My name is Bert...

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bjewell

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Hi... My name is Bert. I work for a large State agency -- I just started a few months ago. We provide the programs for people with alcohol and drug problems.

My first major assignment was to see how available such services were to the D/HH people of our state. I've worked on this for some weeks now and I have to tell you, it has been an eye opener.

One of my co-workers who has been a huge help is HH. He has dealt with it since he was a kid and will lose whatever hearing he has in the next few years. He has done a lot of research on the subject and helped me understand the "misunderstandings."

Anyhow, I'm 63, back from living in a foreign country for 20 years where I learned first hand about being an outsider from the dominant culture and all that means. As a kid in the early 60s, I worked on Civil Rights issues as a member SNCC and other more militant groups. Bottom line is that I want to develop as neutral language as possible in my work and promote it in the office.

For my own hearing I have tinnitus, and pretty bad hearing in one ear from playing years of live music. But I'm not trying to be what I am not -- I can hear okay except in crowded situations or if more than a few people are talking. Probably my age adds to it.

Thank you for letting me join. I hope my work can be of some help in getting the State to deal with the unreal lack of ASL translators and interpretors in programs. I'll do my best...

Bert
 
welcome to AD!
:)Enjoy your way around:) i'm sure you can help someone!:)
 
Hi
welcome to AD, enjoy this forum and i wish you lots of luck. The goverment defenetly needs to change things around so all rights in deaf culture and interpreters alike can be respected. Hope you can make the diffreance.
Again welcome
 
Hello and :welcome: to AD! Hope you will be able to glean some answers on this informative forum and ask away! Enjoy! :)
 
Thanks everone... :- ) FWIW, I was just forwarded a directive from my boss that went out to all providers of DUI (driving und the influence) programs, that mandates ASL interpretors must be available whenever a Deaf or D/HH person is enrolled. These courses are required if your are stopped driving while under the influence.

I know I am preaching to the choir, but I am astounded at how little thought is given to the more than 3-million citizens of my state with D/HH issues.
 
:giggle:
bjewell said:
Hi... My name is Bert.* I work for a large State agency -- I just started a few months ago.* We provide the programs for people with alcohol and drug problems.My first major assignment was to see how available such services were to the D/HH people of our state.* I've worked on this for some weeks now and I have to tell you, it has been an eye opener.One of my co-workers who has been a huge help is HH.* He has dealt with it since he was a kid and will lose whatever hearing he has in the next few years.* He has done a lot of research on the subject and helped me understand the "misunderstandings."Anyhow, I'm 63, back from living in a foreign country for 20 years where I learned first hand about being an outsider from the dominant culture and all that means.* As a kid in the early 60s, I worked on Civil Rights issues as a member SNCC and other more militant groups.* Bottom line is that I want to develop as neutral language as possible in my work and promote it in the office.For my own hearing I have tinnitus, and pretty bad hearing in one ear from playing years of live music.* But I'm not trying to be what I am not -- I can hear okay except in crowded situations or if more than a few people are talking.* Probably my age adds to it.Thank you for letting me join.* I hope my work can be of some help in getting the State to deal with the unreal lack of ASL translators and interpretors in programs.* I'll do my best...Bert
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I know what you mean Bert.* I work for the county and I think I am the only one that can sign.* I am not deaf or hh, just wanted to learn sign.* This is a pretty cool site.* I've met some nice people here, especially one guy.**I think the reason the state doesn't have too many ASL interpreters is they don't look at being deaf or hard of hearing as being a handicap, which it isn't, but there is a real need for interpreters.* It is so hard to find interpreters that when one of the deaf clients needed to go to court, they had to hire some from the south part of the state!!!* I am not qualified to interpret for the courts - yet
 
:welcome: to AllDeaf forum. We definitely need ASL interpreters badly and we are having shortest of interpreters to help us understand what is being said in Courts, Job interviews, Doctors Hospitals and etc. Sometimes, we rely on our family members like our sons or daughters to interpret us in ASL. It is really wrong to use family members to be interpreters for us. No wonder, my son does not want to become an interpreter because of his experience of using ASL in public with me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading and posting all the threads here. Have fun with us. See you around. :wave:
 
I thought it was one of the australians Bert Newton coming to alldeaf.com??? WOW!

:lol: I kid, I kid.

Welcome to alldeaf.com!
 
Welcome, Bert. I can tell you from personal experience that all mental health services, including A & D treatment, is largely unacessible to the deaf/hoh population. It is not just a matter of terp availability, but an issue of culture, as well. Too many counselors, therapists, and group facillitators are uninformed regarding the cultural implications of deafness, and therefore, are unable to address the issues from a deaf perspective. The result is that the deaf individual receives dx and tx from the perspective of a hearing individual, and it most often fails because issues are not addressed from the client's perspective. Interpreting is not enough to make these services accessible. We must take a multicultural view in dealing with deaf/hoh clients, and revise tx plans and strategies to address the issues from their cultural perspective. Assessment instruments must be reivsed to compensate for cultural differences to avoid mistaken dx.

I applaud you for taking the steps to begin correction of the inequities.
 
Welcome to alldeaf, Bert. You sound like a wonderful, caring person and I commend you for doing what you do. :wave:
 
Thanks! jillio-san, you hit the nail on the head. What I am trying to do is figure out how to make alcohol and drug programs equally available to the D/HH community. Well, that isn't quite right; I'm trying to make information available to those W-A-Y above me that can implement those changes.

The trick is to figure out how to get there. As you say, just having an ASL translator available is not enough. And again, integration/segregation is not the issue, although YMMV. It is all about getting services to clients that make a difference. I'm on a bit of a mission since I started my research, and until they put me on to something else, I'm using every moment at work to get up to speed.

Nice weather today, God Bless you all and keep us safe... :- )

Bert
 
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