Series Description

Description:

This four-part webinar series, hosted by the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence and the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, delves into the critical importance of language access in supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Designed to empower service providers, advocates, and interpreters, the series explores the intersection of language, culture, and identity and outlines practical strategies for improving communication and services for diverse survivor populations. Participants will gain insights into the essential roles of interpreters, the specific needs of Deaf and hard-of-hearing survivors, and the strategic importance of comprehensive language access planning.

Objectives:      

• Participants will identify and describe the fundamental concepts of language, culture, and identity and explain their impact on the accessibility and effectiveness of services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.         
• Participants will apply ethical considerations to scenarios involving interpreters working with survivors and analyze case studies to determine best practices and potential challenges in this context.     
• Participants will summarize the specific communication needs and barriers that Deaf and hard-of-hearing survivors face and demonstrate techniques to enhance service accessibility using appropriate communication tools and strategies.       
• Participants will evaluate existing language access policies and practices within their organizations to identify improvement areas and develop a strategic plan incorporating best practices and tailored solutions to enhance language access for diverse survivor groups.  

This training was supported by Grant No. 2020-WF-AX-0043, 15JOVW-21-GG-00555-STOP, and 15JOVW-22-GG-00412-STOP awarded by the state administering office for the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice's STOP Formula Grant Program. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this training are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the state or the U.S. Department of Justice.