner with Deaf specific domestic and sexual violence services.

Please join us, Deaf advocates, and hearing allies, on November 5 and 6 in Vancouver Washington to learn more about how you can meet the needs of Deaf survivors at your agency.

Who Should Attend

Court Personnel
Domestic violence program advocates, educators, and managers
Law enforcement officers
Prosecutors
Rape crisis center advocates, educators, and managers
Sexual assault foresnic examiners and sexual assault nurse examiners, and other medical personnel
State domestic violence and sexual assault coalition staff
STOP Administrators
Office on Violence Against Women grantees
Other allied professionals

Organizations from the same community are encouraged to attend in teams to foster collaboration.

This conference is an OVW-approved conference. With approval from your OVW Program Specialist, OVW grant funds can be used to support your attendance.

Please Check Back for More Information

As more detailed information about this conference becomes available, it will be posted in this section of the website. If you have any questions about the conference in the meantime, please contact CVS staff by email at cvs@vera.org.

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