Rāhera Turner (inset) is pushing for further training and awareness for frontline staff around access to interpreters to prevent delays, misdiagnoses and miscommunications in potentially life-or-death situations.
A deaf mother was forced to fight for an interpreter when her son needed emergency surgery, saying more must be done to improve how deaf people are treated in the health system.
In May last year, ironically during New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week, Rāhera Turner took her teenage son to A&E because she had concerns for his health, and he later ended up in hospital.
They requested an interpreter for Turner, but were told they would not need one as her son could interpret for her.
“They said, ‘Oh, no, you won’t need an interpreter – your boy is over 16, he can sign consents for himself and help you communicate,’” Turner said.
The NZSL and Turi Māori advocate has shared her story with the Herald to highlight how a communication barrier can cause lifelong trauma.
Turner said she was pushing for further training and awareness for frontline staff around access to interpreters to prevent delays, misdiagnoses and miscommunications in potentially life-or-death situations.
She said she told the staff that her son could not act as her interpreter because he was in pain, and she had the right as his mother to have equal communication.
“There was a bit of an argument,” Turner said.
“We were saying, ‘He’s unwell, he can’t think straight and he’s not capable of interpreting clearly right now’.”
Turner said she requested that an interpreter be booked, but claims she was told they couldn’t get one because interpreters were not available 24/7.
She said interpreters were actually available through another independent agency, and in the end, they called WordsWorth.
“[We] said it’s an emergency, we need communication now,” she said.
An interpreter was arranged and they arrived within 20 minutes.
Turner said as a deaf person, she needs access in her own language and the “easy route” of getting her hearing son to fulfil the interpreter role was not satisfactory, especially because of the pain he was in.
“The hospital staff even started actively positioning themselves with their backs to me when speaking to my son and stood between the two of us – even after the interpreter arrived,” she said.
“This would never have happened if I were a hearing mother accompanying a son the same age through the same hospital system.”
Turner said it was about one or two hours later that they were finally able to get him through to surgery.
“It was very lucky that we got him in and he recovered well, because if things had been delayed any further, there was the potential for lifelong implications,” she said.
Years ago, Turner was in an accident while walking with her bike across a pedestrian crossing. A car struck her and she was knocked unconscious.
“I woke up disoriented, with no interpreter. I didn’t know what was going on. They wanted to take me to surgery. I was physically resisting their attempts to restrain me because I had no idea what was happening and they held me down and administered an injection that rendered me unconscious.
“No communication, no one let me know,” Turner said.
She said the lack of communication became a “lasting traumatic memory” for her and she didn’t want to see the same happen to her son.
“I don’t love hospitals and a lot of that is because I’ve had my rights taken away in the past,” Turner said.
Turner said frontline staff needed to have an understanding of the rights of deaf people and the importance of having interpreters straight away.
She said staff should be aware of the different agencies and options out there for getting interpreters, so people aren’t told they can’t get them.
“It just exemplifies the barriers that exist around having an interpreter there in a timely manner. This was an emergency situation, and that readiness was not present in the system,” Turner said.
She said that because medical language is quite complex, it’s even more important to have complete confidence that the information passed on is accurate.
“I was exhausted and my son was worried – and on top of everything, he had to worry about communicating for me as well.
“As a mother, I want to know what’s happening for my child. I want clear information and I shouldn’t have to expect him to be responsible for passing that on to me.”
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora head of disability Rachel Noble told the Herald it recognised the importance of communication for deaf people and those who use NZSL as their primary language in accessing healthcare.
A 2025 review identified variation across districts in the way NZSL interpreters were sourced.
In response, Noble said Health NZ developed a national policy for NZSL interpreting, with a Quality Standards Framework to support hospitals to build knowledge and confidence in booking interpreters when deaf patients present.
“Health NZ also provides information for staff through its Disability Hub on how to work with deaf and hard of hearing patients, including resources such as the Guidelines on Communicating with Deaf People in Health Services,” she said.
Noble said Disability Equity study days are available for kaimahi (workers) and include a session on NZSL and the Deaf community. In addition, an e-learning module is available.
She said Health NZ has a senior advisor on NZSL who provides advice and leadership in promoting access to health services using NZSL.
“We continue to strengthen our work in this space and improve access for deaf patients across New Zealand’s health services,” Noble said.