Breaking Down Communication Barriers With Ease

1
Breaking Down Communication Barriers With Ease

• Presenter
• Donna Platt
• Emergency Education Program Manager
• Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center
• Seattle, WA
• Washington State Partners in
• Emergency Preparedness Conference
• Tacoma, WA
• April 15, 2009

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• Nature and manmade disasters are on the increase
  nationwide. Thus they affect many people in
  different roles residents and emergency
  responders especially in the area of
  communication.

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• Communication is so important for people when it
  comes to nature or manmade disaster especially
  preparedness, response and recovery.

4

• People who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of
  Hearing are often the last people to have access
  to auditory communication they rely on visual
  communication system. Communication system
  applies to notification, TV, radio, group
  setting, and one to one.

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• In this session, participants will develop tools
  in communication techniques and problem solving
  especially with individuals who are deaf,
  deaf-blind, late deafened and hard of hearing.

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• Exercise

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• Share your experiences with this exercise

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• Case Studies

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• A Deaf person was brought to mass health care and
  there was no sign language interpreter available.
  You need to know if this person has any allergy.
  How will you ask this person?

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• A blind person showed up at the shelter. You
  found out that this person is also deaf. How
  would you communicate with this person?

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• Numbers of shelters were provided in several
  locations in the same region area. Deaf,
  Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing people are
  scattered into shelters based on their residency.
  All need communication accommodations. How can
  their needs be met?

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• A group of Deaf mental health professionals, who
  were certified as Disaster Mental Health
  Services volunteers, were informed that there was
  not a need because some mental health volunteers
  knew some sign language. What is the difference
  between Deaf mental health professionals and
  mental health volunteers in terms of
  communication?

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Communication Issues

• Areas that impact the deaf, deaf-blind and hard
  of hearing community in all types of emergencies
  are
• - disaster planning
• - disaster preparation
• - notification
• - evacuation
• - sheltering interim services
• - recovery

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Planning

• It is important to plan ahead in terms of
  communication in 3 areas
• 1) preparedness (example workshop,
  presentation, meeting and/or conference),
• 2) response, and
• 3) recovery.

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Last Words ..

• These communication barriers can be minimized if
  emergency planners, responders and
  recovery/shelter providers have appropriate
  preparation.
• Partnering with agencies serving deaf, deaf-blind
  and hard of hearing residents on providing
  effective communication access is strongly
  encouraged.

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Contact Information

• Donna Platt
• Manager
• Emergency Education Program
• 206-388-1275 TTY
• Direct numbers via VRS
• 1-866-757-7487
• 206-452-7967
• Email dplatt_at_hsdc.org