10/23/2025
Imagine you’re a Deaf client in the birth room.
The lights are bright.
Providers and assistants are moving quickly.
There’s an ASL interpreter at your side — but four different people are talking at once.
Some are facing away.
Some are speaking quietly in a corner.
An emergency comes up, and now the pace doubles.
Even with an interpreter, it’s chaos.
And for a Deaf family, that chaos can mean missed information, delayed consent, and the terrifying feeling of being left out of your own birth.
This isn’t just about language access.
It’s about how birth teams work together under pressure.
It’s about slowing down enough to make sure the birthing person understands and is included in every decision — no matter how intense the moment is.
As a Deaf doula, apprentice midwife, and future licensed midwife, I’ve seen both sides of this.
I know the difference it makes when a team is trained to communicate clearly, use interpreters effectively, and keep the client at the center of the birth — even in emergencies.
Deaf families deserve more than “the basics” of access.
They deserve birth spaces where communication is seamless, respect is constant, and inclusion is the standard — not the exception.
Change starts with seeing the gaps.
It grows when we work together to close them.
