Enhancing Access and Attitudinal Changes in Domestic Violence Shelters for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Survivors

This award is made under Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Fiscal Year 2016 program "Enhancing Access and Attitudinal Changes in Domestic Violence Shelters for Individuals With Disabilities" through which state (including territories and the District of Columbia), tribal, and regional domestic violence coalitions will undertake demonstration projects that encourage their member organizations to make physical and operational changes to facilities and operating practices (e.g., accessible bathrooms, interpreter services, plain language forms, action plans) and attitudinal changes through training and mentorship, which increase accessibility for victims with disabilities. Funding includes a research partner to conduct a program evaluation to identify bases for evidence-based practice, gaps, and resources.

Through this project, the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV) will partner with the Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to address Deaf and hard of hearing domestic violence victims and build upon on a previously conducted needs assessment funded through the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Through the "Enhancing Access and Attitudinal Changes in Domestic Violence Shelters for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Survivors" initiative, GCADV will identify six pilot sites for implementation of a training and technical assistance (TTA) plan that will enable the creation of evidence-based practices that can be applied to all of GCADV’s member agencies (a coalition of 53 members) and mobilization of a statewide task force. GCADV plans to competitively bid the program evaluation portion of the initiative to three research institutions in their state.

CA/NCF