Health care system accessibility. Experiences and perceptions of deaf people.

Background: People who are deaf use health care services differently than the general population; little research has been carried out to understand the reasons.

Objective: To better understand the health care experiences of deaf people who communicate in American Sign Language.

Design: Qualitative analyses of focus group discussions in 3 U.

Deaf women: experiences and perceptions of healthcare system access.

Background: The authors investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and healthcare experiences of Deaf women.

Methods: Interviews with 45 deaf women who participated in focus groups in American Sign Language were translated, transcribed, and analyzed. Deaf women's understanding of women's health issues, knowledge of health vocabulary in both English and American Sign Language, common health concerns among Deaf women, and issues of access to information, including pathways and barriers, were examined.