Deaf Women

To Be Deaf and Female

Women are the majority in our society. So it should come as no surprise that deaf women are a force to be reckoned with, with their own organizations, social services, and books.

Organizations for Deaf Women

The premier organization is Deaf Women United (DWU), an organization founded in 1985, that holds regular conferences. There are approximately 15 affiliate chapters nationally. DWU also has an announcement-only e-mail list, eDeafWomenLine, on Yahoo Groups, and a newsletter. The DWU website explains its mission in full detail. The mission, in a nutshell, is to recognize and empower the average deaf woman.

As DWU has grown, awards to recognize deaf women have been established. As of this writing, DWU gives out two awards:

• Deaf Women of Achivement award, to recognize the accomplishments of a deaf woman
• Wall of Honors award, to honor a deaf woman for helping her local community.

There are also several smaller organizations for deaf women nationally and internationally. Known organizations to date, some of which may not exist at this time:

• United States
  • Arizona - Sonoran Deaf Women (DWU affiliate)
  • Florida - Deaf Women's Club of Jacksonville, Inc.
  • Massachusetts - Deaf Women United Inc., Massachusetts Chaper (DWU affiliate)
  • New York - Deaf Women United Greater New York (DWU affiliate)
  • New York - Deaf Women of Rochester (DWU affiliate)
  • South Dakota - Deaf Women of Sioux Falls (DWU affiliate)
  • Texas - Deaf Women of Austin (DWU affiliate)
• Australia - Australia has several deaf women's organizations:
  • Kingsley - Western Australian Deaf Women's Support Group
  • Newmarket (Queensland) - Deaf Women's Guild
  • Sydney - Deaf Women's Guild of Sydney
  • Victoria - Deaf Women's Support Group
• United Kingdom - The U.K. is home for the organization Deaf Women Against Breast Cancer, based in Colchester.

Books About Deaf Women

Few books have been published that focus on deaf women as a group. One such book, available for sale through DWU, is Know That . .Quotes from Deaf Women for a Positive Life, ISBN 1581210124. Another book is Deaf Women, ASIN 0915035286. The book Deaf Women of Canada: A Proud History and Exciting Future is apparently out of print; the ISBN is 1552202658.

Social Services for Deaf Women

Deaf women are sometimes the victims of abuse and domestic violence. Fortunately, there are organizations to assist them. Known organizations include:

• Colorado (Denver): DOVE: Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Women & Children
• Vermont (South Barre): Deaf Victims Advocacy Services
• Texas (Austin): Deaf Abused Women & Children Advocacy Services
• Washington (Seattle): Abused Deaf Womens Advocacy Services