The training and services to end violence and abuse against women with disabilities and deaf people grant program (disability program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20122

The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center was awarded a $607,500 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women under the "Education, Training, and Enhanced Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women with Disabilities" program (CFDA 16.529). The 3-year project, beginning October 1, 2023, will focus on strengthening the Deaf Pathways collaborative team in Cuyahoga County, Ohio to improve access to safe and effective services for Deaf and disabled survivors of sexual violence. Key activities include increasing internal communication and knowledge-sharing between the Crisis Center and its partner Cleveland Hearing and Speech, enhancing survivor-centered and trauma-informed practices tailored to Deaf culture, and building trust in services through co-created, culturally-specific programming for Deaf and disabled survivors. The project aims to drive sustainable organizational and systemic changes rather than funding direct services.

The goal of the disability grant program is to create sustainable change within and between organizations that improves the response to individuals with disabilities and deaf individuals who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and to hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable. The cleveland rape crisis center will collaborate with cleveland hearing and speech to strengthen partnerships and maintain or enhance a multidisciplinary collaborative team, known as deaf pathways; increase organizational capacity to provide accessible, safe, and effective services to individuals with disabilities and deaf individuals who are victims of violence and abuse; identify needs within the grantees organization and/or service area; and develop a plan that addresses those identified needs and builds a strong foundation for future work. Deaf pathways is a project that focuses on of increasing access to services for D/deaf/HOH people who are survivors of sexual violence through capacity building, improving the quality of direct services for D/deaf/HOH survivors, outreach, and training other service providers on how to make similar positive and necessary changes. During this project period, deaf pathways will focus specifically on cuyahoga county, ohio. Specifically, deaf pathways will focus on: increasing internal communication, collaboration, and knowledge within and in-between the partner organizations, including at the leadership level, to support deaf pathways purpose of increasing safe and accessible services for deaf survivors of sexual assault. Increasing shared knowledge at the intersection of survivor-centered/trauma informed practice and deaf culture. This work will be inclusive of multiple disabilities and cultural and racial identities. Increasing trust in services offered to D/deaf/HOH survivors through CO-created and CO-lead culturally specific services for D/deaf/HOH survivors inclusive of multiple disabilities and cultural and racial identities.