Michoacán legislator proposes medical accessibility for deaf citizens

Nalleli Pedraza has introduced a legislative initiative in Michoacán aimed at improving medical and psychological service accessibility for deaf individuals. Developed in collaboration with linguistic rights advocate Viridiana Villegas Ramírez, the proposal seeks to eliminate communication barriers that jeopardize patient autonomy and health outcomes.

The initiative focuses on three primary pillars: providing in-person interpreters and tele-interpretation services in Mexican Sign Language (LSM) across all levels of medical care; ensuring that children or family members are not forced to act as interpreters to protect patient confidentiality; and offering preferential psychological support to female caregivers facing these communication challenges.