Written by Betsy Abraham, Community Support Services

Escaping a domestic violence relationship is never easy. But, it’s even harder when you can’t communicate with police officers or have to rely on your abuser to translate for you. This is the challenge many Deaf, Deafblind, and hard-of-hearing people face. 

There aren’t many studies on domestic violence in the Deaf, Deafblind, and heard-of-hearing community. But one report shows they were 1.5 times more likely to be victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, psychological abuse, and physical abuse. The Justice for Deaf Victims National Coalition says over 60% of Deaf individuals have experienced, or will experience, abuse by a partner in their lifetime. That’s a pretty astounding percentage.

So how does this abuse look different than in the hearing community? How can we help? Let’s dive in.