Presenter: Jeni Rodrigues
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Description: This presentation reports on findings from my doctoral study exploring access to effective communication in U.S. hospitals. Deaf patients report that hospitals provide inconsistent interpreting services and struggle to secure access, despite hospital policies, Joint Commission Standards, and federal legislation mandating “effective” communication. Even when healthcare systems maintain compliance by developing policy, establishing a language access plan, and creating an Interpreter Services (IS) department, barriers persist, and those barriers run deep, far deeper than the number of complaints, lawsuits, or settlement agreements suggest.
I problematize the term “effective” as an ambiguous discursive construct, providing minimal guidance to hospitals, potentially leading entities to assume they have achieved compliance, contributing to disparities deaf patients report. Even hospitals that provide ASL-English interpreters cannot guarantee whether the interpreters are qualified due to the lack of standardized healthcare training, language assessment, or screening tools.
I will share Deaf patients’ and medical professionals’ perspectives on working with interpreters with advanced language skills and specialized healthcare training, and interpreter reflections on the challenges they experience interacting with healthcare staff who hold faulty assumptions about deafness, signed language, and interpreters. Participants will leave the workshop understanding the issue's complexity while coming away with strategies and tools they can incorporate into their practice to interpret confidently and “effectively” in healthcare settings.
Educational Objectives: Participants will be able to:
Identify factors that prevent deaf patients from receiving access to effective communication in U.S. hospitals.
Investigate barriers Deaf patients face when interacting with healthcare staff through an interpreter.
Determine strategies institutions and individuals can implement to improve access.
Evaluate their readiness to interpret in healthcare settings.
Target Audience: Healthcare Interpreters
Workshop Style: Interactive (some audience participation but mostly lecture)
Language of Presentation: Signed ASL, with English interpretation.
