This place has been bad about contacting their Deaf and Hard of Hearing patients in advance of the status on accommodation requests including interpreters. And they treat their D/HH patients differently; one might be able to go in without an interpreter while another one is blocked from doing so. One nurse even told me that the doctor didn't like to see me without an interpreter because that meant they would have to write a lot to communicate with me. Well, thanks a lot for making me feel worse about the situation. No VRI is provided in emergencies like this.
The last time this happened was a few weeks ago with me showing up to my appointment without receiving a phone call or MyChart message that they didn't locate an interpreter for me. This is like a chain reaction and it causes frustration for the doctors and nurses which often ends up on the D/HH patients as a result. I personally feel like many of the doctors and nurses are nice people, but the situation itself creates a not so positive environment for all parties involved.
Please do a better job and follow up with your D/HH patients on updates--whether there's a confirmation or not. It's their right to know, especially before they leave their homes to drive or ride the public transportation to their appointments.
- Willingness to Gesture
- Pen and Paper Available
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Well Lit Environment
- Experience Hiring Interpreter
- Accepts Relay Calls
- Makes Eye Contact
