Feeling nostalgic after reviewing our archives. Here’s a throwback video by our (much younger!) Sharon, sharing thoughts about a new sign for “counseling”, 13 years ago in 2006. We are happy to see that use of this new sign that we suggested has slowly spread over the years, and more people have opted to use this sign over the traditional power-imbalanced one. Deaf Counseling Center has always believed that our counselors and clients are equal as humans, and just happen to be sitting in different chairs. The open hands sign for counseling reflects this perfectly!

Transcript: Hi, I’m Sharon Duchesneau. I want to discuss language today. Language, words, and signs sometimes have deeper meanings within them, including those that can demonstrate power. I think it is important to take a look at this. For example, both the English words “fireman” and “policeman” contain “man”, which focuses on men and suggests that men in those professions are more important. When this was recognized a while ago, we started using the words “firefighter” and “police officer” instead. Luckily for us, some ASL signs don’t always acknowledge any gender. The sign for “police” (shows C-handshape over heart), for example, is missing a gender marker, as is the sign for “firefighter” (shows B-handshape moving on forehead). That makes it nice, but some ASL signs do show power imbalance.

After traveling to different countries such as Australia, Germany, and New Zealand, I noticed one particular sign (shows sign – both palms up, and hands moving forward and backward alternately), which is the sign for “counseling”. I like this sign! The reason I like it is because it shows the dynamics of two people talking, relating with each other, and establishing a two-way rapport. This contrasts with the traditional sign for “counseling”, which suggests a one-way direction, with the counselor constantly giving advice, and everything directed and focused on fixing the client. In my work with different people – families, children and individuals – I always feel like I get something out of these relationships as well, and the new sign for “counseling” reflects this. Another sign for “therapy” (shows T-handshape on open palm) suggests “helping” the client, which again conveys the idea of the relationship being one-way. The three traditional signs for “counseling”, “help”, and “therapy” don’t quite show the more balanced rapport that the new sign for “counseling” does.

Even though I’m not a linguist, when I think about the origins of the traditional signs for “counseling” and “therapy”, I imagine that years ago, the people who first worked in the mental health field with Deaf people were hearing professionals, who viewed their work as “helping”, and who came up with the traditional sign for “counseling” which includes the concept of helping Deaf people. I’m just guessing here. I do wonder if now is the time for us to consider tossing out the old signs for “counseling” and “therapy” and replace them with the new sign. What do you think? Thank you.

(video description: Sharon is sitting in an armchair and signing. A plant and French door are behind her.)

Resources:

https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/THERAPY/707/1 Old therapy signs

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In 2016, an inmate in Corcoran, California, faced a dilemma. The parole board wanted to know whether he’d completed any self-help programs during his incarceration, a sign that he’d rehabilitated and could be trusted to go home. The inmate, whose name has been withheld for privacy reasons, said yes: At the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (SATF), a state-run correctional center, he’d signed up for a group for people serving life sentences. The problem, he admitted, was that he was deaf, and his hearing impairment prevented him from understanding what went on during meetings. “I guess they’re waiting to get an interpreter for that group,” he explained to the board, referring to a sign language interpreter. “But I’ve been going,” he added. “I’m showing up.”

It wasn’t enough for the parole board, which denied him release. “I understand you have limitations,” one of the commissioners said, according to court documents. The commissioner scolded him for not participating in more programs. He would have to wait five years before applying for another hearing.

“With limited access to programs, deaf class members run the risk of serving longer prison sentences,” wrote attorneys at the Prison Law Office.
Under federal law, all prisons are required to provide qualified interpreters for deaf inmates to help them participate in education and self-help classes and communicate with guards. But at SATF, where most of California’s deaf inmates are housed, hard-of-hearing prisoners are regularly denied access to interpreters, according to recent court filings in a long-running disability rights case known as Armstrong v. Brown. “With limited access to programs, deaf class members run the risk of serving longer prison sentences,” wrote attorneys at the Prison Law Office in a statement filed with the court in May. Inmates say the facility has failed to offer interpreters for some Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, lifer groups, religious services, and educational and vocational programming.

In California, deaf inmates’ fight for equal rights stretches back decades. In the 1990s, the state corrections department admitted that deaf prisoners were generally expected to communicate through a combination of written notes, lip-reading, gesturing, and sometimes an informal staff or inmate interpreter. But as the corrections department acknowledged, even the best lip-readers can only understand a fraction of spoken words, and many people who rely on American Sign Language never learn to read or write English. “They are wholly different languages,” says Talila Lewis, director of the nonprofit group HEARD, which notes that ASL uses its own syntax and grammar, and that the average deaf prisoner’s reading comprehension is at about a second-grade level.

In a series of orders from 1996 to 2002, the US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled in Armstrong that the state’s treatment of prisoners with disabilities, including deaf inmates, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2013 the court found that while the situation had improved, SATF was still failing to provide interpreters at about a quarter of classes for which interpreters were needed—a level, Judge Claudia Wilken noted, that “simply does not constitute making a reasonable effort to comply with the court’s prior orders.” She told the facility to provide a qualified interpreter for any educational or vocational class that enrolled an inmate who communicated through sign language.

One inmate at SATF complained he was removed from an Alcohol Anonymous class without explanation after requesting an interpreter in 2016.
Five years later, that still hasn’t happened, the Prison Law Office told the court in its May filing. When deaf inmates try to enroll in programs, some believe they are rejected because of their special needs. One inmate at SATF complained he was removed from an Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous class without explanation after requesting an interpreter in 2016. Another inmate in the building maintenance vocational program said he struggled to understand the instructor during conversations about safety and proper equipment. “Most of the time, no sign language interpreter is provided for the safety meetings, and he relies on an incarcerated person to attempt to finger spell the instructions,” the attorneys noted. They argue that the need for interpreters increased after California voters passed a ballot initiative in 2016 that allocated more funding for rehabilitation programs in prisons and gave inmates more opportunities to earn time off their sentences by participating in them.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which hired more full-time interpreters for SATF after the 2013 order, told the court in May that its use of staff interpreters, contract in-person interpreters, and video remote interpretation provided inmates with reasonable access to programs and complied with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “We are committed to ensuring hearing impaired inmates are provided equal access to program assignments and will continue to work to provide services to hearing impaired parolees,” a spokeswoman for the department told Mother Jones. The warden at SATF last month directed his staff to draft a new policy memo for sign language interpreters and to implement training, according to Prison Law Office attorney Rita Lomio. “I am cautiously optimistic,” she says, adding that if the situation does not improve soon, her office will consider whether to seek court intervention.

California, because of its size, has more deaf inmates requiring sign language interpreters than most other states—about 75 at SATF alone, according to the corrections department. And the fact that so many are clustered at one institution creates problems, according to prisoners rights advocates, because SATF is located in a remote part of California’s Central Valley, far from the biggest pools of interpreters in metropolitan areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles. “Not all of them want to drive two hours to go to a prison to translate when they could go to a school or hospital down the street from their home,” says Corene Kendrick, another attorney at the Prison Law Office.

Over the past few years, deaf inmates across the country have sued for better treatment and access to programs. In 2016, a deaf man in Washington, DC, was awarded $70,000 in damages after he was jailed for two months without an interpreter. Maryland, Kentucky, and South Carolina have also reached legal settlements to improve access to interpreter services in prisons. “Nearly all state prisons and the entire federal prison system are in violation of federal law with respect to providing [for] deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates and parolees,” writes Howard Rosenblum, CEO and director of legal services for the National Association of the Deaf.

“It’s the utmost violation of due process I can think of,” says attorney Gay Crosthwait Grunfield.
When deaf inmates leave the prison, some also struggle to access interpreters for parole meetings, especially if they live in remote areas. Between August and December 2017, for example, one deaf parolee in California allegedly did not have access to an interpreter for four out of five parole-mandated mental health appointments. He was soon rearrested, according to Gay Crosthwait Grunfeld, a partner at the law firm Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld who argues the lack of interpretation services prevented him from fully taking advantage of his treatment program and may have contributed to his recidivism. “It’s the utmost violation of due process I can think of,” she says.

In the May filing, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation argued interpretation services are not required for every parole encounter. The department’s attorneys wrote that the use of in-person interpreters could also present safety and security issues, though they did not elaborate. They noted that the parole division was exploring ways of providing interpretation services over cellphones or tablets, and that the corrections department was recently authorized to hire another interpreter at its headquarters to help parole officers in the field.

“We are not discounting how challenging it is,” says Grunfeld. “We are just saying we need to try harder.”

Reference:

https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2018/06/without-interpreters-californias-deaf-prisoners-are-getting-stuck-behind-bars/

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The purpose of this position statement is to acknowledge and emphasize the importance and need for specialized sign language interpreting services in the delivery of mental health services to deaf individuals. While direct mental health services are optimal and always preferred, such services are not always available. When there are no direct mental health services, it is critical to ensure effective communication through specialized sign language interpreting services, which must be complete with sensitivity to cultural affiliation and awareness of the dynamics involved, in the delivery of mental health services to people who are deaf.[1] The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) wishes to use this platform to increase meaningful access to mental health services by elevating the knowledge, awareness, and sophistication with respect to use of sign language interpreting by mental health professionals, healthcare delivery systems, and deaf consumers. The sections below highlight critical information for mental health providers, interpreters and the deaf community to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to better serve and support deaf individuals.

Direct vs. Interpreted Mental Health Services

The NAD recommends that individuals who are deaf be referred to specially trained providers for direct mental health services (see NAD Position Statements on Mental Health Services) whenever possible and that appropriate support services, guided by consumer choice, be made available, if necessary. In situations where it is not possible to find a service provider who is able to provide direct mental health services, or because of consumer preference, the NAD strongly recommends that service providers work collaboratively with qualified sign language interpreters who have specialized mental health interpreting expertise.

The NAD urges mental health professionals, interpreters and the Deaf Community to recognize the unique challenges faced by mental health providers and interpreters working with deaf consumers in mental health settings and to be aware that there is a need for specialized training in order to meet those challenges. The mental health care field is broad and includes both deaf and hearing service providers in the areas of psychotherapy, psychiatry, counseling and social work, psychological testing, substance abuse treatment, forensic therapy, and more. Settings may range from a client’s home, private offices, hospitals and prison facilities.

According to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf’s (RID) Standard Practice Paper on Interpreting in Mental Health Settings, “Mental health professionals depend heavily on language form and content for diagnosis and treatment. Nuances in communication, including affective tone and subtleties of language structure, may be significant for diagnosis and treatment effectiveness.” (RID, 2007). While there is great variability in ability to recognition of mental health terms in English by hearing people, a reliable study exploring cultural and linguistic barriers to mental health service access found that deaf participants’ ability varied even more widely (Steinberg, Sullivan, & Lowe, 1998). In addition to understanding terminology specific to mental health settings, interpreters face complex interpersonal dynamics stemming from the symptoms of psychological disorders, diagnostic and treatment goals specific to various mental health settings, as well as the unique communication and therapeutic objectives of each member of the mental health treatment team.

Interpreters are encouraged to adhere to high standards of ethical practice (RID, 2007), which includes ensuring that they have appropriate training in mental health interpreting prior to accepting work in such settings. Interpreters need to be prepared for a variety of group dynamics including but not limited to: hearing clinicians working directly with deaf consumers; hearing clinicians working with deaf consumers and their hearing family members or partners; and deaf mental health professionals with various interpreting needs. These scenarios present their own challenges and complications (Hauser, Finch, & Hauser, 2008) and interpreters would benefit from training and preparation in order to be qualified for such jobs.

Credentials in Mental Health Interpreting

Though the RID lists standards of practice in mental health interpreting, as of early 2012, RID does not have any specialist certification for mental health interpreting.[2] There are several independent programs focusing on mental health interpreting, but there is no uniformity in those programs. The only known certification program that provides intensive training in mental health interpreting is offered through the Alabama Mental Health Interpreter Training. (Alabama Department of Mental Health Administrative Code, 2003; Crump, 2012).

Requirements of Mental Health Interpreters:

Intrapersonal Awareness
While mental health professionals are trained to deal with patients and situations that are emotionally charged, most interpreters are not. As such, interpreters working in the mental health setting must have keen intrapersonal skills in terms of strong awareness of biases and values, triggers, limitations, and potential for countertransference. The ability of the interpreter to self-manage and remain calm during a mental health interpreting assignment is paramount to a successful mental health session for the deaf consumer. Intrapersonal skills can be developed with training, supervision, and peer support, and such skills can guide decisions on accepting jobs in this field. A few aspects of the assignment to consider prior to accepting the job would be: culture, race, gender, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation.

Expertise in Language and Culture
In order to avoid misdiagnosis in deaf consumers, it is critical that interpreters not only have receptive and expressive fluency in American Sign Language, but are extensively trained in mental health techniques. Mental health interpreters must be familiar with and able to utilize different interpreting modalities. Furthermore, the interpreter must be prepared to educate providers on the possible need for longer sessions, the need for appropriate pausing during sessions, or changes in how questions are posed. Providers may rely on interpreters for cultural information. For optimal results, the interpreter’s communication with the service provider and the consumer prior to the first session is critical (Hamerdinger & Karlin, 2003).

Some deaf consumers, especially those with a lifetime experience of mental illness, may also have limited language or information deficits. This can make it much more difficult for a provider working through an interpreter to appropriately differentiate between such deficits and symptoms of mental illness. It is important to ensure that the interpreting process does not mask the language deficits of consumers as clinicians rely on accurate interpretation to make inferences about mental processes (Crump & Glickman, 2011).

Confidentiality & Professional Boundaries
Throughout the United States, limited resources often restrict options for interpreter services. Deaf consumers may encounter the same interpreters at general life events or appointments that were present for their mental health appointments. These encounters could create some conflicts or discomfort for both the individual and the interpreter. Maintaining confidentiality becomes even more crucial.

Confidentiality in mental health interpreting requires a level of discernment and critical thinking unique to this setting. The NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct encourages interpreters to “share assignment-related information only on a confidential and ‘as-needed’ basis (e.g., supervisors, interpreter team members, members of the educational team, hiring entities)” (RID, 2005). While it is important for the interpreter to receive some information on what has been happening with a deaf consumer’s treatment, there must be strict protocols to maintain confidentiality. When communicating in writing, it is imperative that interpreters learn standards of such communication, be aware that such communication may become a part of the client’s official file and understand relevant confidentiality laws such as HIPAA and Federal Regulation 42 CFR, Part 2.

Ethics, Supervision & Peer Consultation
Mental health providers are expected to adhere to high standards of ethical practice.[3] In mental health work, there is higher risk for abuse of power, vicarious trauma, boundary crossings, and burnout. As such, providers are encouraged to engage in regular supervision and peer consultation. Interpreters working in such settings need to be held to the same standards and benefit from the opportunity to work with supervisors and/or consult with peers (Atwood, 1986; Fritsch-Rudser, 1986; Dean & Pollard, 2009, 2011; Keller, 2008; Hetherington, 2011; Anderson, 2011). In order to achieve higher standards of supervision in mental health interpreting, the NAD recommends building a pool of experienced interpreters who are qualified to perform supervision and are available to work with new mental health interpreters on a national level.

Qualified Mental Health Interpreters
The NAD recommends the following qualifications for interpreters working in mental health settings:

1. Fluency in American Sign Language;

2. Fluency in English and register choices;

3. Culturally competent;

4. Attending a comprehensive training curriculum for mental health interpreting

5. Mentoring with experienced mental health interpreters (at least 50 hours);

6. Individual or group supervision and peer consultation;

7. High standards of ethical practice; and

8. Knowledge of relevant ethical literature or decision-making models in interpreting.

The NAD recommends that a certification process for specialization in mental health interpreting be set up through nationally recognized means. Alternatively, a standardized portfolio system can be used to emphasize the individual’s specialization in mental health interpreting. It is also recommended that interpreters maintain their skills with continuing education in the area of mental health with every certification cycle (15 hours annually or 60 hours per four year RID certification maintenance program cycle). To achieve this, developing more options for seminars to meet the required 60 hours of continuing education in a four year period in the area of mental health is critical. In order to recruit more interpreters specializing in mental health interpreting, the interpreter training programs are encouraged to provide students at least one class focusing solely on mental health interpreting for a full quarter or semester to capture their interest in this specialization.

In summary, mental health interpreters are an important component in the mental health delivery system for deaf individuals with mental health needs, as they provide auxiliary services when a service provider is unable to deliver direct mental health services or when a deaf consumer requests it. While the field of mental health interpreting has aimed to set higher standards over the past decade, this position paper hopes to raise the standards by defining qualifications, expanding the credentials and requirements for mental health interpreters, as well as addressing the professional boundaries, ethics, supervision, and peer consultation in this profession.

References

Alabama Department of Mental Health. (2003). Chapter 580-3-24, Mental health interpreter standards. Retrieved from http://www.alabamaadministrativecode.state.al.us/docs/mhlth/3mhlth24.htm
Anderson, A. A. (2011). Peer Support and Consultation Project for Interpreters: A Model for Supporting the Well-Being of Interpreters who Practice in Mental Health Settings. Journal of Interpretation, 21(1), pp. 9-20.

Atwood, A. (1986). Clinical supervision as a method of providing behavioral feedback to sign language interpreters and students of interpreting. In M. L. McIntire (Ed.). New dimensions in interpreter education: Curriculum and instruction (pp. 87-93). Proceedings of the 6th national Convention of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers. Chevy Chase MD.

Crump. C. (2012). Mental Health Interpreting Training, Standards, and Certification. In K. Malcolm and L. A. Swabey (Eds.). In Our Hands: Educating Healthcare Interpreters. (pp. 54-76). Gallaudet University Press. Washington, D.C.

Crump, C. & Glickman, N. (2011). Mental Health Interpreting with Language Dysfluent Deaf Clients. Journal of Interpretation, 21(1), pp. 21-36.

Dean, R. K. & Pollard, R. Q. (2011). The importance, challenges, and outcomes of teaching context-based ethics in interpreting: A demand control schema perspective. Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 5(1), pp. 155-182.

Dean, R. K. & Pollard, R. Q. (2009, Fall). “I don’t think we’re supposed to be talking about this:” Case conferencing and supervision for interpreters. VIEWS, 26, pp. 28-30.

Fritsch-Rudser, S. (1986). The RID code of ethics, confidentiality and supervision. Journal of Interpretation, 3, pp. 47-51.

Hamerdinger, S., & Karlin, B. (2003). Therapy using interpreters: Questions on the use of interpreters in therapeutic settings for monolingual therapists. Journal of American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association, 36(3), pp. 12-30.

Hauser, P. C., Finch, K. L., and Hauser, A. B. (2008). Deaf Professionals and Designated Interpreters: A New Paradigm. Gallaudet University Press. Washington, D.C.

Hetherington, A. (2011). A Magical Profession? Causes and management of occupational stress in sign language interpreting profession. In L. Leeson, S. Wurm, M. Vermeerbergen (Eds.). Signed Language interpreting: Preparation, practice and performance (pp. 138-159). St. Jerome Publishing. Manchester, UK.

Keller, K. (2008). Demand-control schema: Applications for deaf interpreters. In L. Roberson & S. Shaw (Eds.).Proceedings of the 17th National Convention of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers: Putting the pieces together: A collaborative approach to excellence in education. (pp. 3-16). Conference of Interpreter Trainers. San Juan, PR.

Steinberg, A. G., Sullivan, V. J., and Loew, R. C. (1998). Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Mental Health Service Access: The Deaf Consumer’s Perspective. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155(7), pp. 982-984.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). (2005). NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct. Retrieved from http://rid.org/ethics/code-of-professional-conduct/

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). (2007). Standard Practice Paper on Interpreting in Mental Health Settings. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3DKvZMflFLdWmFVV2tydVRFTHM/view

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Iowa Deaf Community Comes Together in Support of Sexual Assault Survivors
APRIL 8, 2018, BY YESSENIA CHAVEZ

The Iowa Deaf community came together on Sunday afternoon to kick off National Crime Victims Rights Week.

The Deaf Iowan’s Against Abuse organization hosted “Heels for Hope” at the Elks Lodge in Rock Island.

Heels for HOPE is a nationwide program where people walk in heels to show solidarity for women and men who have been victims of sexual assault.

Sheli Barber, deaf psychotherapist and CJ Jones a Comedian who played a role in the 2017 summer movie “Baby Driver” were the keynote speakers at the event.

Barber focused her presentation on the #MeToo movement and where it started.

“It’s to raise awareness and accountability because we want perpetrators of sexual assault and violence to be held accountable for their actions,” said Barber.

Jones spoke out about his own hardship experiences of growing up deaf, and gave a speech of never giving up hope.

“It’s our responsibility to work together be there for each other we’re one people one world,” said Jones.

Members and allies strutted in high heels to raise awareness on sexual assault. The goal of the event is to shed light on survivors in the wake of the Me Too movement.

Executive Director of the DIAA, JenniferUpah-Kyes, said members of the deaf community have a higher chance of being a victim of violence than the general population due to communication barriers. According to the Bureau of Justice, a National Survey said those with disabilities are at least 2 and a half times more likely to be victims of violence between the years 2009-2015.

The goal of the event is to spread a message of hope and inclusiveness. Organizers say it’s also a chance to show that there is help and resources for those going through trauma.

“That’s the point of this Heels for Hope event…(to show) we walk together and no one is alone,” said Upah Kyes.

Reference:

http://wqad.com/2018/04/08/iowa-deaf-community-comes-together-in-support-of-sexual-assault-survivors/

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A disproportionate amount of attention is given to the perceived “benefits” of speaking and hearing, no matter how perfectly or imperfectly the Deaf child is able to do this. Very little attention is given to the social, emotional, psychological, and educational harms that occur when Deaf children are denied access to ASL. These deserve attention.

Anyone invested in Deaf children’s well-being should be aware of the costs incurred when teaching spoken English comes at the expense of healthy development in other areas.

To read more about the psychological impact of oralism, see below for a link to an article co-authored by Sharon Duchesneau and the letter writer.

http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/download/the-sage-deaf-studies-encyclopedia/i3490.pdf

Dr. Candace A. McCullough, CEO
Deaf Counseling Center

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Electronic Means of Interpretation: The bill gets it very wrong on several other counts, however. First, it specifies that the interpretation can be done via electronic means. This could mean video remote interpreting (VRI), which would involve the Deaf child watching and talking to an interpreter who is not present in the room, but working from another location and visible on a computer screen. This is not appropriate. An abuse investigation is highly stressful for the child, has legal ramifications, and requires a live interpreter in the room who is able to communicate with the child at the child’s level, mentally and physically. Even worse than VRI, the bill’s mention of an electronic medium of interpretation could mean typed English. No Deaf child undergoing an abuse investigation should be expected to communicate in a second language, period.

Certified AND Qualified Interpreters: Third, the bill notes that the interpreting may be done using an interpreter who is “trained” in ASL. It states that the interpreter may be a volunteer. No on both counts. Any interpreter working in this type of situation must be a certified professional interpreter, preferably one who has both legal and mental health training. Certification alone, however, is not enough. There must be oversight and validation of the interpreter’s credentials and qualifications by Deaf professionals and community members. It is unethical to leave the determination of who is qualified to interpret up to an individual or agency with no professional credibility in this area. Ideally, a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) will be available as well, to facilitate communication. The best person to understand and communicate with a Deaf child in this situation is often another Deaf person whose first language is ASL and who understands the nuances of children’s signing. An even more ideal solution is to hire Deaf investigators and social workers who can work directly with the Deaf child, reducing the need for interpreters and the complications involved.

Compounding Trauma: As mental health professionals, we cannot condone the Tennessee bill. It needs to be rewritten, with more precise language specifying requirements for certified interpreters and CDIs in cases involving Deaf children and suspected domestic abuse or child abuse. More attention needs to be paid to behind-the-scenes moves of companies such as sComm, which sells the UbiDuo2, a device for typed communication. sComm may be promoting self-interest in advocating for passage of this bill. If the bill passes, Deaf children stand to experience additional trauma as a result of inadequate interpreting access, on top of any trauma they may have already experienced. The system must protect Deaf children, not set them up for additional emotional and mental abuse.

Related articles:

Doing More Harm than Good by Trudy Suggs

Open Letter to Jason Curry, sComm CEO by Trudy Suggs

Bill allows volunteer interpreters for deaf in abuse allegations by The Tennessean

Tennessee General Assembly SB0594 and HB0672

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Discrimination-induced Trauma: Situations like this one happen far more frequently to Deaf people than many of us realize. They trigger acute stress disorder (ASD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. This is a perfect example of the domino effect of trauma. First, the Deaf person is traumatized by the prison experience, then by the difficulties involved in finding ASL-accessible and Deaf-friendly legal help, and then by the frustrating process of finding accessible counseling and psychological services. This is all on top of a lifetime of enduring the effects of oppression and discrimination. HEARD (Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf) is one organization that is working to promote equal access to the legal/justice system for individuals who are Deaf and for people with disabilities.

Outdated Equipment: Too many hearing-run institutions and organizations remain clueless about the fact that TTYs – teletypewriters that allow typed communication by phone – are obsolete. Major David Kidwell, the director of the Arlington County jail that wrongly imprisoned the Deaf man, stated that the jail’s TTY machines are used by Deaf inmates with great success. In 2015, when videophones, emails, and text communication have replaced the old-fashioned TTY, it is distressing to think just how many more uneducated people out there are still championing TTY use and calling it equal access. How is it equal access, when 95% of Deaf people do not even own or use a TTY in this day and age? In our Deaf-centered counseling practice, no TTY has graced our desktops for more than a decade. On a serious note, we need to push for educational trainings not only for prisons, but for all hospitals, agencies, and other organizations.

To cite: Duchesneau, S. & McCullough, C. (2015, March 19). Deaf Man’s Trauma in Virginia Prison. Deaf Counseling Today. Retrieved (date retrieved), from https://deafcounseling.com/deaf-mans-trauma-in-virginia-prison/

Related articles:

Jails and Prisons

Rights of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Inmates

Deaf Prisoners in Florida Face Abuse and Solitary Confinement

Trauma in the Deaf Population by Deaf National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

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If you want counseling services related to discrimination, please free to contact one of our therapists at https://deafcounseling.com.

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