On June 26, DEAF, Inc., the Dept. of Public Health (DPH) and the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy (Brandeis Univ.) hosted a special forum on healthcare access issues in the Deaf community. During this forum, Deaf community members filled out a survey and shared stories about problems with insurance, lack of access at emergency rooms, and more. The DPH/Lurie representatives were shocked at some of the stories they heard. They are taking our concerns seriously and WANT MORE from us.
The DPH/Lurie representatives are health and disability professionals. Through a federally funded grant, they spent months collecting stories and surveys from people with disabilities all around MA about healthcare barriers. After listening to Deaf community members share their stories on June 26, one representative said "it was the most powerful, thought-provoking work event I have ever attended." DPH/Lurie understands that D/DB/HOH/LD people face serious barriers that other people with disabilities don't experience.
If DPH/Lurie gets enough survey responses and stories from us, they might be able to write a SPECIAL, SEPARATE REPORT specifically on our community. THIS IS VERY, VERY EXCITING. Why? Because this report will go to the CDC -- the federal health agency based in Atlanta, GA. And it can be used to justify better services at home in Massachusetts.
I need YOUR HELP to give DPH/Lurie as much information as possible.
They need more: (1) survey responses and (2) stories by Monday, August 8, 2016.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SURVEY
Please fill out the survey if you are:
- A person who is Deaf/DeafBlind/Hard of Hearing/Late-Deafened living in MA.
- A family member or caregiver of a D/DB/HOH/LD person living in MA.
- An ally/advocate of the D/DB/HOH/LD community (including ASL interpreters).
*If you completed the survey 3 years ago, please do the survey again!
*If you already completed the survey on June 26, 2016, do not fill it out again.
SURVEY OPTION 1: send through email
1. Go to
http://bit.ly/hna2016 and download the survey.
2. Save the file on your computer.
3. Fill out the survey electronically.
4. Save the survey file again.
5. Email the survey file as an attachment to Monika Mitra at
mmitra@brandeis.edu OR Lauren Smith at
smithL@brandeis.edu before Monday, August 8, 2016.
SURVEY OPTION 2: print and mail
1. Go to
http://bit.ly/hna2016 and download the survey.
2. Print the survey.
3. Fill out the survey by hand.
4. Mail completed survey before Monday, August 8, 2016. Send to:
Brandeis University
Heller School for Policy and Management
Attention: Lauren Smith
415 South Street (MS 035)
Waltham, MA 02454-9110
INFORMATION ABOUT SENDING YOUR STORIES
Tell DPH/Lurie about healthcare experiences and issues that happened in Massachusetts only -- at the ER, your doctor's office, or with another healthcare provider. This also includes insurance coverage, access to gyms and health food stores, transportation, and medical equipment. Send your stories before Monday, August 8, 2016.
Examples:
- Lack of accessible substance abuse/detox services
- Lack of ASL-fluent mental health counseling services
- Medical appointments cancelled and postponed repeatedly
- Waiting hours and hours in the emergency room
- Being forced to look at the VRI screen while you are in pain or cannot see
- Buzzing for nurses that never come to your room because you cannot hear the intercom
- Being given medication without knowing what it is
- Requests for live interpreters ignored repeatedly
- Private insurance refusing to pay for healthcare costs
- Problems getting medical transportation because the company keeps hanging up on you
- Not having qualified interpreters
OPTION 1: call Monika Mitra at 781-736- 3807 and share your story through a VRS interpreter (or spoken English).
OPTION 2: call DEAF, Inc. Project HOPE at 617-505-4818 and a staff member will help you translate your ASL story into English (for a letter or email).
OPTION 3: email your story to Monika Mitra at
mmitra@brandeis.edu OR Lauren Smith at
smithL@brandeis.edu
OPTION 4: type a letter yourself and mail it to:
Brandeis University
Heller School for Policy and Management
Attention: Lauren Smith
415 South Street (MS 035)
Waltham, MA 02454-9110
Please contact me if you have any questions.
LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
Jill Hatcher, MS
Project HOPE Director
DEAF, Inc.
215 Brighton Avenue
Boston, MA 02134
Office: 617.505.4818 (VP/V)
Main: 617.254.4041 (TTY/V)
jhatcher@deafinconline.org
www.deafinconline.org
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