Outreach in Deaf communities
Addressing the specific ways that dating abuse affects young people who are Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing requires meaningful engagement and accessibility in your advocacy and community.
Basic steps you can take
to improve outreach in Deaf communities include:
Recruit Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing staff and volunteers.
Always compensate them appropriately for their work, especially if you depend on them for interpretation or other Deaf services.
Understand and empower Deaf culture.
Learn about Deaf social movements, history, and struggles from Deaf people directly, recognizing that it’s your responsibility to learn, not theirs to teach.
Familiarize yourself with local Deaf resources
including interpreters, faith communities, cultural groups, and school programs.
Include TTY phone numbers in all materials.
Teach staff to use TTY and make sure the line is always answered.
Take steps to ensure you meet accessibility standards for every service & resource you offer
including closed captioning for public service announcements.
The Hotline provides technical assistance for hearing programs to help them meet the needs of Deaf survivors. For more information, please contact [email protected].
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