I am deaf and live in Keithville. I was so excited to hear about the screening and panel discussion of “Rational Middle” at Sci-Port. The use of alternative forms of energy has always interested me. Finally, a forum for discussion was being presented right here in my own backyard.
I made a request for an interpreter with a local agency that has the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf interpreting contract. After giving three days’ notice, no interpreter was provided. I only received a lot of emails and excuses as to why one will not be there. They suggested I contact various people and ask them to pay for the interpreting service. This is very inappropriate.
When the Deaf Action Center had this contract, this never happened. They took care of making sure services were provided. At no time would the Deaf Action Center make a client contact a funding source.
Last year when all of this trouble happened and the contract was given to an agency with very little experience with deafness, and certainly no experience with providing interpreters, the deaf community warned that this would happen. We tried to explain this was the worse thing that could happen. Now, it has all come to pass.
