Can a hearing-impaired person donate blood?

Yes, they can; hearing impairment does not prevent blood donation. However, it is important to ensure smooth communication both in assessing donation eligibility and during the donation event to guarantee the safety of the blood donor and blood products.

In the situation of assessing donation eligibility, an official interpreter, writing, or lip-reading can be used. The communication method is chosen according to the blood donor’s situation, and the nurse assesses how to proceed. The blood donor must be able to communicate with the nurse confidentially, independently, or with the help of an official interpreter. Even if the hearing-impaired person does not need an interpreter during the nurse’s interview, they can have an assistant with them during the donation situation if necessary. Unfortunately, on the blood donation bus, we cannot offer the possibility of using an interpreter or assistant because the bus’s space is very limited.

We have one nurse in our Blood Service staff who is proficient in sign language. She works at blood donation events in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Uusimaa, and Southeast Finland, and occasionally also on the blood donation bus. If you are coming to a blood donation event in that area and want to inquire whether the sign language proficient nurse is present, please contact us via email at verenluovutus@veripalvelu.fi, and we will investigate the matter.

hearing impairment