Hearing Impaired

Resources

People with a Hearing Impairment

Canberra Rape Crisis Centre

People with a hearing impairment have signed that it can be difficult to:

  • Report an offender who is also deaf as this feels like betraying the community. Remember he has committed a serious crime.
  • Deal with fears that people in the Deaf community may gossip. Remember you have not done anything wrong.
  • Sign about the abuse (and see the interpreter signing about the abuse). Some Deaf women solve this by using finger spelling (and asking the interpreter to do so too).
  • Communicate with Hearing police and medical workers who may assume the Deaf woman is drunk or in shock because she communicates in a different way. Remember you have the right to both a support person and an interpreter (female, if you wish).

 

Accessing Help

You can contact:

CRCC TTY: (02) 6287 4308 Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm

National Relay Service: 13 25 44

TTY (Sydney) Freecall: 1800 652 167