A task force that aims to improve communication for deaf and heard of hearing patients in health care had its own access issues during its first meeting at the State House in Augusta Monday.
Member Emily Blachly of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing pointed out that the livestream video did not have a camera on the interpreters.
"Now we are here in person, but I have to say the deaf community is very interested in the work the task force is doing, and it would have been beneficial for access to be completely available to those remotely," she said.
Interpreters were included on the livestream soon after.
The task force was established during the last legislative session, but the recent mass shootings in Lewiston have highlighted access issues. Members of the deaf community were among those killed and injured, and there were frustrations that patients initially had to rely on video services to communicate
During the meeting, Tommy Minch of Disability Rights Maine said the most common complaint the organization receives is about the use of video interpreting services.
"There is that preference to have a person there rather than a mobile device that's plugged into a wall," he said.
The task force will develop a set of recommendations and legislation for lawmakers to consider.
