Withholding Information as a Form of Exclusion
Sometimes exclusion happens through what people are not told.
I’ve noticed that systems often decide what information Deaf people are allowed to receive, and when.
Access does not only fail when information is denied outright.
It also fails when information is selectively shared, delayed, summarised, or filtered through someone else’s judgement of what Deaf people “need to know.”
When key details are withheld about appointments, decisions, changes, risks, or processes, Deaf people are positioned as passive recipients rather than equal participants.
Not because we lack capacity.
But because systems decide on our behalf.
This often hides behind professionalism.
Behind phrases like “We didn’t think it was relevant,” or “We explained the main points.”
But relevance is not neutral.
And summaries are not access.
The impact is cumulative:
Missed context.
Reduced autonomy.
Increased dependence.
And the gradual erosion of trust in systems that claim inclusion while controlling information flow.
This is not a communication issue.
It is a power issue.
Access means full information, shared transparently, in accessible formats, not curated for comfort or convenience.
Anything less is exclusion with a softer name.
