Ashlynn and Davian
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Ashlynn and her partner Davian are Deaf and communicate using Auslan.
Ashlynn and Davian told the Royal Commission it is difficult to access Auslan interpreters at their local hospitals.
In their health district, hospital staff must arrange interpreters through the health interpreting service. However, many staff don’t know the booking process.
‘When you speak to clinicians, they seem to think … the interpreter will be there on the phone within five minutes, which does happen with spoken languages, but obviously they are not culturally aware of Auslan and the need to book ahead of time.’
At Davian’s first chemotherapy appointment, the interpreter didn’t show up. Davian had no choice but to exchange written notes with the nurse. However his written English is ‘not good’ and there was a mix-up with the medication.
‘Luckily everything got resolved … but it was a hugely risky business, not having an interpreter.’
Another time Davian broke a bone and arrived at hospital late at night. He was in pain and very unwell and immediately asked for an Auslan interpreter. Staff told him several times ‘the interpreter is coming soon’, but no interpreter arrived. After several hours the doctor found another doctor who knew some sign language and a nurse who ‘could sign a little bit because [she] learnt from [her] cousin’. Ashlynn demanded a professional interpreter. Eventually the hospital found an interpreter who was able to interpret via skype.
Ashlynn had a fall and broke her ankle. After they’d been waiting hours for an interpreter Davian happened to run into an interpreter he knew in the coffee shop. She had just finished work and was happy to help. The hospital became ‘very upset’ Davian organised the interpreter, making the interpreter ‘very uncomfortable’. Davian asked the interpreter to make a complaint about the system with him but she said she didn’t want to get involved.
‘That shows you the fear amongst interpreters about not speaking up to the hospital system, but it also leaves Deaf people at a disadvantage of them not being able to get an interpreter.’
Davian and Ashlynn had a bad experience with an interpreter. ‘We explained she was not qualified, she did not have the skill, she was not competent, she was not clear … please take her off the list. We won't use her. It is too risky,’ Davian said.
Despite this the hospital continued to book this interpreter, who ended up wrongly interpreting a serious medical procedure. Davian and Ashlynn only became aware of the misinterpretation because they filmed the doctor’s explanation and sent it to their children so they too could understand the procedure.
Ashlynn and Davian have made a number of complaints but ‘are just seen as complainers’. They say no attempts have been made to fix the system.
They have also made a complaint about the lack of skilled interpreters but the complaints commission told them they only deal with complaints against health practitioners – not interpreters.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.