Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The deaf community face similar access barriers to health care services and information as do other
linguistic minority groups. Amongst others, this includes limited access to English communication,
misunderstanding of medical terminology, irregular contact with health care professionals of the same
language and cultural background and the need to overcome the challenges experienced by using others
as interpreters in a health care setting. Barriers to the written and spoken word limit access to health
care information as deaf people cannot overhear conversations, have limited access to mass media and
present with low literacy rates. The South African Constitution stipulates that every citizen has an equal
right to health care services and should not be unfairly discriminated against, on the basis of language.
Unfortunately, despite what is written in the Constitution, the reality is that many South Africans are
denied equal access or receive compromised access to health care services because of language
barriers. The lack of access to interpreters at health care facilities across South Africa inhibits patients
from expressing themselves correctly and limits the providers’ professional ability to make a correct
diagnosis and provide relevant information.
The current study explores the barriers and facilitators to accessing health care services and health care
information for people who are deaf in a relatively well-resourced setting. A sample of deaf
participants from the National Institute for the Deaf in Worcester were interviewed to gain an
understanding of problems experienced with accessing health care services and health care information.
Participants reported communication and socio-economic factors as barriers to accessing health care
services. The main barrier to accessing health care information was considered to be the inaccessibility
of the mass media. Recommendations were made by participants on ways to improve access to health
care services and health care information for the deaf population of South Africa.
Keywords: Health care acces, Health care information, Deaf, Worcester, Barriers and facilitators to
health care services. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dowe gemeenskap ervaar soortgelyke struikelblokke as ander linguistiese minderheidsgroepe met
toegang tot gesondheidsdienste en inligting. Dit sluit onder andere in beperkte toegang tot Engelse
kommunikasie, wanbegrip van mediese terminologie, ongereelde kontak met mediese dienspraktisyne
van dieselfde taal en kulturele agtergrond, en die uitdaging wat oorkom moet word om ander mense te
gebruik as tussenganger en tolk in ’n mediese situasie. Hindernisse met geskrewe- en spreektaal beperk
die toegang tot gesondheidsinligting. Dowe mense kan nie na gesprekke luister nie, het beperkte
toegang tot massamedia en vertoon oor die algemeen 'n laer geletterdheidsprofiel. Die Suid Afrikaanse
Grondwet stipuleer dat elke burger ’n gelyke reg tot gesondheidsdienste het en verbied onregverdige
diskriminasie op grond van taal. Ten spyte van die Grondwet is die realiteit dat baie Suid Afrikaners
nie gelyke toegang het nie en ’n laer vlak van mediese dienslewering ervaar as gevolg van
taalprobleme. Die ontoereikende beskikbaarheid van tolke by gesondheidsfasiliteite reg oor Suid Afrika beperk die vermoë van pasiënte om hulself behoorlik uit te druk. Dit beperk daarom ook die mediese praktisyn se vermoë om ’n korrekte diagnose te maak en relevante inligting rakende die diagnose aan die pasiënt oor te dra.
In die huidige studie is die struikelblokke en fasiliteerders vir toegang tot gesondheidsdienste en inligting ondersoek vir dowe mense in ’n relatief goed toegeruste omgewing. ’n Steekproef van dowe deelnemers is by die Nasionale Instituut vir Dowes in Worcester geselekteer. Deur middel van onderhoude is die probleme wat ondervind word met toegang tot gesondheidsdienste en
gesondheidsinformasie geïdentifiseer. Deelnemers het kommunikasie en sosio-ekonomiese faktore as
struikelblokke tot die toegang van gesondheidsdienste geïdentifiseer. Die grootste struikelblok met toegang tot mediese inligting was die beperkte toegang tot massamedia. Voorstelle is deur die
deelnemers gemaak vir die verbetering van die toeganklikheid tot mediese dienslewering en
gesondheidsinligting vir die dowe populasie in Suid Afrika.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17907 |
Date | 12 1900 |
Creators | Kritzinger, Janis |
Contributors | Swartz, Leslie, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
Language | en_ZA |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis |
Format | 151 p. |
Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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