Swine flu hotline a no go for hearing impaired

Media Release
17th June 2009

Swine flu hotline a no go for hearing impaired

The Ministry of Health must cater for hearing-impaired and deaf New Zealanders in its communication around the swine flu pandemic, the National Foundation for the Deaf says.

While the ministry is urging the public to call an 0800 number for information on the flu and what action to take if they have flu symptoms, it is not yet promoting a means to access information for those who cannot use the telephone.

NFD Advocacy Project Manager, Chris Peters today said the ministry did not appear to have thought of the needs of those who could not use the telephone because of their hearing disability.

“Four hundred thousand New Zealanders have a hearing loss to some degree and for many of those people it means they cannot use the phone,” said Peters.

“Not everyone has access to someone who can make calls for them, and people with hearing disabilities must be able be able to get important information for themselves rather than having to rely on others.”

Mr Peters said the ministry should provide fax and email details so those who could not use the phone have another way of getting important information. The Ministry should also consider how they would get information to people who have multiple sensory disabilities such as the deaf-blind.

“In many respects, this pandemic will set the blueprint for future exercises of this sort, and the ministry must recognise there is a significant number of New Zealanders who cannot access information by telephone.”

ENDS

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