Name: Finley Shinnick
Major(s): Mathematics and Biology
Research Location: Rochester, NY
Finley spent her summer working with Golisano Children's Hospital studying American Sign Language (ASL). Finley plans on write her senior thesis in Deaf medical accessibility, so she used her summer to acquire cultural and language familiarity before officially beginning a research project. She attended a Mass for the deaf and gained proficiency by engaging in conversations with the parish priest and parishioners. By the end of the summer, she learned how to navigate multi-person conversations and pick up on cultural indicators like greetings and goodbyes.
Finley says, "When I first arrived at Notre Dame, I was surprised to learn that the university does not offer any courses in ASL. Over the past two years, I have worked within the Student Government Department of Disabilities to advocate for the inclusion of ASL in the curriculum. This experience has deepened my understanding of the institutional barriers faced by the Deaf community, particularly in healthcare.
In pursuing a thesis on ASL accessibility, I hope to gain both language skills and cultural competency that will better prepare me to provide compassionate, accessible care. I do not want to be part of the barrier to healthcare access; pursuing this research will challenge me to grow into a more inclusive provider."