OVC-ARC Riverside Online Professional Training Conference 9/9-9/29 2004 WORKSHOP INFORMATION FOR CEU CREDIT Deaf Women As Abuse Victims Mary Wambach, B.S. Psych Program Description: Neither "sensitivity training" nor "technical description"; this course will discuss the primary reasons why programs have difficulty in attracting, maintaining and serving deaf people and others with hearing loss. In addition to discussing the matter of clients, this course will review many of the issues involved in recruiting and empowering volunteers and paid employees/consultant who are deaf or with hearing loss. Course material will include specific do's and do not's for promotion, access and service, and will provide examples of real life experiences provided by deaf people and others with hearing loss. Participants will be given specific tools and recommendations for providing appropriate access, conserving funds, recognizing barriers to participation for people with hearing loss, and contacts for future follow up for various questions related to equipment, services and coalition building with local groups. Outline 1). Quiz: not for collection or judgment - just for review and discussion of facts 2). Those deaf people: . Do not attend meetings or activities . Show up but do not participate . Attend once and never again . Expect an interpreter 24 hours a day . Are not interested in volunteering or working with us . Won't call on the TTY . Won't bring "their own" interpreters 3). Why not? a). Importance of using consistent PR; having deaf professionals as speakers and trainers, not just "clients", need for ASL interpreters (or other services or equipment) for events and services - for events, give deadline for requesting interpreters to save money b). People with hearing loss are visual: facial expressions, comments addressed to others or with mouth covered, poor lighting, exaggerated speech, etc. are disincentives to attend or come back ***Story of HIV test*** ***overeager reception*** c). Interpreters are either professional or they are not. Unless an interpreter is a licensed or certified professional, they should not be interpreting for any service, advocacy activity or issue that requires confidentiality or knowledge of DV/SA or related terminology: see additional hand-out d). Meetings, events, activities with deaf people: what happens.***demo with staff*** e). Terminology: just as individuals will decide that they are disabled, gay, black, senior, Latina or "whatever", people with hearing loss make their own decisions about how they are labeled. The term "hearing impaired" is a medical/rehab term that focuses on a "lack" instead of a capacity. The terms most often used are deaf/Deaf, hard of hearing, deaf/blind, late deafened, oral deaf. People who are "hearing" cannot all hear, speak, write or process information equally well. People with hearing loss in any particular category are the same: there are subtle variations and sometimes huge disparities. f). A single employee or volunteer who is deaf or with hearing loss may (or may not) be an expert at knowing their own group's needs, but they may know nothing about DV/SA. Make sure they get training, and empower them about agency information, resources, locations of staff and equipment, etc. There is nothing as daunting as being isolated (physically or due to communication) and feeling stupid and uninformed. Make sure that any verbal announcements are written and provided to this personnel, and make sure that they have the chance to provide you with communication options if there is no interpreter. g). If your agency has a TTY or staff are expected to use Phone or Video Relay, be consistent! Make sure that those answering the phones know how to use these services, and that they should speak to the caller/client, not the Operator! I only takes one or two oversights or incidences of "rudeness" or carelessness for word to get out to the community that "they are not deaf friendly". h). Make sure that your services, systems (alarm or entry system), media products, etc. are in accessible format, and that deaf staff, clients, volunteers or visitors can access these items. Again, it only takes one mistake (a deaf person stuck in an elevator with no way to communicate; a person with hearing loss watching a movie that is not captioned; an alarm or entry system that cannot be used or heard by someone with hearing loss) or oversight for your agency to be labeled negatively - this can take a long time to overcome. 4). Remember your training and knowledge! Those closest to a victim are more likely to be perpetrators! Your lack of knowledge about communication is absolutely not a reason to allow a boyfriend, husband, girlfriend, parent, teacher or friend to "interpret" or to "help communicate". Get a professional interpreter, write back-and-forth, gesture (until the interpreter arrives), but do not allow any other person to witness a session, a discussion of the problem, or a referral to any other party - doing this could re-victimize the victim, enrage the perpetrator or confirm the victim's belief that no one will help them or understand the problem. If a client ever refuses a professional interpreter, have ready a waiver for them to sign stating they were offered this service and they refused it. This should be signed, dated and witnessed. Additional and more detailed hand-outs available for taking with you. Training Objectives: . Understanding the dynamics of hearing loss: using visual cues for information . "The road to hell": what happens with the best of intentions when programs and staff do not have adequate knowledge or information . Organizing and facilitating a meeting or event that is communicationally accessible . How hearing people communicate in groups/how deaf people communicate in groups . Appropriate use of ASL interpreters, TTYs, and Relay systems . Training and empowering of volunteer and paid staff . Remembering your training: how to make sure that deaf victims/survivors or those with hearing loss are not inadvertently re- victimized by mistakes