Incident at a Laredo hospital sparks concern among disability advocates

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Concerns have risen after a recent Blue Ribbon Committee discussed an alleged incident at a Laredo hospital.

On September 17, the Blue Ribbon Committee met and posed the question if hospitals are equipped to treat patients with impairments.

It came to the attention to one of the members that an individual came into a hospital alone and are deaf. They needed medical attention. This person was experiencing a medical emergency but had a hard time communicating that with medical staff, due to the communication barrier.

The individual was able to communicate but not well understandable. Staff noticed that the individual was in trouble, they saw fear, but the staff mistook that fear. Staff took this individual as a mental case and feared that they were dangerous.

Becaus