HealthBridges 
If you will be a patient at a UPMC facility you may need an accommodation (including interpreters or specific assistive technology). Also, learn what to do if your request is ignored or not accepted by the health care team in the segment below.
Relay services allow persons who are hearing to communicate with persons who are Deaf, DeafBlind or Hard of hearing very easily. Both the 711 and Video Relay Service are extremely user friendly!!
The word dysfluency refers to an individual’s lack of fluency in their preferred language. Psychiatric reasons or neurological reasons are causes of dysfluency within the hearing population. Among persons who are Deaf, there are even more possible reasons for language processing problems. Robyn Dean from the Rochester Deaf Wellness Center presents more information on this topic.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), is a form of acquired brain injury, that can happen when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object goes through the skull and enters brain tissue. This can lead to permanent brain damage. Be careful about your brain. Learn more about how to prevent head injury!
Like any group, the deaf community is affected by mental illness. Compared with the mainstream population, however, deaf people often face extra challenges when seeking treatment. NAMI talked with psychologist Robert Pollard, Ph.D. professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester and director of the Deaf Wellness Center, to learn more about the past, present and future of mental health care for deaf people.
Persons who are Deaf or Hard of hearing rely very much on their eyes. It is important to schedule yearly checkups with an eye doctor to be sure that your eyes are healthy and to be sure that you know about any early signs of eye disease. An eye doctor can screen for early signs of changes in your eyes related to diabetes or high blood pressure. They can check for signs of glaucoma or retinitis pigmentosa that can lead to visual loss. Your eyes are important! Take good care of them!
The Perspectives section was added to give viewers an opportunity to post opinions, important papers and life perspectives. Articles are subject to review by the HealthBridges editorial committee.
Achieva offers information about how to access dental services for persons who need specific accommodations including American Sign Language. ACHIEVA brochure: Dental English Version (PDF file) If you cannot open or see the PDF document above, you will need to download and install the Plug-In.
Most children who are Deaf or hard of hearing are born into families with hearing parents. Therefore parents are often not prepared to deal with the issues and decisions that they must face about their child. Decisions about the best school, language, amplification modality, or peer group for the child can be daunting.
Get involved!
Join a support group or create one!
It can really help you and your child and family to hear what others have been through.
Therapy, social activities, and medicine can help