New Bill Could Limit The Deaf Community’s Ability To Communicate

[Miss-Delectable]

KOTV.com - The News On 6

Deaf students rely on highly trained interpreters to communicate with their teachers through sign language. But supporters of the deaf say a new bill would let people with little to no sign language skills work as interpreters. News on 6 reporter Steve Berg reports advocates for deaf and hearing-impaired students say it's a terrible idea, and they say the students will suffer.

Jenks Freshman Jimmy Carpenter has been deaf since birth. A cochlear implant gives him a small amount of hearing, but it quickly gets drowned out in a noisy classroom, so a good interpreter is a must.

"Y'know especially if it's information that's critical for my understanding of the lesson, whether it be for a test or a quiz," said Jimmy through his interpreter.

"We would like our deaf children to have the best quality of interpreter there is possible," said Brenda Carpenter with Total Source for Hearing-Loss and Access.

Carpenter says just last summer Oklahoma passed a law that required high-level sign-language certification for interpreters. But now, just 6 months, lawmakers are already looking at a new bill to remove that requirement. In fact, the way the bill reads, the interpreter wouldn't even have to know sign language. So how can someone who isn't skilled in sign language be an interpreter?

"That's what we thought too. That's why we're challenging this bill," Carpenter said.

Sign language may all look the same to someone who doesn't understand it, but it's like anything else. Some people are fast and accurate, and some aren't.

"If you have a good interpreter, they're able to keep up,” Jimmy said. “If you have one that's not that great, they tend to be falling behind and missing lots of information."

We asked Jimmy if he's ever run into a slow interpreter.

"Once in a while," he said.

Jimmy can joke about the problem, but he knows an inexperienced interpreter is no laughing matter. "That would be really tough to understand what the instructor is talking about whether for a test or what have you,” said Jimmy through his interpreter. “Then the potential there is to fail."

Supporters of the deaf say there is a severe shortage of interpreters who are skilled and certified in sign language. But they say removing the requirement for schools is not the solution.

A new bill could hinder the deaf community’s ability to communicate by lessening the requirements for interpreters.

[lumbingmi]

Where is our defender , Nesmuth ??

[VamPyroX]

WTF!? This sucks!

[Foxrac]

What??? I need have interpreter for school or other education place since don't want get fail but I do care about interpreter that need have great ASL skill to make understand and doesn't affect our GPA or something. I have good interpreter at my high school and sign in full ASL, that really clearly to understand about them. If school need remove the interpreter then that would be bad news for deaf people and need have good interpreter, also if interpreter is doing bad job then I will report to school principal and would figure out with issues.

I think it would violation of ADA.

[shel90]

Hahahaha of course these stupid dumb ass politicans dont know shit about deaf ed. First, they close some public schools with wonderful deaf ed programs, talk about closing deaf schools to save money and now interpreters? And they ask why deaf students are graduating with low reading and writing levels? Duh!

note: I wasnt laughing as it is funny but like "unbelievable!" laugh.

[ITPjohn]

[QUOTE=shel90;727291]Hahahaha of course these stupid dumb ass politicans don't know shit about deaf ed. [QUOTE]

They're still CLUELESS! NCLB, Least Restrictive Environment -- how much more needs to be said? I spent years in school learning Sign, but still would not try to pass myself off as a qualified interpreter. Did they ask RID or NAD for input before coming up with this brilliant idea? I doubt it.

[Liza]

WTF.. this won't get passed! Better not.
Idiot politician... back to the drawing board again!!

[dracotkk]

Politicians are very stupid though, and yep this is the wrong way to fix the interpreter shortage. Hey Tweety, or anyone in Huntsville, ya know how that AL terp training program thing is going along?

[Berry]

I can understand how unqualified interpreters can be a serious problem, but I'm not sure that politicians should be trusted with setting the qualifications. As ITPjohn points out, RID and NAD were probably not asked for input on anything.

I was told I should go to a friend's college class as a visitor as there was a deaf student attending whom my friend believed I would enjoy meeting. But the deaf student never returned. Why? Because he felt the interpreter, who was fully qualified, did not have a good attitude and did not care.

I personally doubt a politician would understand why it would be important the interpreter have a good attitude or care.

Not sure what the answer is but I am sure this is an issue the deaf community should be heavily involved in and one the deaf community should be making most of the choices in.