I just answer yes everything they say : Access to health care for deaf people in Worcester, South Africa and the politics of exclusion

Author(s)

  • Janis Kritzinger
  • Margerite Schneider
  • Leslie Swartz
  • Stine Hellum Braathen

Reference

I just answer ‘yes’ everything they say’’: Access to health care for deaf people in Worcester, South Africa and the politics of exclusion. Elsevier Ireland Ltd. 2013

Financial support

  • Commission Européenne

Applied research areas

Thematic issues

Impairment

Geographical areas

Author's summary

OBJECTIVE. To explore whether there are other factors besides communication difficulties that hamper access to health care services for deaf patients.
METHODS. Qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews with 16 deaf participants from the National Institute for the Deaf in Worcester and 3 Key informants from the Worcester area, South Africa.
RESULTS. Communication difficulties were found to be a prominent barrier in accessing health care services. In addition to this interpersonal factors including lack of independent thought, over-protectedness, non-questioning attitude, and lack of familial communication interact with communication difficulties in a way that further hampers access to health care services.
CONCLUSION. These interpersonal factors play a unique role in how open and accepting health services feel to deaf patients.
PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Health care services need to take cognizance of the fact that providing sign language interpreters in the health care setting will not necessarily make access more equitable for deaf patients, as they have additional barriers besides communication to overcome before successfully accessing health care services

Resource Center comment

This document provides information on the obstacles facing people with hearing impairments who seek access to healthcare services in South Africa. It is important to understand these obstacles, in order to provide a more efficient service for those who encounter them. The document is of interest, but the author judges his data insufficient to make stronger recommendations. It could however provide a basis for further research. This research is funded by the European Commission as part of a project entitled "Enabling universal and equitable access to healthcare for vulnerable people in resources-poor settings in Africa." This document might be of interest to local authorities and government in South Africa but also in other countries affected by difficulties in access to health services for people with hearing disabilities.

[FR]
Ce document comporte des informations sur les obstacles à surmonter en plus de la communication, pour les personnes ayant une incapacité auditive, avant d’accéder avec succès aux services de soins de santé en Afrique du Sud. Il est intéressant et important de connaitre ces obstacles pour fournir un service plus efficace aux personnes en proies à ces difficultés. Bien qu’il soit intéressant, la limite de ce travail est que l’auteur estime ne pas avoir assez de données pour pouvoir faire des grandes préconisations. Il pourrait cependant servir de base pour des recherches complémentaires.
Cette recherche est financée par la commission Européenne dans le cadre d’un projet intitulé : « Permettre l'accès universel et équitable aux soins de santé pour les personnes vulnérables dans les pays d’Afrique pauvres en ressources ». Ce document pourrait intéresser les autorités locales et les pouvoirs publics en Afrique du sud, mais également dans d’autres pays en proie à ces difficultés d’accès aux services de santé, pour les personnes avec une incapacité auditive.

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