Edinburgh Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre

We have developed our support services for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, as there are over 200,000 deaf or hard of hearing people in Edinburgh and the Lothians. This has been through deaf awareness, minicom and Typetalk training. We can also arrange for a British Sign Language or signed English interpreter.

Abusers of those who are deaf or hard of hearing, are often men they know and trust, making it harder to tell about their experience of sexual violence. Abusers may be a male friend, family member, neighbour, teacher or someone in a boarding house or institution. They may be deaf or hearing.

The deaf community can be small and it may be hard to report a deaf offender as it may be seen as a betrayal. It can also be especially difficult for deaf people to speak out about abuse they have experienced as a lot of people are not aware about deaf communication.

It is hard for anyone to speak about being sexually abused, but talking to someone can help the recovery process. You are not to blame for what happened. We respect the courage and strength it takes for you to tell someone about your experience of sexual violence, whether it has been a recent assault or a long time ago. When you contact us we will believe you, listen to you and support you.

How to contact us:

Helpline via Typetalk: 18001 0131 556 9437
Fax: 0131 558 1612
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Letter: 1 Leopold Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JW

Face-to-face support

When you contact us we will offer you a face-to-face support session with a support worker. We can arrange for an interpreter, and we will always try to ensure we book a female interpreter. However, there may be some circumstances when a female interpreter is not available. If you only want a female interpreter, you can request this when making the appointment with us.

Everything you say is confidential. The interpreter cannot talk about it with anyone else, or tell anyone they interpreted for you. It may be hard to sign about your assault or abuse in front of the interpreter, and see them using signs for it. You can use finger spelling for some words and ask them to do the same. You can bring your own interpreter, such as a friend or family member. If you do so please let us know in advance.

• Useful contacts