Office says providing terp is "charity"

Well, here is a story for you all. . . .

I work as a one-on-one aid to a deaf woman with a learning disability. We go on outings, do fun things around the community and chat because no one in the house where she lives knows ASL.
Yesterday, when I arrived at the house, the manager had left out a paper with itemized statements on it from a conversation she had apparently had with a doctor's office secretary.
The manager called to make an appt for the resident and said she would need an interpreter. The secretary apparently lost it and said, "It's not fair that we have to pay for the interpreter" "Do you mean to tell me that if we have 5 deaf patients, we have to pay for 5 different interpreters?" "This better be a tax write off!" She continued to complain that "it's not fair".
The manager was NOT happy at all, and tried to explain about ADA, etc. The secretary said, "Well, we have a lawyer here in the office, I'll be asking him about this"
Then the secretary asked if she had a family member to come interpret for her and said, "When deaf people come to this office, we make them write"
The manager tried explaining again about ADA, etc, but the secretary wasn't hearing any of it. She asked for the resident's primary physician's name so that she could call her and tell her not to refer any more deaf patients to the office!!
Then she told my manager, "We're not running a charity service here." :jaw:
That's when my manager LOST it. She asked the secretary how she would feel to be deaf and have no one to communicate with her and then have ignorant people like her not want to cooperate to do what they can to assist her!
She told my manager they could make the appt if they made it at the "clinic" location downtown where there was an interpreter on-site. My manager made the appt because she wants to go and tell the doctor personally how horrible the secretary was.
We have notified the local service center for the deaf and I think we'll be filing a complaint with the ADA and civil rights office.

GRRRRRRRRR. I was SO ANGRY when I read the paper and she told me what happened. "Charity service"??? Are you F-ing kidding me???
Why don't we start taking wheelchair ramps away and tell the offices "don't send any of your wheelchair-bound patients here"??

Heh ouch. Hope they will do something about it. Interesting enough something happened to me as well recently.

Few days ago, I was trying to find out if the exam center will provide an interpreter for me since I have to take exam soon. I found out that I have to get an interpreter myself since they won't search for one.

I asked them if they will pay for an interpreter or do I have to pay for it, since I am approved for an interpreter. They don't know and then the woman on the phone went on and said, "She don't see why I need one because the exam is computer based exam." I went on to explain that it is much safer for me to have an interpreter in case something have happened while I am there.
She then complained saying that they had hard of hearing clients before and there were no problem. (Sure, treat me like I am exact same as all other hard of hearing people. :roll
I just told her that I will see and talk to someone about this. She went...blah, blah and finally after the conversation's over. (I am too laid back to even argue to an ignorant person so.) I went and e-mailed this to VR.

I explained this situation to the VR and asked them for their opinions. They just said that they will sent me interpreter.

It's like no one cared what I went through lol.

Sure it would be strange for interpreter to sit in for 4 hours doing nothing. But ya never know, the computer might crashed and I would probably be too nervous to even attempt to communicate with people through paper and pencil. *knock on wood*

Oh well.

Tell these people, "I will see your ass in court, how's that?" That should shut them up. I did that once to my dentist receptionist cuz I was just so pissed off with her constant questioning me why I needed a terp as if I had to justify myself as a deaf person. Excuse me...do what the law says and shut up!

shel90 said:

Tell these people, "I will see your ass in court, how's that?" That should shut them up. I did that once to my dentist receptionist cuz I was just so pissed off with her constant questioning me why I needed a terp as if I had to justify myself as a deaf person. Excuse me...do what the law says and shut up!

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Heh. Maybe I should have.

All I did was when it happened was grinning at TDD. Mostly because I knew she was probably just an ignorant person.


I was amused by her idiot behavior.

Silentwolfdog said:

Heh. Maybe I should have.

All I did was when it happened was grinning at TDD. Mostly because I knew she was probably just an ignorant person.


I was amused by her idiot behavior.

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LOL! Most of the time, I would have the same reaction as u did but that day, I was already having a bad day and her questioning me just pushed me over the edge. The poor VRS terp had to watch me cussing using English since whenever I get mad, I revert to my first language which is spoken English.

shel90 said:

LOL! Most of the time, I would have the same reaction as u did but that day, I was already having a bad day and her questioning me just pushed me over the edge. The poor VRS terp had to watch me cussing using English since whenever I get mad, I revert to my first language which is spoken English.

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Lol. Yeah, I am sure that will happen if I have a bad day as well, I would also react badly.

It's pretty funny you revert to your first language. It happens to everyone who use more than two languages I guess. ^^

Did trep still interprets your spoken English to other person?

Silentwolfdog said:

Lol. Yeah, I am sure that will happen if I have a bad day as well, I would also react badly.

It's pretty funny you revert to your first language. It happens to everyone who use more than two languages I guess. ^^

Did trep still interprets your spoken English to other person?

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No, cuz I was mostly mumbling to myself saying "goddamiit $*$&@(@)@)@_*&%.." I am sure I looked like I was losing it on VP. However, I didnt say what I said loudly enought for the terp to hear. I also think the audio icon was shut off anyway.

Ah yeah. I just would mumble to myself when I am on TDD. If there's a person I don't like or annoys me on TDD talking to me. I would just use awful facial expressions and just groans to myself.

Luckily no one saw me when I did it. Because I am pretty sure I look like an idiot talking to myself and acting like something's wrong with me due to my body language. ^^;

You two are cracking me up! Its probably a good thing I don't use VRS, 'cause when I get ahold of an idiot like that, you can see my feelings all over my face!

As an aside...you really have to wonder...I mean, I for one, would kill to be a fly on the wall at an interpreting center. The calls they must field. LMAO.