Resources

Culture, Language, and Access: Serving Deaf Survivors

Recent research suggests that Deaf women experience higher rates of sexual and domestic violence than their hearing counterparts, but are often shut off from victim services and supports that are …
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Culture, Language, and Access: Serving Deaf Survivors

Recent research suggests that Deaf women experience higher rates of sexual and domestic violence than their hearing counterparts, but are often shut off from victim services and supports that are ill-equipped to respond to their unique needs. As a result, they are denied access to services that could help them safely flee from abuse, heal from trauma, and seek justice after they have been harmed. The Culture, Language, and Access: Key Considerations for Serving Deaf Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence policy brief offers practical suggestions for expanding and enhancing Deaf survivors’ access to victim services and other supports.

Vera Institute of Justice
Safety Planning for Survivors with Disabilities

An introductory webinar for domestic and sexual violence advocates, this webinar discusses the unique dynamics of domestic and sexual violence experienced by women with disabilities. Viewers will receive strategies for …
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Safety Planning for Survivors with Disabilities

An introductory webinar for domestic and sexual violence advocates, this webinar discusses the unique dynamics of domestic and sexual violence experienced by women with disabilities. Viewers will receive strategies for safety planning and an overview of core beliefs that are central for safety planning with women with disabilities.

Vera Institute of Justice
Policies and Best Practices to Screen Survivors with Disabilities for Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault & Stalking

This webinar features the work of ProjectCARE, a local collaboration funded by the Office on Violence Against Women’s Disability Grant. Development and use of screening assessment protocols and tools are …
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Policies and Best Practices to Screen Survivors with Disabilities for Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault & Stalking

This webinar features the work of ProjectCARE, a local collaboration funded by the Office on Violence Against Women’s Disability Grant. Development and use of screening assessment protocols and tools are discussed for ensuring that survivors with disabilities and Deaf survivors are properly screened and their service needs are met.

Vera Institute of Justice
Engaging People with Disabilities Through Social Media

Part of the Summer Technology Mini Series, this webinar features the work of a group in Austin Texas who set out to learn more about social media and how it …
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Engaging People with Disabilities Through Social Media

Part of the Summer Technology Mini Series, this webinar features the work of a group in Austin Texas who set out to learn more about social media and how it is used by people with disabilities in their community. Recommendations are shared for organizations looking to use social media in their outreach, prevention, and intervention work

Vera Institute of Justice
Accessible Registration Tip Sheet

Registration is a critical part of any successful event. It provides an opportunity for you to collect information and payment, if appropriate, from individuals who will be attending your event, …
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Accessible Registration Tip Sheet

Registration is a critical part of any successful event. It provides an opportunity for you to collect information and payment, if appropriate, from individuals who will be attending your event, allowing you to proactively design an event that best meets the number, background, and needs of your attendees.

Vera Institute of Justice
Budgeting for Access Tip Sheet

When planning events—meetings, conferences, roundtables, seminars, etc.—there are accommodations necessary to ensure that attendees with disabilities and Deaf attendees have complete access to the venue and the event’s presentations and …
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Budgeting for Access Tip Sheet

When planning events—meetings, conferences, roundtables, seminars, etc.—there are accommodations necessary to ensure that attendees with disabilities and Deaf attendees have complete access to the venue and the event’s presentations and materials. Although many
modifications and accommodations have little-to-no cost, some accommodations do. This tip sheet is designed to provide you with information and cost estimates so you can incorporate those considerations into funding proposals and budgets for your event. Including accurate
estimates for common meeting expenses and specific disability accommodation line items in your budget is essential to meeting your obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and creating a welcoming environment for attendees with disabilities and Deaf attendees.

Vera Institute of Justice
Selecting an Accessible Venue Tip Sheet

One of the first decisions in event planning is location. Selecting both a city and a venue requires a number of considerations. If the location of the event is inaccessible, …
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Selecting an Accessible Venue Tip Sheet

One of the first decisions in event planning is location. Selecting both a city and a venue requires a number of considerations. If the location of the event is inaccessible, then the event
itself cannot be made accessible. This tip sheet outlines a process for finding and selecting an accessible venue and hosting an accessible meeting.

Vera Institute of Justice
A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words: Picture Tools to Support the Forensic Exam Process for Survivors with Disabilities

Originally recorded in 2014, this webinar discusses three pictorial guides developed for medical staff, victim advocates, and self-advocates, to support safe and accessible SANE exams for women with disabilities.

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A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words: Picture Tools to Support the Forensic Exam Process for Survivors with Disabilities

Originally recorded in 2014, this webinar discusses three pictorial guides developed for medical staff, victim advocates, and self-advocates, to support safe and accessible SANE exams for women with disabilities.

Vera Institute of Justice
Interpreting Effectively and Safely for Deaf Survivors Training

This two-day training was designed to prepare American Sign Language Interpreters and Certified/Deaf Interpreters to interpret in contexts involving sexual and/or domestic violence. Agenda topics included: violence in the lives …
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Interpreting Effectively and Safely for Deaf Survivors Training

This two-day training was designed to prepare American Sign Language Interpreters and Certified/Deaf Interpreters to interpret in contexts involving sexual and/or domestic violence. Agenda topics included: violence in the lives of Deaf survivors, self-care, trauma, ethics, language, and safety training and planning. Participants had the opportunity to explore how context impacts language decisions, to define ethical decision-making in contexts involving domestic or sexual violence, and to learn tips for keeping safe in these contexts.

Vera Institute of Justice
Sexual Abuse of Children with Disabilities: A National Snapshot

Children with disabilities are three times more likely than children without them to be victims of sexual abuse, and the likelihood is even higher for children with intellectual or mental …
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Sexual Abuse of Children with Disabilities: A National Snapshot

Children with disabilities are three times more likely than children without them to be victims of sexual abuse, and the likelihood is even higher for children with intellectual or mental health disabilities. These children face many challenges in reporting the abuse and receiving vital services designed to meet their needs. Without receiving support, these children suffer long-term aftereffects, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, as well as an increased risk of victimization in adulthood. Vera’s Center on Victimization and Safety partnered with the Ms. Foundation for Women in 2012 to examine the prevalence of this abuse and existing responses and to recommend next steps for a national strategy to respond to this epidemic. This issues brief summarizes the study, its findings, and its recommendations.

Vera Institute of Justice