Thursday 22nd Sept. 2022 – Safeguarding Deaf people in times of crisis
“The past year has shown us new needs and new ways of guaranteeing the well-being of deaf people in situations of crisis. Under the circumstance of different crises, including infectious diseases, climate change, natural disasters, and armed conflicts, deaf people all over the world experience language deprivation, socioeconomic disadvantages, and audism. Today, we emphasise the importance of securing and maintaining the human rights of all deaf people during the different, multiple, and overlapping crises we face today.” https://vimeo.com/731126172/7a15b5c3a1
Understanding the principles and how to follow them is essential to keeping vulnerable people safe from harm, abuse and neglect. These principles are very important tools for all D/deaf people, D/deaf with disabilities and People with disabilities throughout our daily lives worldwide.
The 6 principles of safeguarding are:
- Empowerment
- Prevention
- Proportionality
- Protection
- Partnership
- Accountability
Today we have fantastic technology which breaks down the barriers but only limits barriers for us, such as financial, funding, unaffordable technology, limit 24/7 a week with interpreters and captions through live streaming breaking news and many more. We have increased global warmings, such as bushfires in Europe and Australia, earthquakes, flooding, mudslides, and mankind disasters. Living in families increases domestic violence and abuse due to financial problems, gambling, drug addiction, crimes, poverty, alcohol addiction, unemployment and living with dysfunctional families and gang families.
In New Zealand, we do not have fully functional services such as Deaf Mental Service, or Deaf Health Services, and we work with the agencies through Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, Te Aka Whai Ora – Māori Health Authority, the Ministry of Social Development and other organisations, Social Services, Civic Defence National Emergency Management Agency, including Churches like LIfeWise, City Missions. Staff from many organisations have no experience or limited experience working or living with any D/deaf people here. We train them, to adapt technology like Emergency text mobile warnings, to communicate with us, to know where we live, and the list goes on. As for me, I have worked in Social Service for many years, and we have encountered several disasters in New Zealand in the past. For example, in Christchurch, two earthquakes brought the worst memory in many people’s lives. Phone lines, networks and the internet crashed due to overloading and unable to reach them while lining engaging. One Deafblind lady was worried about her Deafblind person in Avondale, and she could not get through several agencies. This Deafblind lady asked me through text if I could help her. I tried two organisations but found their lines engaged, so I turned to one of my family members living there and made contact with them through texts. One of my family members passed on the message to the Deafblind person, but they found their community house was severely damaged and arranged with Civic Defence and Emergency Housing outside the Christchurch area within a day. There was a violent shooting at two mosques of the Muslim Community and the people in Christchurch in 2019. It was the biggest shock and permanent memory in our memory. It came without warning, but the shooter posted live streaming while shooting. Many interpreters dropped their daily routines at home and acted in an interpreter role by breaking news through the internet for the Deaf community. I was home working on that fateful day and received an urgent text message from a friend who works in Christchurch Hospital. I made contact with a Deaf Mulsim lady I support her through video chat. One sad part is I know some Muslim people, especially the Deaf person I support, who lost their friends and family, especially the young child. I had to explain to this Deaf person every detail to ensure she understood clearly because her family and friends on the North Island did not give her full details, which turned out incorrect stories.
The Legal Aid service is okay, and they are not up to date by allowing our choice to sign (say) something we want them or the judge to hear our side story in the court or the mediation room. They need to ensure to book an interpreter during the court trial. In the past, there was a terrible court case – Ivan Curry, who is Deaf, and his case was – In 1988, Ivan Curry, 21 years old and profoundly deaf, was arrested in the New Zealand town of Waitotara for the murder of his 15-month-old nephew. Later it ruled out an accident after Ivan spent two years in prison. Sadly he died from an overdose of drugs or synthetic drugs not long ago and shocked everyone in the Deaf community as they remember him and the case. Here is the link – https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300305443/auckland-mans-death-most-likely-caused-by-synthetic-drugs-coroner-rules
What about Ukraine’s Deaf people during the terror war by Russia this year? Yes, they were vulnerable and fled to escape their lives from danger. Only several Ukraine’s Deaf families stayed behind, but they were lucky to have supplies and technology from one of the networks called “Off The Grid Mission” and other organisations. They have no idea how long the war between Russia and Ukraine will last, and there is no answer, but they only hope the war will stop. https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/nonprofit-helping-deaf-ukrainian-refugees-during-russia-s-invasion-144391237784
another link – https://theworld.org/stories/2022-03-30/navigating-war-without-sound-ukraine-s-deaf-refugees
another link –https://www.euronews.com/2022/03/17/deaf-ukrainian-refugees-find-shelter-in-romania
Deaf children are three times more likely to experience abuse than hearing children. Our global programmes focus on the safety and protection needs of deaf children and young people. https://deafkidzinternational.org/about/
Domestic Abuse Information and Services for Deaf people – SignHealth UK https://signhealth.org.uk/with-deaf-people/domestic-abuse/
An excellent example of collecting resources for library in Health video along with interpreters and captions to all D/deaf people and D/deaf with disabilities people to learn more. https://signhealth.org.uk/health-video-library/
The sexual exploitation and abuse of deaf and disabled children online
In New Zealand -there is an article, and unfortunately, it is not updated. https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/prevention-management-abuse-guide-services-funded-dss-nov16.pdf
Here is a short video clip from Kerala, Southwestern Coastal India- https://youtu.be/P7SS06wCfS0
Here is a short video clip from Queensland, Australia – https://youtu.be/ytNpf8sP_OE
Here is an example from our newspaper clippings I remember about a veteran blind man walking around Christhcurhc for several days, and he was completely unaware of what happened during the earthquake. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4748176/Police-adopt-earthquake-hit-veteran
Please consider how you improve things, improve technology, and allow us to have support and the need for services to help many D/deaf people and D/deaf with disabilities people everywhere. Please ensure that we are not left behind through crisis times. We want to work with organisations, government agencies, and Health sectors as equal communication and services such as interpreters, captioning through live steaming and mobiles via texts.
