Healing from trauma is not one-size-fits-all. Black Deaf survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence must navigate a complex web of oppression, including audism and racism. Black Deaf survivors encounter a number of barriers to accessing healing services, including a lack of culturally responsive interpreters, a lack of tailored services to meet their unique needs and circumstances, and an over-reliance on the criminal legal system by mainstream programs. “For Deaf, by Deaf” survivor advocacy programs are designed to address these gaps for Deaf survivors. DAWN, a Deaf advocacy program in the DC metropolitan area, is specifically designed around a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and transformative justice-based approach to serving Deaf survivors.

Please join us for a conversation between Roberta Eaton, DAWN’s executive director, and Raven Sutton, senior survivor resource specialist, as they discuss DAWN’s unique approach to meeting the needs of Black deaf survivors and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.