Deaf Representation in Telehealth: Your Story Matters
Centering Overlooked Voices: Why Accessible Telehealth Must Be Community‑Driven
Too often, surveys and research are shared without taking into account accessibility for overlooked communities. DeafHealth is working to change that. With support from the community and our coalitions, we’re reaching out in ways that make it easier for people to share their experiences, because accessible telehealth cannot be built without the communities it serves.
Our engagement work happens directly in community spaces where people gather and feel connected: Deaf clubs, grassroots social events, community organizations, group homes, and professional networks. By being present in these spaces, we learn about barriers that are often missed in mainstream healthcare research and rarely included in traditional data-gathering efforts.
In healthcare, we want future telehealth solutions to reflect the full diversity of language, culture, identity, and lived experience across our communities.
Your experiences aren’t just stories. They shape real change. To see how we’re carrying this work forward, we invite you to watch our latest reel showing how we connect with often‑overlooked communities and ensure their voices lead the way.
Stay Informed in ASL: We’ve got you covered! Sign up with your email at deafhealthaccess.org/sign-up or follow us on social media for new and current health updates.
This update is provided as part of the “Building Capacity for Deaf American Sign Language Users in Virtual Healthcare PCOR/CER” project, which is funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EACB-35309). The views presented in this work are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of PCORI. To learn more about the project, visit: www.pcori.org/research-results/2024/building-capacity-deaf-american-sign-language-users-virtual-healthcare-pcorcer. For project updates, follow us on social media or sign up with your email at deafhealthaccess.org/sign-up.
Video Description & Transcript
[VD: The post has a video thumbnail with blue shading overlaid. The middle has a text bubble that reads “Deaf Representation in Telehealth” in white text with rose background. In the video: a white queer person with long curly hair is wearing a dark grey denim jacket. Bee is wearing a pair of rainbow glasses.
Transcript:
What good is telehealth if it doesn’t reach people who need it most? That’s why we’re taking a different approach, bringing research collection about telehealth to the community, not waiting for the community to find us.
If we want telehealth to work for everyone, we can’t assume there’s a single solution. Real access looks different for each community. That’s why your insights, experiences, and stories are essential.
But creating a survey itself isn’t enough. We’re building a process. A process that brings the survey to the community, instead of expecting the community to come to us.
We’re partnering with people where they already gather: Deaf clubs, community centers, group homes, community events, faith‑based communities, senior programs, conferences, and local networks. We’re connecting with service providers, advocates, interpreters, and professionals who support our communities every day.
Guess what? And we’re not stopping there. We serve on telehealth advisory boards, collaborate with national workgroups, and help create resources and toolkits that push the telehealth field toward real accessibility, not just in theory, but in everyday practice.
Our goal isn’t just to distribute a survey and other research tools. Our goal is to expand telehealth access itself.
Because accessible data-gathering means removing barriers before they appear.
We are creating more avenues for people to share their stories, because every perspective strengthens our understanding of what accessible telehealth can and should look like.
Your story doesn’t just matter.
It helps shape the future of accessible healthcare. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org.].]