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🇬🇷 Greece /Health & Science

Sofia Rompoli, the voice of those who cannot be heard

From Kathimerini · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Sofia Rompoli, a television sign-language interpreter, has worked for years with Greece’s Federation of the Deaf to help members communicate with public services, hospitals and courts.
  • She says limited interpreting support and inaccessible hospital procedures leave deaf patients vulnerable and discourage them from seeking care.
  • Rompoli criticizes the use of a few tablets as a substitute for in-person interpretation and asks why Greece’s emergency services do not provide interpreters.

Sofia Rompoli is familiar to television viewers, but her work away from the screen has made her a vital advocate for deaf people in Greece. For years, alongside her work at Alpha, she has helped members of the Federation of the Deaf deal with public services, hospitals and courts.

The Federation of the Deaf gives every deaf person the right to a free interpreter approximately 20 to 25 times a year for their personal matters.

· Sofia RompoliShe describes the limited interpreting support available through the federation.

The federation provides each deaf person with a free interpreter roughly 20 to 25 times a year for personal matters, using a small state subsidy. Rompoli says that is nowhere near enough. A pregnant woman may need repeated medical appointments, she notes, while people with chronic illnesses, cancer or autoimmune conditions may need long-term support.

I cannot accept this anymore. Hospitals must become accessible for all disabilities.

· Sofia RompoliRompoli calls for hospitals to remove barriers facing deaf patients and people with other disabilities.

She recently accompanied three patients to appointments in one day. At one hospital, she asked doctors to call her from the relevant department so she would not miss another appointment. Yet when one patient’s turn came, staff called the deaf woman’s name in the corridor. She did not answer, and they moved on to the next patient. Rompoli says she has spent years teaching doctors, staff and nurses how to communicate with both patients and accompanying interpreters.

Do they really believe that putting three tablets in three hospitals makes communication with doctors accessible? Of course not.

· Sofia RompoliShe criticizes the use of a small number of tablets as a substitute for proper interpreting services.

She believes these experiences help explain why deaf people visit hospitals so rarely. Many feel too vulnerable to challenge the wider system and worry that they are causing trouble, so they remain silent. Rompoli insists hospitals must become accessible to people with all disabilities. She rejects the idea that placing three tablets in three hospitals solves the problem, arguing that patients need direct, in-person communication rather than hurried video calls. She also asks why Greece’s emergency medical service cannot provide an interpreter, especially for someone suffering a stroke who needs to call for help.

Why should EKAB not have an interpreter? How will someone having a stroke call for help?

· Sofia RompoliShe questions the lack of interpreting support in Greece’s emergency medical service.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathimerini in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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