A couple days ago, as I was watching COVID-19 updates on CBC news, I noticed something missing. Although there were ASL interpreted videos for really important news messages, but many daily news reports for Health updates were not sign language interpreted. Which means that many Canadian Deaf and Hard of Hearing people did not have adequate access to potential life saving health care information that I received!
From there, I decided to dig a little deeper about Deaf people’s healthcare access in Canada, and I came across three main barriers with the delivery of Deaf people’s health services. Language barriers, cultural barriers, and poor health knowledge in the Deaf community have caused Deaf people’s inequitable access to medical care in the Canadian Healthcare system.
Health care information is not easily accessible for Deaf people, which results in poor health knowledge. In radio, TV, and online newscasts, many of these sources are not equipped to provide health information and education materials to meet Deaf people’s needs, such as lack of interpreted videos and graphics. Based on a research conducted in the “Journal of Health Education”, hearing university students were significantly more knowledgeable regarding sex education than Deaf students. The lack of health knowledge appears to be a reflection of Deaf people ‘s lack of exposure to medical terms and health information from school, television, radio and internet. Research has also shown that poor health knowledge results in lower rates of individuals accessing preventative services, worse cardiovascular health outcomes, higher rates of depression, and increased number of unplanned pregnancies. Overall, barriers in accessing health information and poor health knowledge can directly result in inadequate assessment, limited access to treatment, insufficient follow-up, and poorer health outcomes for Deaf people.
Language barrier also plays an important role in limiting Deaf patients’ direct communication with healthcare practitioners. From an ethical point of view, codes of professional conduct in Canada require medical practitioners to meet patients’ communication needs, which includes sign language. The role of the interpreter is to convey accurate messages between Deaf and hearing individuals. However, it is not uncommon for Deaf patients to reschedule their appointments to access an interpreter, to accept services provided by unqualified interpreters, or without any interpreters. Critical shortage of qualified interpreters makes it difficult for Deaf patients to meet their special needs in health consultations. This language barrier poses increased risks of delayed evaluations, postponed diagnoses, and insufficient treatments in Deaf patients. Here is a short clip from the TV series “Switched at Birth”. Although this is probably acted out, but this addresses the issues and potential consequences with the lack of qualified medical interpreters in a hospital setting.
Cultural differences between the Hearing and Deaf community also pose concerns for poor health service accessibility of Deaf people. Deaf ASL users often embody a unique culture that can be unfamiliar to some medical and mental health care providers, which may result in insensitive manners during health consultation. For instance, differences in family relationships, importance of body language and facial expression, and the recognition of Deafness as a culture not a disability can all limit Deaf patients’ access to healthcare services.
In attempts to overcome these health care delivery obstacles and achieve health care needs of Deaf people, the health care system and media need to work cooperatively to develop programs that can increase health literacy within the Deaf community, improve communication and increase awareness of Deaf culture. In order to initiate health education for Deaf people, health education information should be more accessible for Deaf audiences. For example, increase in numbers of sign language interpreted newscasts, provide more graphics and video-based interventions when spreading health information. As a result of promoting health knowledge and awareness in the Deaf community, it increases Deaf people’s use of health services, which can ultimately improve their health. Next, in order to improve communication between Deaf patients and health professionals, increasing ASL training for students in the medical and mental health programs and expanding professional interpreters’ programs are crucial to better satisfy Deaf patients’ special needs. Lastly, more cultural competency training for medical staff can contribute to better health service for Deaf people, since more knowledge about Deaf culture allows the medical team to act in a more respectful and sensitive manner. Overall, more easily accessible health information, more qualified sign language interpreters and cultural competency training for health professionals are some of the steppingstones in which health equity can be achieved for the Deaf community.
References
Health Care. (n.d.). Retrieved July 04, 2020, from http://cad.ca/issues-positions/health-care/
Laur, A. (n.d.). Healthcare access for deaf patients – The legal and ethical perspectives - Audrey
Laur, 2018. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0025817217743416
Miller, L., Miller lnm2137@columbia.edu @leilamillersays, A., Miller lnm2137@columbia.edu @leilamillersays, L., Says:, D., Says:, S., Says:, J., . . . Says:, A. (2019, February 04). Deaf patients struggle to get adequate interpretation services in ERs. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from https://www.statnews.com/2017/05/22/deaf-patients-interpreters/
Kuenburg, A., Fellinger, P., & Fellinger, J. (2015, September 24). Health Care Access Among Deaf People. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from https://academic.oup.com/jdsde/article/21/1/1/2404217
The Differences Between Deaf Culture and Hearing Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved July 04, 2020, from https://relaysd.com/news/the-differences-between-deaf-culture-and-hearing-culture/
(n.d.). Retrieved July 04, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/pi/disability/resources/publications/newsletter/2013/11/deaf-community
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