I've attended medical appointments for my children without knowing whether the communication access I'd requested beforehand had been arranged.
That uncertainty begins before the appointment does.
I'm there to understand my child's needs, ask questions and be involved in decisions about their care. Yet I'm also wondering whether I'll be able to follow the conversation.
Sometimes, people assume medical appointments must be complicated because I'm a Deaf parent.
But the difficulty isn't my involvement as a parent. It's having to check whether communication access has been arranged at all.
Being Deaf doesn't make me less involved in my children's healthcare.
I should be able to arrive focused on my child, not on whether I can access the appointment.
REFLECTIVE QUESTION
How does uncertainty about communication access affect a parent's ability to focus on their child's healthcare?
