CSD of Minnesota Deaf Domestic Violence Program

This cause is very important to me for many reasons. CSD of MN Deaf Domestic Violence Program has been around for a long time. The program is often overlooked to recieve funding support. As a advocate for several years of this program, I have first hand witness the needs of women to be served equally. Deaf victims having access to a deaf advocate who can sign, communicate, translate and understand their culture is essential to the success of getting out of an abusive relationship. Often victims face the system, being re victimized, they leave shelters to return to abusive homes because they prefer to have communication than isolation, they are lost in the gaps of services because they do not have the information in their language. Each day as we support a deaf victim, their children and their families to safety in the way that is only "Fair" with a deaf advocate who understands their language, there is no greater feeling than recieving their thanks because we made a difference in their lives.

"If it was not for CSD, I would probaly be dead now", Their patience with me , their guidance, their support, and just understanding me because my advocate was deaf meant the world to me and my daughter"
-Migdalia Rogers-

CSD of MN gave me all the resources I needed, all the advocacy I needed, all the information in my language. If there was no CSD where would I have gone?
-Karen Conway-

The system failed me time and time again, I walked out of a court appointment because there was no interpreter. I feared for my life. I learned about CSD, and I met a deaf advocate who signed. She gave me what I needed to survive getting through this
-Private-

I had to fight for video phone access, I had to fight for interpreters, I had to fight for my life in general and my advocate made that easier. I finally had access because she understood me and knew sign.
-Megan-

Hearing services have little information about my community, my culture, my communication needs. We are not equally served. We are not equal. Imagine being in an abusive relationship, then having to also fight with the system? It is too tiring. I am lucky I learned about CSD. I am lucky there are services for me and I hope they continue to stay working because we need them.
-Michelle M-