In Behind the Screens: The Ethics of Medical VRI & Sign Language Interpreters, Shelly Hansen delves deep into the ethical considerations (or in some cases, lack thereof), of using VRI in medical situations. The article focuses on the areas in which VRI (Video Remote Interpreting) could use some revamping. In some medical settings using VRI is not only the go-to option, it is the only option, and Hansen believes that a few kinks should be worked out before relying solely on a “Cyber-signer.” Often times with complete disregard of their patient’s desires, medical facilities only offer VRI interpreters because “Medical [facilities] love this kind of sterile control,” (Hansen).
Hansen begins the article with a sarcastic crack at all of the great qualities that VRI presents itself with: No waiting, 24/7/365 on demand, etc. She continues into a satirical list of all the reasons one might not be too keen on using a VRI interpreter, and would benefit from having a “live” interpreter there with them. Hansen takes another stab at the medical profession remarking ‘…invested in a “solution” to this communication barrier, and who feels that due diligence has been satisfied,’ (Hansen). She goes on to talk about how she
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She compared this situation to No Child Left Behind, a program devoted to ensuring “All children [with] a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education,” (ESEA). “No patient left behind” she called it. Medical facilities have this naïve understanding that what could possibly be wrong with this? It saves us time, money, it is convenient, etc. If it was so successful with one Deaf patient, how can it not be successful with all of them? Sure, in their minds they have checked all the necessary boxes. They have done their part by providing necessary accommodations. However, the root of the issue is that these institutions are satisfied with simply checking their
FACTS: Respondent, Davis, a licensed LPN for over ten years who also lives with hearing loss applied for admissions to Southeastern Community College. The Petitioner, requested Davis see an audiologist before accepting her to the RN program. The audiologist concluded that Davis required lip-read in order to fully understand audible communication. The school subsequently denied Davis entry, assuming her hearing loss would affect her ability to effective care for patients safely.
What I found most interesting about Jarashow’s presentation were the two opposing views: Deaf culture versus medical professionals. Within the Deaf culture, they want to preserve their language and identity. The Deaf community wants to flourish and grow and do not view being deaf as a disability or being wrong. Jarashow stated that the medical field labels Deaf people as having a handicap or being disabled because they cannot hear. Those who are Deaf feel as though medical professionals are trying to eliminate them and relate it to eugenics. It is perceived that those in that field are trying to fix those who are Deaf and eliminate them by making them conform to a hearing world. Those within the Deaf community seem to be unhappy with devices such
Marika Kovac-Houlihan’s TED Talk hurt me. Hearing her stories first hand truly reveals the discrimination Deaf people face. It’s an easy to listen and understand the definition of discrimination but to experience it or witness is different. Kovac-Houlihan’s intention was for the audience to be stunned by her experiences, I imagine most of those people feel the same way I currently do. Her understanding was that most hearing people see Deaf people as disable or inferior, not every hearing person thinks that way, but most do. Kovac-Houlihan believes hearing people’s assumption is “that a deaf person may be isolated, uneducated or without language” (2:29 Kovac-Houlihan). I slightly disagree with her, but there are exceptions to every rule, one individual does not always impact the thoughts of the mob. I choose this video because of my reaction to Kovac-Houlihan’s primary discussion topics: the phonocentric ideology, loss of identity, and the divide between hearing and Deaf
One excerpt mentioned that the idea that Deaf people are left with the burden of fitting into a hearing world was a product of “laziness” on the part of the Hearing. Instead of making adjustments to accommodate the Deaf, Deaf people are doing all of the work to accommodate the Hearing. Notwithstanding the major alterations that include learning to speak and wearing hearing aids, hearing people merely have to learn sign language. I’ve witnessed this in my own home. When my brother stopped speaking, it wasn’t ever a concern for the rest of the family to adjust to him, we continued on as if nothing changed. It’s true, Deaf children practically have no say in how they would rather communicate, it is left up to the parent and in most cases, Hearing parents. I’m just glad that I have an opportunity do the work to learn ASL and make strides in breaking down barriers that have hindered communication between the Hearing and the
...people making decisions for the deaf community. The past resulted in the strengthening of unity in the culture. “They claim the right to “personal diversity”, which is “something to be cherished rather than fixed and erased” (Tucker, 1997).
I thought this article was incredibly strong and thought provoking, and the fact that it was written by a health care professional makes it even more powerful to me. Throughout her life, Dr. Remen was presumably taught how to help people by fixing them. But through her own personal insight and chronic illness, she is able to recognize the difference between the three words “help” “serve” “fix”. Prior to reading this article, I would have categorized the terms “help” and “sever’ in a very similar category, however, the term “fix” has always implied something different for me. The differentiation specially after having exposure to Deaf culture and the Deaf communities current and historical oppression dealing with the hearing culture’s common viewpoint that all d/Deaf individuals are disabled and need “fixed.” The second to last sentence of the article particularly struck me when she states, “All that fixing and helping left me wounded in some important and fundamental ways.” I feel that this sentence is one many d/Deaf people can relate to on a deep and personal
The National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCHIC). A National Code of Ethics for
Dr Jim Cromwell has also found that those deaf children who are being educated in mainstream schools are not getting the education that they be worthy of. There is not enough support for them, they are being helped by teaching assistants with level 2 BSL, which is less than an O-Level.
The medical field is notorious for providing cures to deafness, such as cochlear implants, which then leads people to believe that it is something that must be fixed and therefore labels deafness as a disability. While Tina Gianoulis was comparing the similarities between Queer and Deaf experiences in her article mentioned earlier she declares that, “most painfully, both groups have traditionally been forced to try to become “normal”. Well-meaning parents, determined that their children not be labeled “different”, have sent thousands of deaf children to speech pathologists and mainstream schools where they spend their youth feeling lonely, bewildered, and deficient.” which is the negative effect that the deafness should be cured thought has on those that actually experience hearing
Deaf and hearing impaired individuals are know longer an out cast group. They now have there own deaf community. Deaf individuals do not consider themselves having an impairment, handicap, or any type of disability. They believe that through the use of sign language, other communication skills, and technology that there deafness is the way they are supposed to be. Many people who have perfect hearing can not understand deaf people and why they embrace there deafness instead of trying to receive hearing and get rid of there handicap. However not all deaf people have th...
In the United States today, approximately 4500 children are born deaf each year, and numerous other individuals suffer injuries or illnesses that can cause partial or total loss of hearing, making them the largest “disability” segment in the country. Although, those in the medical field focus solely on the medical aspects of hearing loss and deafness, members of the deaf community find this unwarranted focus limiting and restrictive; because of its failure to adequately delineate the sociological aspects and implications of the deaf and their culture. Present day members of deaf culture reject classifications such as “deaf mute” or “deaf and dumb”, as marginalizing them because of their allusions to a presumed disability. (Edwards, 2012, p. 26-30)
From a deafness-as-defect mindset, many well-meaning hearing doctors, audiologists, and teachers work passionately to make deaf children speak; to make these children "un-deaf." They try hearing aids, lip-reading, speech coaches, and surgical implants. In the meantime, many deaf children grow out of the crucial language acquisition phase. They become disabled by people who are anxious to make them "normal." Their lack of language, not of hearing, becomes their most severe handicap. While I support any method that works to give a child a richer life, I think a system which focuses on abilities rather than deficiencies is far more valuable. Deaf people have taught me that a lack of hearing need not be disabling. In fact, it shouldn?t be considered a lack at all. As a h...
For example, pg. 136 of our book, Speech, Language & Hearing Disorders: Guide for the Teacher by Barbara Hall, Herbert Oyer and William Haas, states that “hard of hearing children consistently show a 2-to3 year lag in vocabulary development, while deaf children show a significantly wider gap.” As the project taught us, in addition to helping improve any phonological, articulation and social language issues, as well as helping the patient learn to hear with their hearing device in noise, the speech-language pathologist is responsible for expanding a deaf child’s mental lexicon; an educator should do the same, and offer additional instruction after school. The book does say that “many mainstreamed hearing-impaired students cannot achieve the same goals as their hearing peers” (Hall, Oyer and Haas, 2001, pg. 136) and by the teacher talking to the parents and offering this assistance after school – or in the case of an older student, study hall – this will help to close the gap. While another point of the project was that some deaf children are more successful in speech/language learning than others, again, I do believe this additional assistance can help the child in getting to the same level as their normal hearing
Today’s society consists of numerous individuals who are diagnosed with disabilities that prevent them from partaking in their everyday tasks. Not everyone gets the chance to live a normal life because they might have a problem or sickness that they have to overcome. Deafness is a disability that enables people to hear. All deafness is not alike; it can range in many different forms. Some people like Gauvin, can be helped with a hearing aid, but some can’t because of their situation and health reasons. In society, hearing individuals consider deafness a disability, while the deaf themselves see it as a cultural significance. In the article “Victims from Birth”, appearing in ifemnists.com, Founding Editor Wendy McElroy, provides the story of
This essay will explore the medical model of disability as well as the social model of disability by providing an in depth analysis of the views and explanations that outline each perspective. It will examine and establish the connection of the two models in relation to Deaf people. Furthermore it will illustrate how Deaf people are defined according to each outlook, as well as the issues and concerns that arise from these perceptions. This essay will consider the medical model and the social model to compare the ideas and objectives of the given articles; Caught in the Deaf Trap by Karen Van Rooyen, A Brave New World of Sound by Thandi Skade, Fake Interpreters: A Violation of Human Rights and lastly Professor Graham Turner’s; 10 lessons from the tale of the ‘fake’ interpreter.