BSL helpline launched for domestic abuse

Posted on May 28, 2021 by



Refuge and SignHealth have worked in partnership to launch a BSL helpline for deaf women, children and men suffering from domestic abuse.

  • You can find the BSL helpline, which is run by SignVideo, by clicking here.
  • There was already a live chat service, which could also be used by deaf people who prefer to use text to communicate, which can be found here.
  • You can also access resources and help regarding domestic abuse on the SignHealth website by clicking here.

Refuge is the charity supporting women, children and men experiencing domestic abuse, while SignHealth is the charity focusing on improving deaf people’s health and wellbeing.

Refuge consulted with Deaf women and worked in partnership with SignHealth to launch the British Sign Language (BSL) service.

This means users can click on the BSL symbol at the top of the website to receive free, confidential support from our expert Helpline Advisers via a qualified interpreter. 

SignVideo will provide the interpretation, which is available Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm.  

11 million people in the UK are deaf or hard of hearing and there are 151,000 BSL users in the UK.  20% of the UK population (14.1 million people) reported a disability in 2018/19.

The improvements follow the launch of the Live Chat service which was implemented last year, enabling more women to access the Helpline team via digital channels.

Caroline* a domestic abuse survivor with severe hearing loss said: 

“He used my hearing difficulties against me to degrade and control me. He knew I couldn’t hear it when he would creep up behind me. Having a hearing impairment is isolating in itself, and you can feel rock bottom, but abuse is also isolating. It’s a double whammy because an abuser has no empathy, they use it against you to make you feel inferior and you feel so alone.”

Ruth Davison, Refuge chief executive said: 

“We know there are many women experiencing domestic abuse across the country with additional needs and we want to ensure we are reaching them. Being deaf, hard of hearing, blind or having any other additional needs should never be a barrier to accessing support; but whose data shows that many of these women are experiencing more abuse and for longer.

Our message to all women is that You Are Not Alone, and Refuge is here for you.  We are committed to ensuring we reach all women who need our specialist services, and we will continue this work into the future. This has been a huge team effort and we are proud to be launching our BSL service alongside many other improvements to Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline website to ensure yet more women can access the help they need and deserve.”

Marie Vickers, SignHealth said 

“SignHealth has been incredibly committed with working with Refuge on this project. Throughout the pandemic, Deaf women have not been able to access services via telephone helplines. This has added more barriers for Deaf women to come forward and ask for support. Refuge has listened to what Deaf women need and taken on board SignHealth’s experiences of working with Deaf survivors, including the urgent need for accessible services and Deaf awareness. We are pleased that the development of BSL interpretation on the National Domestic Abuse Helpline will improve access to the service for Deaf women across the country.”

You can find the BSL helpline here.

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Posted in: deaf news