Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
General Studies
First Advisor
Ronda Bryan
Second Advisor
Summer Chappell Waldrip
Third Advisor
Rebecca Lowe
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Background.
This study investigates the issues regarding interactions between the Deaf community and healthcare, focusing on communication barriers, negative experiences, and inaccessibility to health information. Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines requiring healthcare offices to provide interpreters, many health care professionals (HCPs) do not comply for various reasons. The alternatives to an interpreter create gaps in conditions, treatment plans, or post-appointment care.
Methods.
This study involved a review of existing literature and interviews with Deaf individuals and HCPs, including a physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, and registered nurse. The interviewed HCPs work in various settings.
Results.
Communication barriers still exist between the Deaf community and healthcare. Despite advancements in accessible care and knowledge of interpreters, many Deaf individuals continue to report negative experiences during medical appointments. Deaf participants overwhelmingly preferred in-person ASL interpreters. However, they often had to resort to other communication modes, such as writing back-and-forth and VRI (Video Remote Interpreting).
Many of the interviewed HCPs were unaware of their legal obligation to provide interpreters and relied on family members for communication. HCPs also noted that treating d/Deaf patients took more time and was more difficult than hearing patients. The majority of HCPs interviewed assumed that 50% of d/Deaf individuals could lip-read accurately enough to understand medical terminology.
Conclusion.
Although access to care for Deaf individuals has improved, many still face serious challenges during medical appointments. The primary issue is the absence of interpreters during appointments, which can cause hazardous gaps in patients’ understanding of their health.
Recommended Citation
McFadden, Sarah E., "Interactions Between the Deaf Community and Healthcare" (2025). Honors Theses. 3206.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3206
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.