Part 1 of the Series Part 2 of the Series — In the first two parts of this series, I discussed the importance of providing Deaf awareness, cultural and sensitivity training to hospital employees, as well as the significance of working with reliable, reputable interpreting and captioning agencies to ensure effective communication is provided. In […]
In part 1 of this series, I examined the importance of hospitals providing deaf awareness, cultural and sensitivity trainings. During this second part, we will cover the need for reliable, reputable interpreting and captioning referral agencies to support hospitals in ensuring effective communication is provided. Selecting the wrong interpreting/captioning agencies Prior to my father’s official […]
Adverse patient experiences and outcomes negatively impact a hospital’s reputation and, subsequently, their bottom line. As such, hospitals have paid amounts in excess of $150,000 in punitive damages for failing to provide Deaf and Hard of Hearing patients and companions with effective communication. To this end, our clients frequently have many questions about how to […]
So you want to build an effective communication access policy – a plan to help you stay compliant, reduce risk and improve the overall experiences of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. Where do you get started? It is critical to incorporate necessary guidelines and procedures to adhere to the letter of the law and […]
In a blog I wrote last month titled, 17 Frustrations Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals Experience In Healthcare Settings, I shared it is critical to review and revise your communication access policy and internal procedures to fix any outstanding communication access barriers Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals face. In this post, I’m going to […]
In last month’s blog post, I shared my wife and I had a positive experience in accessing communication during her outpatient surgical procedure. While we had a positive experience, we know this is an exception, not the rule. While unfortunate, a perfect example was one of the largest medical providers in the Chicagoland area denying […]
Last week, my wife, Jennifer, had outpatient surgery (she’s quickly recovering and has a follow-up appointment with her doctor in a few days). A week before her surgery, Jennifer contacted the hospital and requested an on-site interpreter. However, the day before the surgery, the hospital staff called me and shared they were not sure if […]
My wife and I have a “love and hate” relationship with an online grocery ordering service from one of the largest grocery store chains in the Chicagoland area. Shopping online for food and other necessities we need is a time-saver. However, as deaf individuals, picking up our order at the store has been anything but […]
Candidates for public office spend thousands, if not millions, on campaigns to secure public office. However, one simple oversight could cost them thousands of votes. A poll conducted by 2axend of more than 100 people shows more than 72 percent of Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened individuals will not vote for a candidate that […]
A couple of months ago, I had lunch with a DeafBlind gentleman, one who is a nationally renowned DeafBlind advocate. At one point during lunch, I signed the word “recognize,” to which my fellow diner pointed out something that I had not consciously realized: the sign I had been using for years for “recognize” (click […]