TiZNA – Deaf-Inclusive Central Emergency Ward

It is assumed that about 0,1% of the total population worldwide is deaf. According to the German Deaf Association is thus estimated to be around 83.000 deaf people in Germany. Furthermore, there are 252.000 people with other forms of impaired hearing according to Statista (2023).

The fact that deafness in itself influences the access of parties concerned to health care has already been proven several times. To which form of maladministration in the health care system are deaf people exposed to specifically and what similarities and differences can be found on the situation in the clinical care of hearing people? This is what is to be examined in this research project on „Barriers in Hospital Everyday Life of Deaf People“. The focus of the project is on the question of the relevance and effects of educational work on deafness in a specific exemplary situation in a hospital, in this case the Central Emergency Ward.

Interfaces between contents of study and health care are among others the following: guarantee of interpreting activity, legal regulations on active participation, structural and institutional hurdles, the common assumption that deaf people can do lipreading as well as a low presence of German Sign Language and the culture of deaf people in public.

We intend to qualify the current situation of deaf people in the everyday life of hospitals by means of an online survey. Afterwards situational role plays will be performed, which will take place before and after a briefing on deafness. The gained insights will be published as teaching material and lead to more accessibility in hospitals.

Research group

• Lara-Sophie Isernhagen
• Alina Hinrichs
• Jana Gmelin

Mentor

• Alexander Eisenzimmer
• Britta Harms
• Prof. Dr. Annika Herrmann
• Andrea Schaffers