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A deaf or hard of hearing person may make an emergency call by dialing 911
on your TTY telephone; once you have dialed 911, you need to press the space bar and the return key several times, waiting
a few seconds between each entry. By pressing the space bar and return key after you have dialed 911, you will alert the 911
service that you are calling from a TTY phone and they will then be able to respond by TTY. If a call is placed to 911 by
a hearing person on behalf of a deaf or hard of hearing person, the dispatcher should be told if the person needing assistance
has a hearing impairment and detail what is the preferred mode of communication (sign language, TTY, interpreter, note pad).
If this is a true emergency, time is very critical. Therefore, in anticipation of any medical emergency, store your
medical history and medication list (including over-the-counter medications) in your refrigerator. Emergency medical service
personnel are accustomed to finding one refrigerator in each place of residence, usually in the kitchen, and the location
of the information will be speedy. Your medical history and medication list should be stored in a plastic zip-lock bag on
the inside of the refrigerator door.
If you are alone and fear you might be unconscious, alert the dispatcher as to
the location of your medical history and medication list.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Connecticut
Consent Decree require the receiving facility (hospital, clinic, emergency care center) to provide you with an effective means
of communication. The emergency medical personnel should convey this need to the receiving facility via telephone, along with
your medical condition, if you have elected to request an interpreter.
While EMS personnel have basic knowledge of
communications with deaf and hard of hearing persons, be sure to remind them to:
Check to see that their faces are
adequately lighted so that speech reading is possible;
Make sure that your hearing aid is properly inserted and working;
if not, they may have an assisted listening device available;
Maintain eye contact and not block their face;
Alert
you in person, by tapping your hand or shoulder;
Avoid, wherever possible, background noise;
Write notes,
if this is your best mode of communication;
Use the microphone of your assisted listening device;
Talk directly
to you, not to your interpreter;
Allow you to type on a computer, if one is available;
Advise hospital personnel,
on your arrival, that you wish your chart to indicate that you have a hearing impairment and indicate your preferred mode
of communication;
Alert you visually of any unexpected change in transport or processing.
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