Vera Institute of Justice, Accessing Safety Initiative Effectively Serving Deaf Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Focus Group: March 15, 2006 Seattle, Washington Overview The purpose of the roundtable discussion is to identify the key and emerging issues in the context of violence against Deaf women, and how to frame these issues to help us push grantees’ and associates’ thinking and acting in directions that ultimately result in the most effective service deliver for Deaf women and Deaf women with disabilities. Goals * To better understand identity within Deaf communities; * To identify effective strategies for engaging Deaf communities in this work; * To better understand promising practices for serving Deaf survivors; * To better understand collaboration in the context of effectively serving Deaf survivors; and * To identify ways ASI can support this collaboration and work. Discussion Questions Understanding Identity within the Deaf Community * What is the relationship between D/deaf and disability communities in terms of culture and identity, lived experience, and the law and legal definitions? ­ How is Deaf NOT a part of disability? ­ How is Deaf a part of disability? * What is the relationship between hard of hearing and D/deaf communities. ­ How are people who identify as hard of hearing part of the Deaf community? ­ How are they not part of the Deaf community? ­ Considering the diversity in people’s self-identification (Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, etc), what language have you found most effective in engaging everyone in the community? Are there any drawbacks to this language? ­ If we develop two trainings for grantees – one that provides information and skills for improving their services for women with disabilities and one that provide information and skills for improving their services for Deaf women – where should information about serving people who are hard of hearing be included? Effectively Serving Deaf Survivors * What are the best practices or promising practices for providing the following services to Deaf survivors? ­ Outreach ­ Crisis hotline ­ Emergency shelter ­ Case management and general advocacy support ­ Support groups * What do you think the best strategy is for increasing support and funding for these culturally specific services: build coalitions with other cultural groups who want culturally specific services and advocate together, advocate with disability organizations, or advocate alone? * What should services look like for survivors when they are not Deaf-run, Deaf centered? In other words, what do the services look like when they are provided primarily by a hearing domestic violence/sexual assault provider? * What should the services look like when they are provided primarily by a hearing domestic violence/sexual assault provider? * Drawing from your own experiences, what strategies are most effective in making sure services to address violence are engaging and accessible to the following diverse facets of the Deaf community? ­ Deaf people of color ­ Deaf people with disabilities ­ Deaf people with different communication modes * What internal challenges (besides challenges with collaborating with other agencies) do you experience in you work serving Deaf survivors? ­ What type of support an organization like ASI can provide to help overcome these challenges? Collaborating to Meet the Needs of Deaf Survivors * How have you collaborated with domestic violence and sexual assault organizations? ­ What have the strengths been with these collaborations? ­ What have the challenges been with these collaborations? * How have you collaborated with disability services, mental health services, etc. to meet the multiple needs of deaf persons with disabilities? ­ What have the strengths been with these collaborations? ­ What have the challenges been with these collaborations? * What type of support an organization like ASI can provide to help overcome these challenges?