Abstract
The maternity care of deaf women is a subject which has received little attention, either within midwifery research, or within the arena of disability studies. Previous research has highlighted basic difficulties of access and information for such women. Midwives need to be aware of the challenges which can exist in ensuring deaf women can give informed consent, and that their rights and expectations under the Patient's Charter and Disability Discrimination Act are met. Failure of communication could potentially lead to a civil action for negligence. The use of relatives and friends for translation is still a common practice, but a case study illustrates the way in which this can distort even a relatively straightforward communication. Increasingly, the threat of litigation will probably lead to a growth in the availability of professional sign language interpreters, but maternity services may wish to consider the relative merits of different models for accessing these services.
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