(504) Disparities in Sign Language Interpreter Services in the Dominican Republic and LMICs

Introduction: Hearing-impaired communities face significant challenges in navigating education, healthcare, and communications, especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Sign language interpretation and education remain limited in these countries. Building on 15 years of engagement with the Dominican Republic (DR)-including research, development of a pediatric hearing program, and service initiatives-our study assesses structural barriers in urban areas of the DR and the United States (US) to inform future development.

Methods: This descriptive study systematically reviewed sign language learning centers and programs, interpreter services, and remote modality availability in the DR and US using descriptions from publicly available online sources including organizational websites and social media pages. Fischer’s exact test was utilized in R-studio to compare resource availability, and significance was set at p< 0.05.

Results: Major urban cities in the DR (n = 10) and US (n = 5) were included. There were no significant differences between the DR and US in the presence of at least one learning center, or at least one learning program (OR = 0.9, p = 1.00; OR not applicable, p = 1.00, respectively). The DR was significantly less likely than the US to have tele-learning resources (OR = 0.067, p = 0.044) and interpreter centers (OR = 0.043, p = 0.026). Tele-interpretation services were absent in all DR cities but present in all US cities (OR = 0.005, p = 0.0003).

Conclusions: Interpreter centers and tele-enabled resources are remarkably less available across urban settings in the DR compared to the US. Resource availability characterization supports development of practical, culturally sensitive remote sign language services, providing a framework to mitigate barriers across the DR and other LMICs.