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Communication Aids

If you, your child, or another family member has a disability that affects how you communicate, we want to help.

We want you, your child, other caregivers, and companions to have an equal chance to take part in services, activities, programs, and other benefits at St. Jude. This is still true if you are:

  • Deaf
  • Hard of hearing
  • Blind
  • Have other communication disabilities. These include challenges in sensing, feeling, or speaking normally.
Blind man with guide dog
Deaf person doing sign language

For patients who are blind or deaf, St. Jude provides interpreter services from certified interpreters. 

If a disability affects communication

St. Jude provides services or items to make communication easier between a person who has a disability and a person who does not. We will talk with you about needed services or items. We want to learn when you need them, how long, and how often.

We may or may not provide the service or item you request. Or we might provide another service or item. We will discuss these decisions with you.

  1. What support is available?

    Listening devices or systems, such as a Pocket Talker®

    • Audio recordings or taped text
    • Phone equipment, including:
      • Phones with a caption display, video display, or video text
      • Phones that work with hearing aids or have a device in the handset to make sounds louder
    • Text phone (TTY) 901-595-1040
    • American Sign Language interpreters – both in person and via a Video Remote Interpreting cart
    • CART — Communication Access Real-time, also called Real-time Captioning
    • Note takers and written notes
    • Closed-caption decoders and open and closed captioning

    Support for people with blindness or vision problems

    • Voice, text, and video-based products for “text to talk”
    • Patient and family information in large print
    • Computer software to make text larger on a screen or to read text from a screen
    • Apps that tell you what is on a computer or phone screen

  2. Do I have to provide my own interpreter?

    You do not have to bring your own interpreter. Also, we usually will not use an adult who is with you. But we can use this person if you have a disability and:

    • You ask us to use that adult as an interpreter.
    • They agree to be an interpreter.
    • Using their help is appropriate.

    You may use an adult who is with you if there is an emergency and no qualified interpreter is available. An emergency means someone’s safety or well-being is threatened right now.

    Also, St. Jude will not use anyone younger than 18 as an interpreter, unless there is an emergency and no qualified interpreter is available.

    Planet Earth

    Should St. Jude have no qualified interpreter available, an adult over 18 years of age traveling with you may be allowed to interpret for you.

  3. May I make my own recordings of medical care?

    Not usually. St. Jude staff can help you record information or get it in a form that is easy to use, based on your needs. But we must also protect you, your child, our staff, and other patients. We must protect their privacy and avoid anything that could distract a staff member.

    You may take pictures or make recordings to make sure St. Jude communicates well with you and your child if:

    • St. Jude staff approves the picture or recording ahead of time
    • You follow any instructions or limits from St. Jude staff
    • You do it to communicate with a person who has a disability
    • You do it only to give that person an equal chance to take part in St. Jude activities, services, programs, or other benefits

    St. Jude can take back its approval of pictures or recordings at any time.

  4. Questions?

    If you feel you need help with communication, talk with your child’s care team. If you have questions, concerns, or feel your needs are not being met, call the patient relations coordinator at 901-595-3751.

    You, your companions, or your legal representatives may file a grievance if you feel you have been discriminated against because of a disability. St. Jude will arrange for anyone with a disability to have needed communication aids and services during the grievance process. To discuss this, you may contact your care team or:

    Patient Relations Coordinator

    262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 282

    Memphis, TN 38105-3678

    Telephone: 901-585-3751

    Fax: 1-901-595-5376

    Email: PatientRelationsCoordinator@stjude.org

Key points

  • St. Jude provides services or items to make communication easier for people with disabilities.
  • We will work with you to find the services or items that can help.
  • St. Jude staff can help you take pictures or make recordings to ease communication.

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Reviewed: September 2022