Video

Supporting Deaf & DeafBlind Survivors

Deaf people are 1.5-5 times more likely than hearing people to experience domestic and sexual violence. Despite being at greater risk, they face significant barriers to accessing victim services. Many …
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Supporting Deaf & DeafBlind Survivors

Deaf people are 1.5-5 times more likely than hearing people to experience domestic and sexual violence. Despite being at greater risk, they face significant barriers to accessing victim services. Many mainstream hearing programs want to serve Deaf survivors, but are often unaware of the unique experiences and cultural values of Deaf survivors and are not prepared to provide sign language interpretation.

The Vera Institute of Justice brought together some of the country’s leading experts in supporting Deaf and DeafBlind survivors to answer the field’s most pressing questions about how to support survivors from these communities and best practices for finding and working with qualified interpreters. We created a series of videos about Deaf and DeafBlind culture, best practices for working with Deaf and DeafBlind survivors, and how to find qualified interpreters. There is also a panel discussion highlighting key factors that contributed to a successful partnership between a hearing and Deaf organization.

This video series features five leaders in the Deaf and DeafBlind communities: Roberta Eaton and Najma Johnson with DAWN, Liam Esposito and Amber Hodson with DeafHope, and Raylene Lotz with the Vera Institute of Justice. The videos were filmed in American Sign Language and created by a Deaf video producer, Elizabeth Sorkin.

To make them more accessible for a hearing audience, voice over audio was added. Closed captions are also available.
Just Ask: A Toolkit to Help Advocates, Attorneys, and Law Enforcement Meet the Needs of Crime Victims with Disabilities

People with disabilities and Deaf people experience violent crime at three times the rate of people without disabilities, yet healing services and the legal system are often not accessible to …
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Just Ask: A Toolkit to Help Advocates, Attorneys, and Law Enforcement Meet the Needs of Crime Victims with Disabilities

People with disabilities and Deaf people experience violent crime at three times the rate of people without disabilities, yet healing services and the legal system are often not accessible to them. There are a number of steps agencies can take to make their services more accessible and welcoming for survivors with disabilities and Deaf victims, including asking every victim if they need accommodations to participate in services or the legal system.

Just Ask: A Toolkit to Help Advocates, Attorneys, and Law Enforcement Meet the Needs of Crime Victims with Disabilities was created in response to conversations with professionals working with survivors, many of whom are open to asking about accommodations, but don’t know how and are worried about saying the wrong thing. The toolkit lays out four simple steps for providing accommodations to survivors with disabilities, and includes sample language you can use when talking to survivors. It also outlines what your agency needs to have in place for staff to be able to provide accommodations as soon as survivors request them.

What’s Available

Just Ask is comprised of three audience-specific toolkits:

Advocate Toolkit

Attorney and Prosecutor Toolkit

Law Enforcement Toolkit

Asking about Accommodations: An Introduction

Acknowledgements

This toolkit was shaped by people with disabilities and disability advocates. Vera would like to thank Max Barrows, Leigh Ann Davis, Jasmine D’Addario-Fobian, Roberta Eaton, Suzanne Hopkins, Jo Johnson, Keith Jones, Shell Schwartz, and Olga Trujillo for their insights and contributions as Expert Workgroup Members for the National Resource Center on Reaching Victims. Nancy Smith and Katie Allen with the Vera Institute of Justice were also instrumental in developing this toolkit.

A Note About Language

The terms victim and survivor are used interchangeably throughout this toolkit, based on the different ways in which people who have experienced crime identify. When working with people whose lives have been touched by crime, best practice is to reflect the language they use to identify themselves.

Vera Institute of Justice
Augmented Language: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we define Augmented Language. We explain simple language and augmented language, and why these communication methods matter for accessibility. Finally, we demonstrate how to use augmented language …
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Augmented Language: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we define Augmented Language. We explain simple language and augmented language, and why these communication methods matter for accessibility. Finally, we demonstrate how to use augmented language and images to communicate with survivors.

Vera Institute of Justice
Alternative Text: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we discuss Alternative Text: what it is, and why it matters for survivors with disabilities. We demonstrate how to add alternative text to images and other visual …
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Alternative Text: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we discuss Alternative Text: what it is, and why it matters for survivors with disabilities. We demonstrate how to add alternative text to images and other visual elements to make web-based and electronic materials accessible for survivors with disabilities.

Vera Institute of Justice
Plain Language: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we discuss plain language and why it matters for survivors with disabilities. We explain how we can communicate using plain language, and share some examples of plain …
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Plain Language: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we discuss plain language and why it matters for survivors with disabilities. We explain how we can communicate using plain language, and share some examples of plain language. Finally, we demonstrate how to use tools to determine if a written document is using plain language.

Vera Institute of Justice
Organizing Information: Introduction to Reading Order

In this video, we explain the importance of organizing information accessibly in web-based and electronic materials for survivors with disabilities. We define reading order, and explain why it matters for …
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Organizing Information: Introduction to Reading Order

In this video, we explain the importance of organizing information accessibly in web-based and electronic materials for survivors with disabilities. We define reading order, and explain why it matters for accessibility. Finally, we demonstrate how to use Microsoft Office to create accessible reading order.

Vera Institute of Justice
Accessible Font: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we discuss font style, size, and line spacing, and why these accessibility elements matter for survivors. We share some examples of accessible and inaccessible fonts. Finally, we …
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Accessible Font: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we discuss font style, size, and line spacing, and why these accessibility elements matter for survivors. We share some examples of accessible and inaccessible fonts. Finally, we explain the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAGs) for font style and size.

Vera Institute of Justice
Color Contrast: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we describe color contrast, and why it matters for disability access. We explain the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAGs) for using color and for color contrast. Finally, …
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Color Contrast: A Brief Introduction

In this video, we describe color contrast, and why it matters for disability access. We explain the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAGs) for using color and for color contrast. Finally, we demonstrate tools for determining color contrast ratios.

Vera Institute of Justice