*sigh*...female and male interpretors...

Technically, RR, I don't think that's true......If a deaf person (and I have done this on many an occasion)doesn't want an interpreter, the medical facility doesn't know the law well enough to say that we must have one because we have the right, too, to not want one. I have Kaiser Permanente and they are a large and pretty sophisticated organization.....they know we can have it either way....
Good to know!...I did mention that once to the doctor's office...and they said..."well, we prefer you have an interpretor"...Actually, it doesn't matter to me. Some doctor's do ask you if you will need an interpretor and leave it up to you.
 
Good to know!...I did mention that once to the doctor's office...and they said..."well, we prefer you have an interpretor"...Actually, it doesn't matter to me. Some doctor's do ask you if you will need an interpretor and leave it up to you.
I have a doctor who is easy to lipread and is willing to write on a notepad. When I show up for an appointment and an interpreter is present, it is "Uh-oh."
 
I have Kaiser Permanente and they are a large and pretty sophisticated organization.....they know we can have it either way....

I have Kaiser Permanente too, they know that I'm Deaf in their database with sign language as spoken language. Some of my visit did not have interpreter, the Doctor were patience enough to use pen and paper to communicate. Some of the visits, they used iPad for VRI service which I didn't mind. My visits is just for a routine check up and other appointments.
 
RR, the ASL Associate is very unprofessional treating you with disrespect with your request and concerns. Those interpreting agencies should honor their client/patient's choice of having female or male interpreters at their appointment. I'm sorry you had to go through this mess. I'm glad to hear your x-ray results were good.

If that happens to me, I would do the same thing you do, to go to appointment without interpreter. Good thing Dr is patient enough to type on computer for you to communicate. :)
 
I have Kaiser Permanente too, they know that I'm Deaf in their database with sign language as spoken language. Some of my visit did not have interpreter, the Doctor were patience enough to use pen and paper to communicate. Some of the visits, they used iPad for VRI service which I didn't mind. My visits is just for a routine check up and other appointments.
Calvin, I am sure you know to ask for an interpreter for any appointments you make that require one for other than mundane stuff....
 
Calvin, I am sure you know to ask for an interpreter for any appointments you make that require one for other than mundane stuff....

Yes I do.
 
To bad doctors are not required to learn sign. I would also want a female terp, lucky for me I have my husband who goes to ever appointment with me.
as a plus, some jobs pay more for each language you learn , spoken or unspoken !
 
https://www.ada.gov/ta-pubs-pg2.htm

Better have an interpreter. Do you want your husband to "cover" up negative news???

To bad doctors are not required to learn sign. I would also want a female terp, lucky for me I have my husband who goes to ever appointment with me.
 
https://www.ada.gov/ta-pubs-pg2.htm

Better have an interpreter. Do you want your husband to "cover" up negative news???
Lol me and my husband know every dirty thing about each other and spend every moment of our day together so if he kept something from me I would know. Also I mostly only go to the doctors for baby check up and I would never want a stranger in the room when my ladies parts are hanging out l. Haha
 
A few years ago I was keeping my appointment, and I had an interpreter.
We got to talking, and she told me I wouldn't remember her, but she interpreted during, umm, the crucial hours.
You know, when you "wake" up from surgery and all?
It was a shock to my system that I communicated while I was out of it.
Believe it or not, I didn't ask her what was said.
It burns me that so many people diss heroes, because to me the dang interpreters are worth their weight in gold.
 
A few years ago I was keeping my appointment, and I had an interpreter.
We got to talking, and she told me I wouldn't remember her, but she interpreted during, umm, the crucial hours.
You know, when you "wake" up from surgery and all?
It was a shock to my system that I communicated while I was out of it.
Believe it or not, I didn't ask her what was said.
It burns me that so many people diss heroes, because to me the dang interpreters are worth their weight in gold.
True, Beowulf...some interpreters are wonderful. I've known 2, both now retired...I've had quite a few surgeries myself. And no interpreters and the doctor asking "where is the interpreter?"....Late or not any available...Understood, things happen. The owner (former) of ASL Associates here in Jax....was not certified and smoked, dressed down too...I never complained, she was a "gem". And so well-liked. Word got around, and she sold the agency to her Son, and it became worse as he was very rude and disrespectful. Then again, I don't feel it's "too much" to ask for a Female whenever I'm having a physical or female problems and need to discuss it with the doctor.
 
If this aspect of the discussion has been covered, I apologize for wasting time. However, the following is quite important to me :)ty:, Reba, for the full article):

"The U.S. Department of Justice expects that the health care provider will consult with the person and consider carefully his or her self-assessed communication needs before acquiring a particular auxiliary aid or service" --56 Fed. Reg. at 35566-67.

When the health care provider (or a worker) acts in audist ways (we know what's best for deaf patients), it can really screw up the works.

Because the VA operates hot and cold depending on who's in charge at any given moment from the White House on down to each local clinic, several years ago, I got a local physician who specializes in geriatrics (old farts like me :bye:). Doc "Z" is terrific. He allows me to include my very significant other in all exams, yet he's careful to speak directly to me, not her. He lets me lip-read as well as look at his computer monitor and allows unlimited Q&A. He also works with my assigned (but ever-changing) VA health care team.

Then one visit last year, an interpreter showed up to "help" with my exam. My wife and I thought it was Doc Z's idea, and he thought it was ours, so we were all polite, but the exam went quite awkwardly. Afterward, I wrote Doc Z a letter saying I preferred my wife to interpret for me. To my surprise, Doc Z called us to come to a meeting at his clinic. What happened was when I said the terpt wasn't my idea, and I didn't like the "new" system, Doc Z investigated and discovered the whole debacle was the bright idea of a records staff clerk who "heard" a spouse should not interpret for a deaf patient, so she took it upon herself to order an independent terpt for me whether I wanted one or not.

The medical staff at the meeting was quite amazed that I could actually decide things for myself and had directed my own health care from the get-go. We went back to doing things the way I wanted them faster than you can sign "nosy records clerk.":crazy:
 
Lol me and my husband know every dirty thing about each other and spend every moment of our day together so if he kept something from me I would know. Also I mostly only go to the doctors for baby check up and I would never want a stranger in the room when my ladies parts are hanging out l. Haha

I love your spouse defense.:gpost: I trust my wife/partner/best friend implicitly. No one could work harder for us. When I get phone calls on my text-only cellphone, I hand it to her to find out if it's a client or prospective client trying to get hold of Chase Editing. She's my also my bookkeeper. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't hide anything from her.

She laughed at the idea she could hide something from a deafie. She sometimes thinks we have ESP.
 
Not sure if I've discussed my problem here at AD before...so I'll repeat it again. A few months ago, I was scheduled for a complete physical with my doctor. Since I'm female, I asked the scheduling lady to ask for a Female Interpretor...
She did...but a Male showed up...I told him that I was having a Physical and had requested a Female...he said..."well, they (ASL Associates) told me to come...and when you have to take your clothes off, I'll leave the room."....

There were many questions and concerns of mine that I had needed to address to my doctor...but could not, due to embarrassment with a Male in the room (Interpretor)...if it were a Male Doctor, I would have no problem.

I called the ASL Associates to make my complaint and the Owner cussed me out!...Said I would have to take whatever they sent to me and a lot of other things...even tho' I told him of my feelings...concerns...since I was a Female.

I had another appt. last week due to chest/breast pain...made the appt. with the Doctor and told them to have a "Female" Interpretor...since the Doctor would be checking my breasts...
The Interpretor was 20 minutes late...she said they had called her at the last minute since I "preferred" a Female...So...when the doctor was checking my Breast...the female Interpretor stayed in the room with me to tell me what the doctor was asking...If it were a MALE Interpretor...he could not!

My doctor gave me meds and ordered Xrays, along with a EKG...then I had to schedule an appt. for May 11th...so I did, and again, requested a Female Interpretor...The scheduling lady made a "face"...and said...."Well, if they don't have a Female, then you will have to reschedule"...as she had talked with the ASL Associates and he too, was very rude to her...

There is NO WAY in hell I will accept a Male Interpretor when I am having female problems, a physical, etc. ...So I have to wait & see what happens May 11th when I go back to the doctor for the Xray results and other things that need to be addressed (female issues)... I also told the scheduling receptionist that I could see the doctor without an Interpretor...if needed...she said that the Office required an Interpretor for all Deaf Patients...So...

Waiting to see what happened May 11th.

Yes, that happen to me too - they told me that interpreters are mandatory for all deaf patients because doctors don't want to waste their time for writing or type.

That's changed a lot after healthcare reform that have more people in insurance parties and doctors have to use their time to make efficient for all patients.
 
The hospital I work for uses a VRI or AVI depending on what you call them. They're great. Too bad it's not a requirement that offices have this available. I had to use ours 3 times in the space of 3 weeks and that's one of the things that prompted me to start learning ASL. I'm also going to school to become a Nurse Practitioner. I'd rather be able to communicate with my patients without needing a middle man.

The VRI people are usually really great. They're trained on confidentiality. If you get an interpreter that you don't feel comfortable with or you need a gender specific interpreter then you just ask for a different one. I love them. It's no substitute for signing myself, but they work. We used to use Easter Seals before we got the VRIs. I hated some of them. They could be so rude. Never on time. I'm sure they were all volunteers, but they could have gotten some better people.
 
True, Beowulf...some interpreters are wonderful. I've known 2, both now retired...I've had quite a few surgeries myself. And no interpreters and the doctor asking "where is the interpreter?"....Late or not any available...Understood, things happen. The owner (former) of ASL Associates here in Jax....was not certified and smoked, dressed down too...I never complained, she was a "gem". And so well-liked. Word got around, and she sold the agency to her Son, and it became worse as he was very rude and disrespectful. Then again, I don't feel it's "too much" to ask for a Female whenever I'm having a physical or female problems and need to discuss it with the doctor.

You'd think they would be able to adjust and send the male interpreter somewhere that a female was and just swap them out.
 
That's so not right. Sounds like your doctors office and ASL Associates are not working well together. I wish I could offer suggestions but I can't think of any right now. All my dr appointments have been with a female interpreter. And I'm given advance notice of that via email. I think it feels like your ASL Associates is more the problem? And 20 minutes late is NOT acceptable!
I totally agree with you,What you should have done is to have everything explained to you,then the Interpreter can leave the room,then when your finish getting dress again,then ask the interpreter to come back and continue the conversation...no big deal...according to the doctor themselfs,if its a male or female,it doesn't really matter.men do get undress in front of a doctor of the opposite sex,it should not be embassing to anyone...because...they are your doctor and they are there to keep you heathy and to help you.otherwise I do see what your saying if it was someone else.
 
Back
Top