Quote:
Originally Posted by deafbajagal
To answer your first question: Yes, I actually called and explained the whole nine yards including the purpose of hiring a qualified sign language interpreter and why it was important for them to have one. I explained that I was a member of one of their sister chruches and wanted to continue attending chruch on a regular basis. I even had numbers of several sign language interpreting agencies they can contact for more information. I went back and counted how many churches I had contacted: 48. I've spent over 70 hours making calls and talking with people. I've met some face-to-face. So I'm really trying here.
And yes, I agree my phrasing could be better. I was pretty frustrated when I typed out my first posting - and it shows. But what about in a legal situation...is it ok for a legal interpreter to provide "some" access? To me, that's like saying, "Well...that dude knows some of his legal rights - that's better than nothing."
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First of all, good for you! I'm glad you explained to them why it is important to have qualified interpreters. Who knows, maybe if you called some of those 48 churches back, maybe they have fixed their policies and they will get better interpreters now. Although I understand that would take a lot of time! But maybe you did educate them just a little bit.
For the second part...no, of course it is not okay for a legal interpreter to provide "some" access. However, personally I cannot compare legal interpreting to religious interpreting...like I said, I do not know enough about religion. For me, it is not the same thing...a legal case is different from a religious service. However, I understand that many people feel being in Hell is just as bad (or worse) than being in prison. So for some people, it would be equally important. It just isn't a comparison that makes sense to me.
I really truly hope you are able to find a church that will serve you well. I was also a little offended by your original post but I understand that you were feeling frustrated at the time. I hope you can find some help!