Trauma-informed services empower Deaf abuse survivors
Abusers take advantage of ways that society fails Deaf people, says Tash Hansen-Day, project coordinator at Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services, a nonprofit offering comprehensive services to Deaf and DeafBlind survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
Trauma-informed services start with understanding how trauma impacts survivors’ lives, and tailoring services to avoid retraumatization and promote healing. For example, abusers limit a survivors choices and agency.
Providing options instead of telling a survivor what to do begins the process of reclaiming agency, which allows them to reframe negative self-talk and start to build trust again.
Hansen-Day shares the example of a survivor who was in an abusive relationship in her home country. This survivor fled to ADWAS after immigrating to the U.S. with her now ex-husband. “With the support of our agency, she was able to get a divorce, Domestic Violence Protection Order, confidential emergency shelter, and safe housing for herself and her children,” Hansen-Day says. “She has a supportive community of Deaf survivors surrounding her, one of the strongest factors that can boost resilience.”
A critical absence of required resources
Deaf women in the United States experience rates of domestic and sexual violence one-and-a-half times higher than their hearing counterparts, according to the Vera Institute of Justice.
When a Deaf survivor reaches out to an emergency hotline or domestic violence shelter, many hearing agencies don’t understand how to get American Sign Language interpreters or Deafblind interpreters of Protactile (the language of the DeafBlind community). Survivors need interpreters to access assistance or action through the court system, police, hospitals or schools.
Washington’s current interpreter shortage makes it challenging to find an interpreter promptly. Despite 250,000 Washington residents who are Deaf and hard of hearing, just 410 certified ASL interpreters work in the state, according to a 2024 Washington HB2221 report.
Survivors may also avoid Seattle’s robust Deaf and DeafBlind community spaces, concerned their abuser will find them. “It’s often not safe for people to go to community events or be involved in the community because it’s easy for word to get back to the abuser if a survivor shows up at one of these spaces,” Hansen-Day says. As a result, survivors can remain isolated, even after leaving the abusive relationship. “This is true for many marginalized communities, such as Deaf BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.”
The result can lead to a complicated, interrelated web of adverse outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmares, trust issues and negative self-talk.
Without culturally specific resources, a Deaf or DeafBlind survivor is more likely to return to the abusive relationship, or be homeless, be removed from hearing shelters or be denied aid.
A healing path forward
ADWAS services cater specifically to Deaf, DeafBlind and DeafDisabled survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. ADWAS’s holistic approach to advocacy and healing includes medical and legal advocacy, an emergency shelter at an undisclosed location, a crisis hotline, and the nation’s only supportive housing for Deaf, DeafBlind and DeafDisabled survivors.
“The supportive housing facility, A Place of Our Own, serves as a beacon of hope for survivors, offering them a safe space where they have access to culturally and linguistically affirmative services,” says Stephanie Mathis, program director.
Community connections
In the community, there’s a lot of pride in being Deaf and using American Sign Language, Hansen-Day notes. Clients express gratitude for access to services from Deaf people who use the same language and understand the community’s history, culture, barriers and struggles.
“It’s not just accessibility that Deaf survivors need; it’s the emotional security that comes with working with a Deaf agency,” Hansen-Day says.
“They don’t have to worry about being misunderstood, which can have huge negative outcomes, especially in legal situations and crises.”
Deaf survivors with Spanish-speaking relatives can use the Spanish feature on video relay services. This feature connects to a relay interpreter fluent in spoken Spanish and American Sign Language. ADWAS advocates help Deaf immigrants get culturally relevant and accessible services when working with immigration lawyers for asylum or visas.
“When Deaf survivors come to our office, they don’t have to worry that they will be dehumanized or assumed incapable of living a fulfilling life,” Hansen-Day says. “The survivors I work with keep going despite impossible challenges and barriers.”
Notation: ADWAS, founded in 1986 by a Deaf woman, Marilyn Smith, for Deaf, DeafBlind and DeafDisabled survivors, provides empowering services in the Puget Sound region. Committed to a violence-free community, we work to change beliefs and systems perpetuating gender-based violence. Learn more at www.adwas.org.