Abstract
A case study in Cape Town, South Africa, explores the right to health for signing DeafFootnote 1 patients attending health services and who are unable to communicate in a language they understand. It argues that, without language, Deaf South Africans’ dignity and right to health is violated, resulting in serious consequences such as incorrect diagnosis, improper treatment and standard of care not being applied. It critiques the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the limits of General Comment 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The paper demonstrates that Deaf patients do not have informational access to healthcare. It argues that language via professional interpreter services is essential to their South African constitutional right of access to healthcare. General Comment 14 addresses informational accessibility, but this is insufficient without addressing language as a pre-requisite. The CRPD imposes on the South African government human rights obligations to provide professional interpreter services for Deaf people, but unfortunately it allows a loophole by enabling cost to serve as reasonable grounds to defer action.
Acknowledgements
The authors are deeply grateful to Neliswa (pseudonym) and all our research participants for sharing their time and experiences with us. The authors acknowledge with thanks the support of our colleagues and research funding from the Medical Research Council South Africa.
Notes
1. By Deaf (capitalised) we understand those permanently sensorily disabled people who are born deaf or who become deaf as children and whose first language is sign – South African Sign Language (SASL) in this country.
8. Chapter 2: Rights and Duties of Users and Health Care Personnel, Section 6: User to have full knowledge, Government Gazette No. 26565, vol. 469, no. 869 (July 23, 2004). See http://www.acts.co.za/national_health/index.htm.
9. See http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/pamplets/patientsright/chartere.html – see access to healthcare.
11. Neliswa is a pseudonym and we have Neliswa’s permission to use her story.