Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) Americans who use sign language as their primary language encounter health information systems built almost entirely around spoken English and print. In a national sample of over 1,500 DDBHH American adults, researchers at the Center of Deaf Health Excellence found that repeated exclusion from incidental health information while growing up was associated with increased risk for multiple chronic health conditions in adulthood. This presentation reframes health literacy as an organizational and structural responsibility — a matter of how health systems are designed, rather than a skill DDBHH people do or do not have. Presenters from the Center of Deaf Health Excellence will map the social determinants of health specific to the DDBHH community and highlight the role of ASL-fluent community health navigators in helping people find, understand, and use health information.
Erika Bergeron, MPH, is Research Manager at Gallaudet University's Center of Deaf Health Excellence and co-investigator on an NIH-funded clinical trial testing ASL-fluent community health navigators to improve cancer screening adherence among Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) adults. She trains and supervises ASL-fluent health navigators, and she leads development of ASL-focused Community Health Worker training materials.
Poorna Kushalnagar, PhD, is a health disparities researcher and strategist whose work centers on improving health screening and access for DDBHH populations. Aside from directing the Center of Deaf Health Excellence, she serves as the university's Strategic Research Officer and leads the Office of Research and Innovation. Dr. Kushalnagar's research examines how structural barriers contribute to persistent health disparities among Americans with sensory disabilties. She has brought in over $15 million to date to support this work, serving as principal investigator on NIH-funded projects and as a longtime advocate for co-production and co-education approaches that center the lived experiences of DDBHH communities.
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By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Explain how access to sign language and health conversations with peers across the lifespan shapes the health information available to Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) people.
- Identify at least three social determinants of health that disproportionately affect DDBHH communities.
- Describe the role of ASL-fluent community health navigators in DDBHH health care.
- Apply at least three organizational practices that make health information easier for DDBHH patients to find, understand, and use.