Language as an obstacle to health services access for deaf women

Abstract

This article addresses the understanding of female leaders’ power relations and agency related to women’s rights. It also discusses the implementation of the primary health care mandates, including those related to the reproductive rights inscribed in the National Policy for Women in Brazil. This study will discuss, using the lens of critical discourse analysis, how Deaf leaders access different health and social facilities. As qualitative research, it was investigated and analyzed, through the internet, the understanding of the Deaf leader’s discourses about a desirable women’s health policy. The results demonstrated that the guideline does not include a meaningful discussion about signing language as a way to improve the communication between Deaf women and public health services.