“He may not hear, but he’s not stupid”: A clinic visit becomes a battle for accessibility for the deaf
Erez Avraham, a 35-year-old deaf man, visited a Clalit dermatology clinic in Tel Aviv and encountered a series of accessibility failures: a non-functional appointment screen, inability to know when he was called, difficulty communicating with the doctor, and a painful procedure performed without prior understanding. His wife Shirly says complaints were only addressed after Walla intervened. Clalit apologized and promised personal accompaniment and accessible services.
Erez Avraham, a 35-year-old deaf man, visited a Clalit dermatology clinic in Tel Aviv about two weeks ago (Sunday). According to him, he encountered a series of failures: an appointment screen that didn't work, waiting without knowing when he was called, difficulty communicating with the doctor, and a painful medical procedure performed without him understanding in advance what was going to be done. His wife said he waited about 20 minutes and people cut in front of him, and that the doctor refused to provide a paper for written communication. The family filed a complaint on the Clalit website a week and a half earlier, but it was not addressed until Walla contacted them. Since the video was published, the family has received many testimonies from deaf people who experienced similar cases. They demand systemic change, not financial compensation. Clalit apologized and promised personal accompaniment and accessible services, including simultaneous sign language interpretation.