Charity shines a light on injustices faced by the deaf community in medical settings

Earlier this year Deafconnect launched its Together We Can campaign and, to wrap up 2024, it is throwing the spotlight on the challenges faced by deaf and hard or hearing people in medical settings.

Deafconnect CEO Jenni Dawkins explained: “A staggering one in three people in the UK have a hearing impairment, and here at Deafconnect we are getting an increasing number of calls from deaf and hard of hearing people desperate for support with their medical appointments.

“There is a communications barrier between medical professionals and deaf and hard of hearing people, across a host of settings - from routine appointments at doctors, dentists and opticians, through to more serious hospital visits or even life-threatening trips to A&E. Sadly, we have seen some catastrophic consequences of these failures. Something needs to change.”

Charity Patron and world-famous sign-song performer, Jayne Fletcher, AKA Fletch, has herself experienced the trauma of having no British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter at the most devastating time – the loss of her mum.

Fletch explained: “In 2023 my mum was rushed to hospital where she then fell into a coma and was on life support. As a profoundly deaf person, I begged for an interpreter so I could understand what was going on. But as my brother was next of kin and not me, I was not intitled to that support. During the two and half weeks she was in hospital, I had no real idea what was going on, and then she passed away. The experience was horrific. 

“I want to fight for this, I want there to be change because the impact is devastating. I wholeheartedly pledge my support to Deafconnect and I passionately believe that together we can make a difference”.

Launched at Deafconnect’s Northampton headquarters in October, the ‘Together We Can’ campaign aims to draw attention to the injustices faced by deaf and hard of hearing people, to improve access to vital support and services across the county and to celebrate deaf culture. 

Chair of Trustees Claire Gogerty added: “Something is not working, and we know it is not the quality of care on offer that is the issue, it is a failure in communication.

“BSL is not English. It is an entirely different, recognised language of the UK. Provision of translation services for a multitude of foreign languages is pretty much a standard these days, but for over a third of the population who are deaf or hard of hearing, they are left in the dark.

“Whether it’s for routine, regular appointments or more serious medical moments, we believe everyone has the right to fully understand what is happening to them. They deserve that respect.”

Would you like to see change? Share your ideas and pledge your support for Together We Can here: https://tinyurl.com/TWCPledge Visit the charity’s website: https://www.deafconnect.org.uk/