*sigh*...female and male interpretors...

rockin'robin

rockin'robin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
24,431
Reaction score
546
Not sure if I've discussed my problem here at AD before...so I'll repeat it again. A few months ago, I was scheduled for a complete physical with my doctor. Since I'm female, I asked the scheduling lady to ask for a Female Interpretor...
She did...but a Male showed up...I told him that I was having a Physical and had requested a Female...he said..."well, they (ASL Associates) told me to come...and when you have to take your clothes off, I'll leave the room."....

There were many questions and concerns of mine that I had needed to address to my doctor...but could not, due to embarrassment with a Male in the room (Interpretor)...if it were a Male Doctor, I would have no problem.

I called the ASL Associates to make my complaint and the Owner cussed me out!...Said I would have to take whatever they sent to me and a lot of other things...even tho' I told him of my feelings...concerns...since I was a Female.

I had another appt. last week due to chest/breast pain...made the appt. with the Doctor and told them to have a "Female" Interpretor...since the Doctor would be checking my breasts...
The Interpretor was 20 minutes late...she said they had called her at the last minute since I "preferred" a Female...So...when the doctor was checking my Breast...the female Interpretor stayed in the room with me to tell me what the doctor was asking...If it were a MALE Interpretor...he could not!

My doctor gave me meds and ordered Xrays, along with a EKG...then I had to schedule an appt. for May 11th...so I did, and again, requested a Female Interpretor...The scheduling lady made a "face"...and said...."Well, if they don't have a Female, then you will have to reschedule"...as she had talked with the ASL Associates and he too, was very rude to her...

There is NO WAY in hell I will accept a Male Interpretor when I am having female problems, a physical, etc. ...So I have to wait & see what happens May 11th when I go back to the doctor for the Xray results and other things that need to be addressed (female issues)... I also told the scheduling receptionist that I could see the doctor without an Interpretor...if needed...she said that the Office required an Interpretor for all Deaf Patients...So...

Waiting to see what happened May 11th.
 
That's so not right. Sounds like your doctors office and ASL Associates are not working well together. I wish I could offer suggestions but I can't think of any right now. All my dr appointments have been with a female interpreter. And I'm given advance notice of that via email. I think it feels like your ASL Associates is more the problem? And 20 minutes late is NOT acceptable!
 
Oh, Robin, that is soooooo wrong the way you were treated!

The scheduler of the interpreting services should have respected your wishes or at least arrange with you a better appointment time if necessary. The owner should have never, NEVER cussed you out. Does the owner not remember that "the customer is always right" (even if the customer is wrong). If there was a problem with scheduling, the owner could have discussed it in a respectful way. I would report them to RID for unprofessional behavior.

I totally understand how you feel about physical exams and wouldn't want a male terp present either. Even that male terp who offered to step outside during disrobing didn't "get it." Even if the patient is fully clothed, there are some things that women aren't comfortable discussing in front of non-medical men.

Terps need to learn that when a client requests a different terp it's not to be taken as a personal affront. In other words, they need to suck it up and get over it.

I'm afraid it might get worse. "Sensitive" terps will start blaming the clients for being racist, sexist, or bigoted in some manner for requesting a substitute, and it will get ugly. I fear that some clients might get black listed for being "difficult." I hope that doesn't happen. Other than being threatened or touched, I pretty much put up with anything. I understood that some of my assignments were very stressful for my clients, and their responses to me weren't personal.

Is there a female terp that you prefer that you can request by name rather than requesting "must be a female"?
 
Reba, great suggestion about requesting a specific interpreter by name. Thus far, I haven't had to because the same interpreters know me by name and sign up asap for my appointments. I've been so lucky in that regard. But, I do know them by name, so RR, if the ASL agency would accommodate this, that would help.
 
Thanks, girls...when I go back May 11th...hopefully a female will be there...if not...then I will tell the receptionist to reschedule...and again request a Female Only. There are 2 that I do like....I don't have to see a Doctor very often tho'...maybe 2-3 times a year at the most....
Then again, I've heard of a shortage of Terps in Duval County...and have experienced that also while I was in the hospital for surgery...
And yeah...feel the Owner of ASL Associates has labeled me "difficult" as I did make a small complaint once about the Terp telling me I had a tumor in my Ear...which I did not....(she could not spell the disease)....so to rectify that, I asked for a terp that was proficient in medical terms...but this was years ago.....
 
Iv experienced this as well and iv been laughed at by a terp for issues that I wish only my doctor would here well the terp was also not very shall I say lgbt friendly and there was almost disgust and my did it show
 
Here's an update...as I said my next office visit was May 11th (yesterday) at 11AM...I had already requested a female Terp as I knew the Doctor would be checking my breast again, seeing if I had any more pain.....
I waited, and waited...the Terp did not come...so at 11:45, they told me to go in without the Terp...it screwed up the Doctor's schedule (as well as mine)....At 12:20, as I was awaiting the Doctor to come back in, a female Terp showed up....
I looked at my watch!...Say what!...the Terp said, "hello, I'm your terp and they just called me here"...I told her that my appt. time was for 11AM...and now it was al most 12:30....and No, I didn't need her.....And I was not signing her book!...
So, Yes, I feel it's the ASL Associates owner that is giving me "problems" simply because I asked for a "female Terp"...
I do feel bad for the Terp...(it probably was not her fault) ??....And the Office manager did not sign her book either...so she walked out.

Anyhow, as much as I do respect Interpretors, I will not be asking for any in the future. If the Doctor insists, then it has to be a female. My tests, X-Rays came back and all were good!...and go back 3-6 months, call for an appt.
My Doctor took the time to type on the Computer for me, so it was OK, communication-wise.
 
It is not so difficult in these times for a doctor to communicate in writing. All she has to do is use the dictate function on her phone or yours. Difficult medical terms can be spelled out. It is not really slower than my needing my doc to repeat 3 0r 4 times due to HOH. You might be successful if you suggest this alternative to your doc long before the actual appointment. Just a thought.
 
rockin'robin said:
Here's an update...as I said my next office visit was May 11th (yesterday) at 11AM...I had already requested a female Terp as I knew the Doctor would be checking my breast again, seeing if I had any more pain.....
I waited, and waited...the Terp did not come...so at 11:45, they told me to go in without the Terp...it screwed up the Doctor's schedule (as well as mine)....At 12:20, as I was awaiting the Doctor to come back in, a female Terp showed up....
I looked at my watch!...Say what!...the Terp said, "hello, I'm your terp and they just called me here"...I told her that my appt. time was for 11AM...and now it was al most 12:30....and No, I didn't need her.....And I was not signing her book!...
So, Yes, I feel it's the ASL Associates owner that is giving me "problems" simply because I asked for a "female Terp"...
I do feel bad for the Terp...(it probably was not her fault) ??....And the Office manager did not sign her book either...so she walked out.

Anyhow, as much as I do respect Interpretors, I will not be asking for any in the future. If the Doctor insists, then it has to be a female. My tests, X-Rays came back and all were good!...and go back 3-6 months, call for an appt.
My Doctor took the time to type on the Computer for me, so it was OK, communication-wise.
Click to expand...
I'm glad that at least your test results were good. I'm sorry that the interpreting problem wasn't resolved.
 
RR, that's terrible! 1.5 hours late? No no no !!! I'm glad the rest of the visit went ok, but that adds a whole anxiety level to these doctor visits. HUGS. I wish I had better advice for you.
 
Lately Ive been going to the doc and the RN's are writing at the top of my forms " Wears Hearing Aids" so I correct them that I "Wears Cochlear Implants" Patient Is Deaf ! and they give me a funny look.....
 
Tetracyclone said:
It is not so difficult in these times for a doctor to communicate in writing. All she has to do is use the dictate function on her phone or yours. Difficult medical terms can be spelled out. It is not really slower than my needing my doc to repeat 3 0r 4 times due to HOH. You might be successful if you suggest this alternative to your doc long before the actual appointment. Just a thought.
Click to expand...
Yeah...just a thought...but now-a-days, they are requiring patients who are deaf to have an Interpretor.
 
sonocativo said:
Lately Ive been going to the doc and the RN's are writing at the top of my forms " Wears Hearing Aids" so I correct them that I "Wears Cochlear Implants" Patient Is Deaf ! and they give me a funny look.....
Click to expand...
LOL...could be they don't like to be corrected...or they are really way behind the times....and now that you have the CI...do you have an Interpretor when you go to the doctor or hospital?
 
Thinking too...if someone became deaf (late deafened) and knew no ASL...are they supposed to have an Interpretor still?....What about the elderly who are HOH and don't know ASL?
 
rockin'robin said:
LOL...could be they don't like to be corrected...or they are really way behind the times....and now that you have the CI...do you have an Interpretor when you go to the doctor or hospital?
Click to expand...
I have been asked at the hospitals if I want a terp, I told them as long as I have a charged battery and can hear that I'm good, but without they either need to write or bring a terp.
 
The gender of the interpreter doesn't matter to me. I have NEVER had one speak out of school or be unprofessional.
Yeah, I'm weird. ;)
 
Last edited:
Beowulf said:
The gender of the interpreter doesn't matter to me. I have NEVER had one speak out of school of be unprofessional.
Yeah, I'm weird. ;)
Click to expand...
LOL...well, I have...and surely, don't want a male Terp seeing my privates or my breasts.
 
rockin'robin said:
Yeah...just a thought...but now-a-days, they are requiring patients who are deaf to have an Interpretor.
Click to expand...
Technically, RR, I don't think that's true......If a deaf person (and I have done this on many an occasion)doesn't want an interpreter, the medical facility doesn't know the law well enough to say that we must have one because we have the right, too, to not want one. I have Kaiser Permanente and they are a large and pretty sophisticated organization.....they know we can have it either way....
 
To bad doctors are not required to learn sign. I would also want a female terp, lucky for me I have my husband who goes to ever appointment with me.
 
rockin'robin said:
Not sure if I've discussed my problem here at AD before...so I'll repeat it again. A few months ago, I was scheduled for a complete physical with my doctor. Since I'm female, I asked the scheduling lady to ask for a Female Interpretor...

Waiting to see what happened May 11th.
Click to expand...


That's really awful...it sounds that those people not only dropped the ball but they're rude and unprofessional. They sound like they were trained by United....I hope it goes well at the doctor and that they finally respect your (repeated) request to send a woman....

Laura
 
Back
Top