We remain concerned about how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is impacting communication for members of the Deaf and hard of hearing community in various settings, including healthcare. As more and more healthcare organizations are pivoting towards using Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) to minimize exposure to COVID-19, we created a list of tips for healthcare professionals […]
As COVID-19 has altered instruction in K-12 and higher education settings, we’re seeing more and more Deaf and hard of hearing students fall through the cracks. Because there are multiple challenges with eLearning, we created a list of 10 tips for educators, parents/guardians, and, most importantly, students to consider. Click here to download a PDF […]
In light of COVID-19, video conferencing calls can be a great way for working teams to stay connected. However, have you thought about the potential impact these calls may have on your Deaf and hard of hearing colleagues? As Deaf and hard of hearing individuals experience video conference calls differently than hearing individuals, we put […]
Healthcare education professionals, can your students share stories about how your program prepares them to work with Deaf & hard of hearing patients? Click here to see five reasons why your program should consider maximizing these learning opportunities for your students. #DeafInHealthcare
As the coronavirus pandemic has captured international headlines over the several months, millions have taken access to regular updates about the pandemic through the National Public Radio (NPR), televised press conferences and social media for granted, all while not necessarily thinking about how others may be frustrated due to the lack of accessibility. Unfortunately, the […]
Being a Deaf individual during the coronavirus pandemic has been scary. Not only has access to critical information, including press conferences at the federal, state and local levels, been limited, my wife and I worry about communication access at the hospital when our twins are born and during postpartum care. As of right now, we […]
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 […]