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http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_3042148
Wenda Whalen appreciates DeafHope and its power to change lives. She only wishes it existed early enough to change hers.
Whalen shared her story at a DeafHope garden tea party in Castro Valley on Saturday. She and her siblings — some deaf and some hearing — grew up watching their father beat their deaf mother.
"The worst part was that there was no domestic abuse agency to help my mother," Whalen said. "I don't want any children who come after me to have these scars."
As if being beaten or sexually abused isn't bad enough, deaf women and children survivors must deal with a whole other traumatic dimension: communicating their story.
Some never do, and some wait years until they find a safe haven. For many women, that place is the nonprofit organization DeafHope.
The mission of this Hayward group is to end domestic violence and sexual assault against deaf women and children through empowerment, education and services. Members would like more of these services to be run by deaf people.
"Access to help is the big issue," said Julie Rems-Smario, DeafHope's executive director.
Embarrassment is too.
"Being in the deaf community is like being in a small town," she said. "The survivor may feel ashamed of the abuse and they could be scared of gossip or misunderstanding among everyone they know if they tell even one person."
Many abusers take advantage of their victims' handicap.
"If the police come because the neighbors called, they usually approach
Wenda Whalen appreciates DeafHope and its power to change lives. She only wishes it existed early enough to change hers.
Whalen shared her story at a DeafHope garden tea party in Castro Valley on Saturday. She and her siblings — some deaf and some hearing — grew up watching their father beat their deaf mother.
"The worst part was that there was no domestic abuse agency to help my mother," Whalen said. "I don't want any children who come after me to have these scars."
As if being beaten or sexually abused isn't bad enough, deaf women and children survivors must deal with a whole other traumatic dimension: communicating their story.
Some never do, and some wait years until they find a safe haven. For many women, that place is the nonprofit organization DeafHope.
The mission of this Hayward group is to end domestic violence and sexual assault against deaf women and children through empowerment, education and services. Members would like more of these services to be run by deaf people.
"Access to help is the big issue," said Julie Rems-Smario, DeafHope's executive director.
Embarrassment is too.
"Being in the deaf community is like being in a small town," she said. "The survivor may feel ashamed of the abuse and they could be scared of gossip or misunderstanding among everyone they know if they tell even one person."
Many abusers take advantage of their victims' handicap.
"If the police come because the neighbors called, they usually approach