ASL Medical Terminology

Welcome to our Service Learning Blog!

The goal of our service learning project is to inform and educate hearing medical professionals, which include but are not limited to doctors, nurses, medical assistants, etc. to learn basic fundamental ASL medical terminology for "until the interpreter arrives" situations. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) under Title III Public Accommodations (Businesses) requires public businesses to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to information. This law ensures that Deaf people are entitled to an interpreter. However, an interpreter is not always available 24/7 or interpreters may arrive late. Emergency situations are crucial; providing immediate attention to any patient is extremely important. Language barriers between Deaf patients and medical professionals postpone immediate medical attention for deaf patients. For this reason, we created a list of 54 relevant medical terms in American Sign Language. The list was revised and approved by a panel of Deaf community members who gathered together at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center in Fresno, CA. We hope our project makes an impact on medical professionals and brings Deaf cultural sensitivity awareness to the medical field.