Technology can be both a lifeline and a source of risk for deaf survivors of abuse. Digital tools can improve access to support, help people communicate in emergencies, and reduce isolation. However, the same technology can also be used by abusers to monitor, control, or threaten survivors.
Video Relay Services
Video Relay Services (VRS) allow deaf people who use sign language to communicate with hearing people through a remote interpreter. This can make it easier to contact support organisations, healthcare providers, police, or legal services.
For many deaf survivors, VRS provides greater independence and access to services that may otherwise be difficult to reach. It can enable clearer communication during stressful situations and help survivors explain their experiences in their preferred language.
Text-based emergency support
Text-based services, such as SMS emergency numbers, live web chat, email, and messaging platforms, can be essential for deaf survivors. These options allow people to seek help without relying on voice calls.
Text-based support can be especially valuable during emergencies, when a survivor needs to contact help quickly, discreetly, or from a location where speaking aloud is not safe. Many support organisations now offer chat and messaging services to improve accessibility.
Digital coercive control
Abuse increasingly takes place through technology. Digital coercive control can include monitoring text messages, tracking a survivor’s location, checking online accounts, controlling access to devices, or using social media to harass or intimidate.
Deaf survivors may face additional vulnerabilities if they rely heavily on digital communication. An abuser may exploit this dependence by restricting access to phones, video communication tools, or assistive technologies.
How technology can help and endanger survivors
Technology can empower deaf survivors by providing access to information, support networks, emergency services, and independent communication. Online communities can also reduce isolation and connect survivors with specialist services.
At the same time, technology can create new risks. Devices may be monitored, accounts may be accessed without permission, and location-sharing features can reveal a survivor’s whereabouts. Survivors may not always realise that tracking software or shared account access has been enabled.
Because of these risks, it is important for support services to discuss digital safety alongside physical safety. This may include checking privacy settings, changing passwords, reviewing connected devices, and developing a technology safety plan.
For deaf survivors, technology can be both protective and harmful. Tools such as video relay services and text-based support can improve access to help and increase independence. However, digital coercive control highlights how technology can also be used as a tool of abuse. Understanding both the benefits and risks is essential to helping deaf survivors stay safe and access the support they need.
Call to action
Technology should be a source of support, not another way for survivors to experience harm. Service providers, policymakers, and community organisations must ensure that support services are fully accessible to deaf people and that digital safety is included in all safeguarding and risk assessments.
Professionals should increase their understanding of deaf survivors’ communication needs and the risks of digital coercive control. At the same time, technology companies should design safer and more accessible platforms that protect users’ privacy and security.
If you work with survivors, review whether your services are genuinely accessible to deaf people. If you are a survivor, remember that support is available, and you have the right to communicate in the way that works best for you. By improving accessibility, raising awareness, and promoting digital safety, we can help ensure that deaf survivors can access support safely, confidently, and without barriers.
