A lack of interpreters at The Everett Clinic has left Deaf patients exhausted, confused & frustrated
MARYSVILLE — Kate Spencer is tired.
She’s tired of showing up to a doctor appointment and then finding out no American Sign Language interpreter is available, tired of taking time off of work again to reschedule, tired from the time and energy it takes to advocate for clinic staff to be trained on how to communicate with her and other Deaf or hard-of-hearing patients.
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“Deaf” with a capital D signifies a specific group of people who share a culture and language, American Sign Language, while “deaf” with a lowercase d means the condition of not hearing, according to the National Association of the Deaf.
So far in 2023, Spencer has had two appointments at The Everett Clinic. When she showed up for her February annual eye exam, no interpreter was there. She had not received a phone call or a message over MyChart, the online provider portal. Frustrated because she had taken time off of work, she chose to attempt the appointment without an interpreter.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/deaf-patients-deserve-equal-access-to-health-care-but-obstacles-abound/