I missed this very good Public Health Research and Practice perspective piece in December. It’s frustrating but not surprising that family are still being asked to interpret in healthcare settings.
Family members and friends of deaf people are regularly asked by healthcare providers to interpret for deaf patients’ medical appointments. Children of deaf adults, in particular, often carry this expectation. This ‘language brokering’ occurs when children take on the role of interpreting, translating and advocating for their parents.6 However, peak body Deaf Australia argues that family and friends are not equipped to interpret for deaf people during medical appointments and that this practice risks leaving patients and their family members or friends traumatised by the experience. Rather than interpreting, family members and friends, including children of deaf adults, should instead be available to provide practical or emotional support to the deaf person during healthcare appointments.7
— Read on www.phrp.com.au/issues/december-2021-volume-31-issue-5/the-healthcare-system-through-a-deaf-lens/