Working with Deaf 
Survivors 

Jannette Brickman 
Roberta Eaton 
Center on Victimization and Safety 
Vera Institute of Justice 

March 20, 2018 



Deaf Culture 101 



Components of Deaf Culture 

• Collectivism 
• Social Customs 
• Behavioral Norms 
• Language 

Audism 

The notion that one is superior based on one's 
ability to hear or to behave in the manner of one 
who hears, or that life without hearing is futile and 
miserable, or an attitude based on pathological 
thinking which results in a negative stigma toward 
anyone who does not hear. 



Examples of Audism 

• Forcing a Deaf person to lip read or write instead of 
getting an interpreter 
• Refusing to call an interpreter because it is not in your 
agency’s budget 
• Assuming Deaf people can’t do things 
• Not honoring the cultural and linguistic identity of a Deaf 
person or mislabeling/ misidentifying Deaf people 
• Jumping in to help a Deaf person communicate 

Examples of Audism (2) 

• Using hearing children to interpret for Deaf parents 
• Making phone calls or decisions for a Deaf person 
without asking 
• Assuming someone is less intelligent or credible 
because they do not hear or voice 
• Relying on a phone as the primary way for people to 
contact you 
• Not having shelters accessible for a Deaf person 
• Not having visual indicators of auditory signals, such 
as smoke detectors 

Language Needs 

• American Sign Language (ASL) 
• Black American Sign Language (BASL) 
• Deaf + Limited English Proficiency (LEP) 
• Hard of Hearing/Lip reading/Cued Speech 
• ProTactile ASL 
• Sign Languages other than ASL 

Domestic Violence in the Deaf 
Community 



Question 

How many times does it take a Deaf survivor to leave 
an abusive relationship? 

Please put your answer in the chat box. 



Understanding the Needs of Deaf 
Survivors 

• Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are 150% more 
likely to be victims of assault, abuse, and bullying in 
their lifetimes. 
• Domestic violence impacts one out of every two (2) 
Deaf women and one out of every six (6) Deaf men. 
No More Together We Can End Domestic Violence and 
Sexual Assault 

https://nomore.org/ 



Unique Challenges Faced by Deaf 
Survivors 

• Confidentiality issues in the Deaf community 
• Many hearing providers are not accessible 
• Lack of access to information 

Deaf Power and Control Wheel 



Abuse Tactics 

• Uses ASL to make you afraid with gestures, facial 
expressions, or exaggerated signs, then uses Deaf 
culture to justify the behavior 
• Calls you “hearing-mind” because you aren’t fluent 
enough in ASL or don’t socialize or identify with the 
Deaf community 
• Takes advantage of the lack of accessible services 
for Deaf survivors 
• Tells people private things (example: "My wife is 
lousy in bed."), and says it is okay to share private 
information because it is part of Deaf Culture 

Abuse Tactics (2) 

• Your partner is hearing and doesn’t allow your 
children to use ASL to talk with you 
• Excludes you from important conversations 
• Ruins your chances for a job by spreading rumors 
about you in the small Deaf community 

Language Access 



Impact of Language Access 

• 37 million Americans are Deaf or hard 
of hearing (D/HOH) 

Legal Requirements 

• Titles II and III of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act (ADA) 
• This is the floor. We reach for the ceiling. 

Effective Communication 

ADA requires that: 

Title II and III entities (state and local governments, 
businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the 
public) communicate effectively with people who have 
communication disabilities, such as being Deaf and 
Deaf/Blind. 

Goal = Ensure that communication with people with 
these disabilities is equally effective as 
communication with people without disabilities. 



Effective Communication (2) 

• Communicate with 
• Receive information from 
• Convey information to 
All three prongs! 



Exigent Circumstances 

The following is PROHIBITED, EXCEPT where there is 
immediate danger of serious physical harm of life 
threatening situation to any person: 

• Using children to interpret 
• Using family members to interpret 
• A bilingual employee regardless of level of bilingual 
competency (e.g., situations which require 
specialized vocabulary or will be certified court/legal 
documents) 

Consequences of Lack of 
Language Access 

For the survivor: 

• Risk 
• Perpetrators are rewarded 
• Lack of community trust 
• Re-victimization 
For the agency: 

• Challenges to quality of service and to fulfilling 
organizational mission 
• Lack of compliance 

Average Wait Time to Secure ASL 
Interpreters 

22 

Language Access and 
Victimization 

• Opportunities for healing occur at all points of 
contact: services that are accessible and culturally 
responsive contribute to the healing process. 
• Integrate knowledge about trauma into policies, 
procedures, practices, and settings, including those 
pertaining language access. 

True/False (1) 

A person who is Deaf is coming to the Police Department 
to fill out a complaint and be interviewed regarding a 
mugging that she just experienced. She tells the officer on 
site at the incident through an exchange of notes that she 
needs an ASL interpreter for her police interview. The 
Police officer tells her that they might have captioning, but 
the interpreter whom they always use is on vacation. Since 
writing seemed to be working just fine, and they had 
another alternative, the police officer tells her they won’t be 
getting an interpreter. 

This interaction represents equitable access under the 
circumstances. 



True/False (2) 

Police respond to a domestic violence call. They are told by 
the 911 dispatch that the victim is reporting that a gun is 
involved, and that children are in the house. The police 
arrive within two minutes, find the victim and her sister 
outside on the lawn, both crying. The victim is Deaf; the 
sister is not. The officers immediately ask the sister to 
interpret for them, while they try to get information about 
the whereabouts of the children, the gun, and the victim’s 
husband. 

This interaction represents equitable access under the 

circumstances. 
25 

Types of Interpreters 



American Sign Language 
Interpreters 

• Most commonly the appropriate communication 
accommodation for deaf people 
• Trained and certified professionals with extensive knowledge 
of cross-cultural communication and interpretation processes 
• Appropriate certification and qualification needs to be 
considered for nature of assignment 
• Follows professional code of ethics 
• Impartial roles of communication facilitator offering messages 
equivalence between deaf and hearing people; interpreters 
are not for deaf people but both parties 
• Matches consumers’ preferred mode of communication 

Tactile Interpreting 

• Tactile Interpreting is a way of communication for 
those who are Blind and Deaf or Hard of Hearing. 
The tactile Interpreter will put a hand below the other 
person’s hand and make tactile signs on the 
person’s hand so that they can feel and understand 
what’s being said. 
• Tactile ASL basically means you listen to standard 
ASL tactilely, instead of visually. 

Pro Tactile Interpreting 

Pro tactile is an emerging language in its own right, based on ASL 
but rapidly evolving away from it. PT is signing in a more tactile 
way on purpose. 

Examples: 

ASL: You may talk about a car screeching to a halt, but this is all 
done in air space in front of you. 

PT: In PT, the “car” moves on the other person’s lap or forearm 
and you simulate screeching and halting movements by applying 
different levels of pressure on the person’s body. 

ASL: You may say you have three kids using the 3-handshape 
and point to each finger and stating each kid’s name and age. 

PT: You use the other person’s three fingers, tapping on each one 
in turn when sharing your kid’s names and ages. 



Certified Deaf Interpreter 

• A Certified Deaf Interpreter is a specialist who 
provides cultural and linguistic expertise. As a native 
signer with a lifetime experience as a Deaf 
individual, the CDI is also trained to ensure that 
communication is effective. 
• Is a valuable asset to any situation that requires 
complicated and sometimes emotional 
communication situations. 
• Often works as a unit with an ASL interpreter. 

Benefits of Using a CDI 

• Relaxed interpretation 
• Deaf immigrants 
• Clarity 

Other Language Access Tools 

NOTE: None of the items listed below replace 
the need for a qualified ASL interpreter. 

• 
• 

• C Print 
• 
TTY / Relay 
Video Phone/ Video Relay Services 
CART services 

Securing Interpreters 



A Roadmap 

• Budget for interpreters 
• Develop a relationship with interpreter agencies 
• Create a process for requesting services 
• Identify qualified interpreters 
• Certification 

Budgeting – Events and Meetings 

Line Item: Cost Estimate: 
$55 -$65/ hour (average) 
Sign language 
interpreting services 
2 person teams or larger 
Minimum hourly job requirements 
Portal rate (varies) 
CART/ speech to text 
services 
$65 -$75/ hour 
2 person teams 
Screen $150/day per room 
Internet for each event room 



Budgeting – Services 

For your agencies, consider: 

• History of provision of services (the last 2-3 years) hours, 
clients/consumers 
• If no history, estimate 50 hours of service for the year 
• If some history, increase number of provision by 10% 
• Analysis of local population of LEP/Deaf and hard of 
hearing who have used or may use services 
• Subsequent years increase number of provision by 
10% based on actual provision in current year 
• Consistent tracking of services 

Engaging Interpreting Agencies 

• Interpreting agencies are there to assist in your work 
• Building relationships takes time 
• Work in partnership 
• Questions to ask interpreting agencies 
• Skills and qualifications 

Now You Need an Interpreter… 

What you will need: 

• In a 1-1, one-hour counseling, or 1-1 session, one interpreter 
• In a support group or meetings with multiple participants and 
facilitator, a team of 2 interpreters are highly recommended. 
Information to provide: 

• Length, type and intensity of assignment 
• Location of service or meeting to take place 
• Number of Deaf/LEP and hearing parties involved 
• Special needs of Deaf/LEP person (e.g., blind? cognitively 
challenged? immigrant?) 
• Number of interpreters needed 

Where to Find Interpreters 

• State offices for the deaf and hard of hearing 
• Independent living centers 
• State vocational rehabilitation offices 
• Universities and colleges (usually in special 
needs/disability student offices/centers) 
• State associations of the deaf 
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf database 

Interpreter Certifications 

Certifying Bodies: 

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) 
National Association of the Deaf (NAD) 
National Conference of State Courts (NCSC) 
State licensure 

Interpreter Specialization Certifications: 

Legal Interpreting Certification 
Mental Health Interpreting Certification 
Medical Interpreting Certification 



Additional Resources 

Vera Institute of Justice: www.vera.org 

• Designing Accessible Events for People with Disabilities and Deaf 
Individuals including: 
• Meeting Tip Sheet 
• Sign Language Interpreters Tip Sheet 
• Budgeting Tip Sheet 
All available at https://www.vera.org/publications/designing-accessibleevents-
for-people-with-disabilities-and-deaf-individuals 

• Culture, Language, and Access Key Considerations for Serving Deaf 
Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence 

Working with Interpreters 



Working with Interpreters: 
Strategies 

• Prepare your interpreters – names, jargon, 
abbreviations 
• If working with Deaf person → be next to the 
interpreter 
• Look at the Deaf person, not the interpreter 
• Direct your questions and statements to the Deaf 
person 
• Do not use phrases such as “ask her” or “tell her” 
• Speak in first person, rather than third person 
• Speak naturally, at a reasonable pace 
• Pause at reasonable intervals 

Working with Interpreters: 
Strategies (2) 

• Check in occasionally for questions 
• Consider the interpreter as a cultural mediator (ONLY for 
Deaf/deaf communities, not LEP). 
• Place yourself or the interpreter against a neutral 
background 
• Ask the Deaf person where he wants everyone seated 
• Do not talk while the Deaf person is reading a document 
• If possible, use the same interpreter for an ongoing 
service 
• Do not have side conversations with the interpreter 
• Create ground rules or common agreements regarding 
communication if needed 

Team Interpreting 

Team interpreting is the utilization of two or more 
interpreters who support each other to meet the needs of a 
particular communication situation. 

The interpreter team is actively engaged in the process. It 
may be providing direct interpretation services, actively 
working between the two languages or functioning in 
supporting role. This support is necessary to enhance the 
team’s performance and assure accurate communication 
takes place and may include: 

• monitoring the overall setting 
• assuring appropriate and timely transitions 
• supporting/cueing other team members as needed 
RID Standard Practice Paper: Team Interpreting 

Working with Interpreters: Trauma 
Considerations 

Be mindful that: 

• The linguistic community (including Deaf) is a small 
community 
• Not all interpreters are trained in or thoroughly 
knowledgeable about DV/SA and trauma informed 
practices. 
• Some interpreters are themselves victims or 
perpetrators. 

Working with Interpreters: Trauma 
Considerations (2) 

• You may need more time. 
• Interpreters have privilege of power. 
• Victims may specify a gender preference for an 
interpreter. You should consider time, resources, 
and any exigency. 

Final Thoughts 



Wrap Up and Final Thoughts 

• Interpreting is a profession, which requires training, 
certification, adherence to ethics, and a role to 
facilitate communication between two parties using 
different languages. 
• Providing language access in a timely and 
responsive matter requires preparation and proactiveness, 
including developing and maintaining 
relationships with interpreting agencies. 
• There are different types of interpretation budgeting 
and planning will help identify what kind 
of interpretation is needed. 

Wrap Up and Final Thoughts (2) 

• Some situations are simply more critical than others 
in providing language access – err on the side of 
providing meaningful, effective, and equitable 
access. 
• Communication is always a two-way street. 
Information without engagement is not meaningful, 
effective, or equitable. 
• Compliance is a continuum. The laws are the floor. 
Reach for the ceiling and everyone benefits. 

Questions? 



Thank you! 

Don’t forget about our next End Abuse of People with 
Disabilities webinar, Creating and Maintaining a Safety 
Net for Survivors with Disabilities, on May 15, 2018 from 
2-3:30 pm ET. Register here. 

Please take a moment to complete our brief survey. 

Presenter Contact information: 

Jannette Brickman 

jbrickman@vera.org 

Roberta Eaton 

reaton@vera.org