What businesses need to provide interpreters most?

What businesses do you go to that don't provide an interpreter when you think they should...or just wished they did?

Doctor's offices? Dentists? Car mechanics? Hairstylists? etc.

1. any medical service, clinic, hospital, etc.
2. legal services
3. schools

I have learned to pick my battles. But have found schools tobe the worse offenders

What level schools? Elementary, middle, senior high, or college?

I think all schools in varying degrees of need. What do you think Reba? I value the thought of an interpretor.
"Deafinately" MD offices though.

LDNanna said:

I think all schools in varying degrees of need. What do you think Reba? I value the thought of an interpretor.
"Deafinately" MD offices though.

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For medical services, I've noticed in my area that all the hospitals provide interpreters with no problem. However, it's sometimes a struggle to get private practice doctors to hire terps.

All schools should provide qualified terps but that isn't always what happens. I can't speak for all the schools in my area because I haven't been to all of them. I have been to several of them, and I know several of the public school terps. The terps, just like the teachers, vary in their levels of competence. All the deaf/hoh students get terps but I don't know as I would say that they are all equally served to the optimum level. There's also a problem with providing substitute terps. Sometimes there is no one available, and the student is left hanging on those days.

I think the public schools could use more Deaf Ed teachers, especially ones who are either deaf/hoh themselves or CODA's. The "mainstreamed" deaf kids need more exposure to other deaf kids and adults.

The colleges in my area seem to do a good job of providing terps. Of course, I believe my college provides the best. I found out that some students transferred from an upstate college that serves the hub of our state's deaf community, to my college because they heard (thru the grapevine) that we provided the best services! But there's always room for improvement.

Do the interpreters stay in the hospitals for 24 hours? If so, is there a solution?

(I didn't get an interpreter when I was in the hospital. But, I had a nurse who has two deaf children. That was very fortunate for me due I was too weak. There is still no policy for an interpreter requirement in most hospitals.)

Supposedly, a hospital provides a relay on the TV screen, would it be strange for you to deal with it without an "alive" interpreter in person?

webexplorer said:

Do the interpreters stay in the hospitals for 24 hours? If so, is there a solution?

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None of the hospitals in my area have a sign language interpreter staying in the hospital 24/7. If it's a regular appointment, the terp gets scheduled at the same time. If it's an emergency, we terps usually get a call from the hospital, and we get there as quickly as possible.

I don't know the solution to that.

Supposedly, a hospital provides a relay on the TV screen, would it be strange for you to deal with it without an "alive" interpreter in person?

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Yes, some hospitals provide remote interpreter services. I guess it's better than nothing but it's not the ideal solution.

IMO

I wouldn't want to say for an interpreter to stay in 24 hours a day. I am aware that it makes no sense - even there are always a lot of germs in the building. Yike!

There are always something happen during the holidays. A supervisor nurse told me that every July 4th is the worst of all.

The hospital in my city has a list of foregin languages interpreter a person can ask for , but the list does not say anything about having a sign language interpreter.

Good information! Our md offices have no real interpretors. There is a hospital volunteer who used to be a teacher at TSD. It was great when he happened to be there when my friend (who was my terp) was injured and could not speak. I was there to visit. The volunteer helped my friend with his medical terp needs. My asl is not strong. It was easy enough to get the basic needs such as food, water, times, but the actual medical terminology and orders were kindly done by the volunteer.
All of our schools have one interpretor only. Luckily, 3 of our 4 deaf kids attend one school. They help one another when the terp has to work with the other child.
It is pretty thin here.
There are NO terps for MD visits whatsoever unless you can find a friend. Sigh.

LDNanna said:

Good information! Our md offices have no real interpretors. There is a hospital volunteer who used to be a teacher at TSD. It was great when he happened to be there when my friend (who was my terp) was injured and could not speak. I was there to visit. The volunteer helped my friend with his medical terp needs. My asl is not strong. It was easy enough to get the basic needs such as food, water, times, but the actual medical terminology and orders were kindly done by the volunteer.
All of our schools have one interpretor only. Luckily, 3 of our 4 deaf kids attend one school. They help one another when the terp has to work with the other child.
It is pretty thin here.
There are NO terps for MD visits whatsoever unless you can find a friend. Sigh.

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That is unacceptable. And it seems to be par for the course for the majority of areas.

The radio show This American Life had an episode about people suing in California for ADA violations...mostly wheelchair-related, but maybe same needs to happen in other states.

This link has a good summary.

No transcript of show though. :roll:

Maybe sue TAL?

whatdidyousay! said:

The hospital in my city has a list of foregin languages interpreter a person can ask for , but the list does not say anything about having a sign language interpreter.

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Ironically, hearing patients who aren't even citizens of the USA are more likely to get interpreters than deaf patients who ARE American citizens. Something wrong with that picture.

Reba said:

Ironically, hearing patients who aren't even citizens of the USA are more likely to get interpreters than deaf patients who ARE American citizens. Something wrong with that picture.

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Maybe because they get more requests? I had a friend who needed to take SATOP classes in order to get his drivers license back, and he told me he was told he needed to hire one himself. I told him nonsense, and called an interpreting service about the situation. I was surprised to learn that sign language interpreters are sub-contracted under the office for interpreters of foreign languages; so, he will get one, but still...

Beowulf said:

Maybe because they get more requests? I had a friend who needed to take SATOP classes in order to get his drivers license back, and he told me he was told he needed to hire one himself. I told him nonsense, and called an interpreting service about the situation. I was surprised to learn that sign language interpreters are sub-contracted under the office for interpreters of foreign languages; so, he will get one, but still...

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Is SATOP like the defensive driving courses that drivers are required to take when they get too many points on their licenses? If it is, then I've interpreted those, and the school paid for my services, no problem. The school also made all the arrangements. The only thing the driver had to do was show up for the classes.

I tried to convince a new deaf "alone" friend in your state a few times. He is about 30 or 35 years old and he does not have a driving license. He told me that his brother let him to drive the car with him somewhere in the country rarely. Finally, I gave him a driving manual and Q&A books at his work. I recalled that he told me that he failed the test several times before I first met him. He said that he never saw the driving manual book. This made me think that there is something wrong with his brothers and even their parents. Actually, I never met his family.

After a month, I asked him if he is ready for the test so that I could bring him to DMV. He emailed me saying that he is too busy at a grocery. He has been working there for 10 years since his parents died. He always walk to work every single day. He never goes on a bus, even in the winter. He has made a lot of money for not having a car or anything except he rents a split house since last fall. He never misses attending at a church, and he doesn't have a real interpreter there. I can't figure it out.

I feel that it is important for him to get an interpreter at the church and some places. It seems that his brothers didn't do anything for him what he needs. His brothers now are married and live their own home. I also tried to talk him about getting a free videophone to contact his friends. His written language is excellence except his communication for a hearing world shot down. I took him to a store pretty far away about 35 minutes, and he was so surprised to see his old friend working there that he didn't know. I was appalling that his hearing friends didn't even try to learn a sign language since they were kid. At the store, I can tell that his friend faked smiling at him. I really don't know if that sound too creepy to you. I am starting to think that something not right about him, but I didn't want to jump the conclusion. I am not so sure how to find an interpreter service in the town. He didn't even try it. He is just stuck where he born and live in the same dead-business town. a si.ko man? TMI?

Reba said:

Is SATOP like the defensive driving courses that drivers are required to take when they get too many points on their licenses? If it is, then I've interpreted those, and the school paid for my services, no problem. The school also made all the arrangements. The only thing the driver had to do was show up for the classes.

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Interesting. SATOP stands for Substance Abuse Traffic Offenders Program, for those with DUI's and such, and they make it clear they do not have interpreters on their staff.

I think I changed my mind not to help my new friend because he is adult. I think that he can't change his habit. I thought that some of you guys would give me some ideas so that I could help him to make things better. I thought that he would appreciate it to me. Perhaps, southern people are slow poke. Just kidding! Oh well. Thanks.