ACQ Vol 12 No 3 2010

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122 ACQ Volume 12, Number 3 2010 ACQuiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing
management of a patient. Increasing access to portable
e-health systems and the ability to deliver real-time
captioning remotely holds promise for the future.
There is also new work to be done in evaluating patient
educational materials so that we are meeting the level of
literacy of our consumers. Finally we need to investigate
other ways that patients receive education to ensure that
those with special needs have equitable access.
In summary, over the last ten years it has been both
challenging and rewarding to play a part in creating a
hospital environment where people who are Deaf or have a
hearing impairment have equitable access to the services
and facilities they need.
References
Briffa, D. (1999). Deaf and mentally ill: Are their needs being
met? Australasian Psychiatry, 7(1), 7–10.
Department of the Premier and Cabinet. (2004).
Queensland government multicultural policy 2004. Retrieved
from
making_world_difference_policy.pdf
Department of the Premier and Cabinet. (2009).
Queensland government captioning policy 2009. Retrieved
from
info/assets/captioning-policy.pdf
Disability Discrimination Act. (1992). Retrieved from http://
nsf/0/75A9AC46A3C6C8A1CA25768E00127EC3/$file/
DisabilityDiscrimination1992_WD02.pdf
Disability Services Act. (2006). Retrieved from http://
DisabServA06.pdf
Princess Alexandra Hospital. (1999). Access for people
who are Deaf or who have hearing impairments: Internal
report: Brisbane: Author.
Queensland Health. (2001). Deafness and mental health:
A report on the mental health needs of Deaf and hearing
impaired people in Queensland. Brisbane: AUthor.
Queensland Health. (2007). Queensland Health Disability
Service Plan 2007–2010. Retrieved from
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People. (1993). People with
hearing loss and health care facilities: A guide for hospitals
to comply with the Americans with Disability Act. Bethesda,
MD: SHHH Publications.
1. Deaf with a capital D refers to culturally Deaf people who belong
to the Deaf community through sharing values, beliefs and the
use of sign language (Auslan).
have developed accessibility checklists based on an
American tool (Self Help for Hard of Hearing People,
1993) and adapted this to the local context. For example,
an audit of our hospital auditorium found that the original
audioloop met existing regulations but in practice very
few seats received an acceptable signal. When the unit
required replacement, technical expertise was sought
and the loop selected provided wider coverage which
was confirmed by improved consumer satisfaction.
Engagement of consumers is also valuable in education.
Feedback from staff in our organisation consistently
indicates that consumers’ reporting on their experience of
a service is a powerful tool in motivating change.
4. Seek out partnerships. For example, the Audiology
Department and Princess Alexandra Support Services
(including interpreter services, switchboard, enquiries
and admissions) established a partnership in recognition
that Deaf people face barriers in accessing health
services similar to those from culturally and linguistically
diverse backgrounds. Working together has resulted
in the development of resources including desktop
communication signs for outpatient clinics and
communication alert stickers for the patient chart. An
extensive training program for frontline staff has been
conducted covering topics such as working with an
interpreter and communication strategies. More recently
in an alliance with Queensland Health Multicultural
Services a ward communication tool was designed
including words in common use in hospitals presented
pictorially in Australian Sign Language (Auslan) and
numbers and the alphabet in finger spelling.
Future directions
The hospital is currently trialling a communication kit for Deaf
and hearing impaired patients that has been developed in
consultation with consumers and staff. The aim in producing
the kit was to address some of the communication issues
commonly encountered during a hospital stay. Examples of
items in the kit include Auslan ward words, a visual pain
scale, a staff information brochure on managing hearing aids
and cochlear implants, a communication alert sign, and a
pad and pen. A feedback form in words and pictures has
been developed to facilitate consumer evaluation of the kit.
The vision for the future is to have the kit available in a web
accessible format to facilitate statewide distribution.
The commencement of the trial also highlighted an area
for further investigation. As there is no comprehensive
system in place to identify patients with special needs, it
was difficult to issue kits efficiently to all patients who may
benefit from its use. The elective admission process currently
identifies patients who are Deaf and require sign language
interpreters. There is no identification process for those
patients with a hearing impairment who do not identify as
Deaf. It is important for the future that systems are in place
so that appropriate services or technology can be made
available when required.
The provision of real-time captioning for patient
consultations remains a focus. Real-time captioning, the
instant translation of the spoken word into text, is required
when verbatim conversation is essential to effective
communication. It is routinely available in our hospital for
meetings involving consumers. It is rarely available for
individual patient appointments apart from cases where
the Audiology Department is involved in the long-term
Evelyn Towers is director of the Audiology Department at Princess
Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane specialising in adult diagnostics
and rehabilitation. Evelyn has also worked extensively in improving
health service accessibility for people who are Deaf or have a
hearing impairment, for which she received a Queensland Health
Leadership Award in 2007.
Correspondence to:
Evelyn Towers
Director of Audiology, Audiology Department
Princess Alexandra Hospital
Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Qld, 4102
phone: +617 3176 2327
email: