Tom, who experiences communication challenges, had a medical emergency and required treatment at the hospital. Because of his disabilities, a trip to the emergency room was challenging and quite scary for Tom. Not only did he need an expert interpreter who could understand his signs and help him to communicate with hospital staff, he also faced challenges related to his physical disabilities, and the hospital couldn’t meet his needs. Once he was feeling better, he called DRC-NH for help to make sure he would not face these barriers in the future.
His DRC-NH attorney contacted the hospital to make sure that it understood its obligations to accommodate Tom. In response to this advocacy, the hospital quickly developed a plan to make sure that Tom would be fully supported during future visits to the hospital.
