Héma-Québec makes blood donation more accessible to Deaf people

 Héma-Québec is making it easier for Deaf people to give blood by calling upon the services of Quebec Sign Language (LSQ) and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters.

Using a text phone relay system, donors who are Deaf can now make an appointment with Héma-Québec to give blood at a pre-established time when an interpreter will be available. The interpreter will accompany the Deaf donor through the entire process, from the registration and interview with a nurse through the actual donation and rest time.

Héma-Québec worked closely with the Centre québécois de la déficience auditive and the Services régionaux d’interprétariat du Québec to develop and implement the accompaniment procedure.

The Héma-Québec employees who will be accompanying these donors have received a training that enables them to better understand the reality of Deaf people.

Blood donation explained to Deaf people

In addition to making it easier for donors who are Deaf to give blood, Héma-Québec, in collaboration with the Fondation des Sourds du Québec (FSQ), has prepared information briefs in LSQ and ASL. The intent of these briefs is to inform Deaf people about the process and eligibility criteria for giving blood. This information is now available on Héma-Québec’s website at www.hema-quebec.qc.ca and will soon be on the FSQ’s website at www.fondationdessourds.net.

About Héma-Québec 

Héma-Québec aims to efficiently provide adequate quantities of safe, optimal blood components, substitutes, human tissues and cord blood to meet the needs of all Quebecers provide and develop expertise along with specialized and innovative services and products in the fields of transfusion medicine and human tissue transplantation.

Héma-Québec counts 1,300 employees, some 3,000 blood drives and more than 300,000 blood donors every year, 16,000 partner volunteers and more than 500,000 blood products annually delivered to hospitals in Québec to fulfill patients’ needs.

Give blood. Give life.