DeafMD : Health Education in American Sign Language

Welcome to DeafMD, an innovative website providing accurate, concise, and valuable health information in American Sign Language to the Deaf & Hard of Hearing population. Using health information created by two trustworthy and unbiased government sources—the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, our team of healthcare providers, linguists, and educators translates this complex information into ASL.

Our goal is to develop an easy to use site without overwhelming advertisements. DeafMD contains 4 distinct, informative sections: Diseases & Illnesses, Understanding Tests, News, & Find a Deaf Friendly Doctor. While each section is different, each one is specifically designed to promote a better understanding and knowledge of health. Navigate to the Disease & Illness section, the Understanding Tests section, or the News section, and a video will begin to play discussing how to use each section. One of the most exciting areas of the site is the Find a Deaf Friendly Doctor section. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990 to ensure equal rights to every citizen, the Deaf have repeatedly been overlooked. We have attempted to compile a list of doctor’s offices and other healthcare facilities that use ASL fluently with their patients or comply with the ADA by hiring qualified interpreters for their patients. This list is in no way exhaustive, and we encourage you to submit your provider for inclusion to this list. Email us at ContactUs@DeafMD.org to help us add to this list.

It is important to understand that treatment should never be delayed because of something you have read on DeafMD. If you think that you have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately or go to your nearest Emergency Room. DeafMD does not provide medical advice or promote any product or service. All content found on DeafMD is for informational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek advice from a qualified physician or healthcare professional about any medical concern and do not disregard professional medical advice because of anything you have read on DeafMD. Do not go on if you do not understand. Navigating past this page indicates that you have read and accepted the Terms & Conditions of Use for www.DeafMD.org.

It is our desire to improve the understanding of health related topics to promote the overall wellness of the Deaf community. Please sign up for our email list to be included in the latest health information posted to DeafMD. Please remember, DeafMD functions from the generosity of donations from our users. Any support you could provide would be greatly appreciated! Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any constructive feedback, after all, this site is built for you. Wishing you a lifetime of health & happiness,

The DeafMD team.

For Deaf MD visit: http://www.deafmd.org/index.cfm