Quote:
Originally Posted by Turtlebaby0889
I'll soon be going to college for psychology, and I want to continue with ASL. I'm not deaf, just an ASL student but I think I might be hard of hearing, too. That's besides the point.
Do you feel weird going to a doctor or psychologist because you need an interpreter?
Would you feel more comfortable going to the doctor if the doctor or psychologist knew sign language?
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By the way, if I could add one more thing, after reading this again I realize there is a more important issue at hand. I'm not comfortable with the idea of a doctor (or nurse, etc.) using sign language to communicate to their patients. The reason for this - liability. You want to make sure that as a doctor, that you present whatever information you give, in the person's native language and with accuracy. That's why I always say to be on the safe side, have a certified and qualified (yes- two different things because I've seen terps who were certified but not qualifed and qualifed but not certified) interpreter readily available for your patient. You need to ask the patient first, if she/he would like to have one, rather than assume s/he wants one.
As for the paper and pen method (and using the word processor), Lifesigns (an interpreter agency for Southern California, I think) said it best: "Communication with a deaf or hard of hearing person through writing takes, on average, five to six times longer than speaking or using a sign language interpreter. It is cumbersome, always limited in its content and often results in misunderstanding. Written communication is effective only when the communication is brief and simple."