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Alternately, Deaf people could use Video Relay Services (VRS) to communicate with hearing advocates. Using VRS, Deaf callers would contact a Video Relay provider and be connected to a sign language interpreter using a videophone; the interpreter would call the hotline and get connected to the advocate via a phone; and the Deaf person would sign to the interpreter who interprets and relays the information to the hearing person. While this approach allows a Deaf person to communicate in American Sign Language, there are several dynamics of VRS that make it less than ideal to use for emergencies and issues related to domestic and sexual violence. First, when using VRS, callers are randomly assigned to an interpreter. Without a vetting process in place, given the small, close-knit nature of the Deaf community, assigned interpreters might know the caller, the person responsible for the abuse, or people in the person's community, which can compromise confidentiality and safety for survivors. Moreover, VRS interpreters do not receive specialized training to prepare them to interpret conversations on domestic and sexual violence. Without this training, which is severely lacking across the country, miscommunication is highly likely and victim blaming by interpreters is also common. Finally, the communication process of VRS is cumbersome and slow and not well -suited for emergencies or emotionally difficult conversations.* The anticipation of these challenges, compounded by other negative experiences Deaf people have with VRS and interpreters in general, creates another barrier that Deaf people have to overcome to make a call many survivors are already reluctant to make. - WE MADE 9 HOTLINE CALLS, AND ONLY 1 WAS ANSWERED - An additional barrier exists that prevent Deaf and hard of hearing people from receiving support from these phone -based hotlines. Most hotline providers are not prepared to answer relay calls, either through a TTY or VRS. In our interviews and listening sessions, Deaf advocates unanimously report that Deaf survivors tell them their relay calls to national and local hotlines are routinely unanswered or disconnected before communicating with an advocate. To assess readiness to accept relay calls, as part of Vera's research for this project, a Vera staff person who is Deaf called 9 national and state-wide hotlines. 6 of the hotlines provide support for survivors of dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or human trafficking. The remaining 3 hotlines provide support to specific groups of people, including youth facing homelessness, veterans, and people considering suicide. Vera's Deaf staff person was only able to connect with an advocate at one of these hotlines. The remaining 8 hotlines had no answer, a pick-up with no response, or, in one case, an invalid number. While these calls were in no way scientific or representative, the results do echo the experiences reported by Deaf survivors and Deaf advocates and raise serious concerns about the accessibility of Ill�illl II IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII *A demonstration of the Video Relay Service communication process during emergencies can be found online at https.Ilyoutu. belzlUEa36UICc. 17