‘The world is not only for hearing people – It’s for all people’: The experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in Johannesburg, South Africa
Background: Despite legal and adopted frameworks purporting access to healthcare and rehabilitation services, which are both a human right and key to developmental issues, women who are deaf and/or hard of hearing (HoH) are still excluded and experience barriers when accessing healthcare services. L...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2021-07-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Disability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/800 |
| _version_ | 1818139944739143680 |
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| author | Khetsiwe P. Masuku Nomfundo Moroe Danielle van der Merwe |
| author_facet | Khetsiwe P. Masuku Nomfundo Moroe Danielle van der Merwe |
| author_sort | Khetsiwe P. Masuku |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Despite legal and adopted frameworks purporting access to healthcare and rehabilitation services, which are both a human right and key to developmental issues, women who are deaf and/or hard of hearing (HoH) are still excluded and experience barriers when accessing healthcare services. Largely, this is attributed to communication barriers between healthcare professionals and women who are deaf and/or HoH. There have been limited research studies carried out on women with invisible disabilities, such as deafness, especially amongst African women.
Objectives: This study sought to gain insights into the communication experiences of women who are deaf or HoH when accessing public healthcare services in hospitals in Johannesburg.
Methods: A qualitative research study employing semi-structured interviews with 10 African women who are deaf and/or HoH residing in Johannesburg, South Africa and attending government healthcare facilities was conducted. Participants were purposively selected. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Data revealed the following themes: communication barriers resulting in compromised quality of care and infringement on participants’ right to confidentiality; accommodation that is not accommodative and negative attitudes of healthcare professionals.
Conclusion: The findings of this study confirm the alienating, exclusion, marginalisation, discrimination, invisibility, lack of independence and autonomy of women who are deaf and/or HoH when accessing healthcare services. Therefore, this study argues for a need for the conscientisation of healthcare professionals on communication needs of persons who are deaf and/or HoH. This has implications for the implementation of training programmes that will address communication, reasonable accommodation and attitudes of healthcare professionals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T10:36:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d46460d43ee94137ae8afa8bcdd9030a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-9170 2226-7220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T10:36:08Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Disability |
| spelling | doaj.art-d46460d43ee94137ae8afa8bcdd9030a2022-12-22T01:10:43ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Disability2223-91702226-72202021-07-01100e1e810.4102/ajod.v10i0.800260‘The world is not only for hearing people – It’s for all people’: The experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in Johannesburg, South AfricaKhetsiwe P. Masuku0Nomfundo Moroe1Danielle van der Merwe2Department of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgDepartment of Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgDepartment of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgBackground: Despite legal and adopted frameworks purporting access to healthcare and rehabilitation services, which are both a human right and key to developmental issues, women who are deaf and/or hard of hearing (HoH) are still excluded and experience barriers when accessing healthcare services. Largely, this is attributed to communication barriers between healthcare professionals and women who are deaf and/or HoH. There have been limited research studies carried out on women with invisible disabilities, such as deafness, especially amongst African women. Objectives: This study sought to gain insights into the communication experiences of women who are deaf or HoH when accessing public healthcare services in hospitals in Johannesburg. Methods: A qualitative research study employing semi-structured interviews with 10 African women who are deaf and/or HoH residing in Johannesburg, South Africa and attending government healthcare facilities was conducted. Participants were purposively selected. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Data revealed the following themes: communication barriers resulting in compromised quality of care and infringement on participants’ right to confidentiality; accommodation that is not accommodative and negative attitudes of healthcare professionals. Conclusion: The findings of this study confirm the alienating, exclusion, marginalisation, discrimination, invisibility, lack of independence and autonomy of women who are deaf and/or HoH when accessing healthcare services. Therefore, this study argues for a need for the conscientisation of healthcare professionals on communication needs of persons who are deaf and/or HoH. This has implications for the implementation of training programmes that will address communication, reasonable accommodation and attitudes of healthcare professionals.https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/800accesshealthcarewomendeafsouth africa |
| spellingShingle | Khetsiwe P. Masuku Nomfundo Moroe Danielle van der Merwe ‘The world is not only for hearing people – It’s for all people’: The experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in Johannesburg, South Africa African Journal of Disability access healthcare women deaf south africa |
| title | ‘The world is not only for hearing people – It’s for all people’: The experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in Johannesburg, South Africa |
| title_full | ‘The world is not only for hearing people – It’s for all people’: The experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in Johannesburg, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | ‘The world is not only for hearing people – It’s for all people’: The experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in Johannesburg, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘The world is not only for hearing people – It’s for all people’: The experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in Johannesburg, South Africa |
| title_short | ‘The world is not only for hearing people – It’s for all people’: The experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in Johannesburg, South Africa |
| title_sort | the world is not only for hearing people it s for all people the experiences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing healthcare services in johannesburg south africa |
| topic | access healthcare women deaf south africa |
| url | https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/800 |
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