Photo via ClevelandRapeCrisisCenter/Facebook
The grant to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center comes nearly 30 years after the passage of the Violence Against Women Act.
On the 29th anniversary of the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Justice Department last week announced nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards supporting responses and services for survivors of domestic and dating violence, stalking and sexual assault.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded $607,500 to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center specifically to help those who are deaf or suffering from disabilities.
“Prior to the enactment of VAWA, survivors were primarily left to fend for themselves, often cycling in and out of dangerous environments with little help from legal systems or service Providers,” said OVW director Rosie Hidalgo.
Funding will support services for survivors who are deaf or have disabilities through training, outreach and model programs to strengthen organizational capacities.
“VAWA has changed this landscape by supporting a coordinated community response to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in a more comprehensive manner,” Hidalgo said. “It emphasizes survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and community-based approaches and ensures that services are available across every state and territory.”
Statistics on sex-based violence and harassment among people with disabilities are grim. Fifty percent of deaf girls are sexually abused, 83% of women with disabilities endure sexual assault in their lifetimes and 97% of sexual abuses of people with developmental disabilities are never reported, according to Disability Justice.
Lacking adequate translation services complicates the already harrowing process of recounting one’s assault. An unqualified translator may misinterpret an account in ASL and if no translator is present, it can fall to a survivor’s friend or family member to interpret, according to the National Institute of Justice. Both situations can “inhibit [a survivor’s] candor”.
“This grant will allow the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center to collaborate with Cleveland Hearing and Speech in a meaningful way to strengthen partnerships with Deaf Pathways and increase services to deaf victims and survivors of sexual assault,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko.
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