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Deaf 'crying' for interpreters - The North Bay Nugget - Ontario, CA
Chris Polson hopes an open forum will clear the lines of communication between the Canadian Hearing Society and North Bay's deaf community.
The forum takes place society's Worthington Street East office Thursday, and is open to both the deaf, hard of hearing and hearing public.
Deaf people in the North need interpreters. They are crying for them," said Polson, chairman of the Nipissing and North Bay Deaf Club, through an interpreter.
Deaf from birth, Polson speaks using American Sign Language. But with so few hearing people fluent in signing, the services of an interpreter are a necessity.
We need them for doctor's appointments, mental health appointments. If we are in crisis, or an emergency at the hospital or with police, how do we communicate? We are left writing notes back and forth."
Polson said the deaf community has issues with the exchange of information from the society and the frequency of interpreter availability.
The new schedule for interpreting services posted at the society's office lists nine days of service until the end of December.
That is for the whole community," Polson said.
Silvy Coutu, regional director for the Canadian Hearing Society, said there is one interpreter based in Sudbury for that community, North Bay and Timmins, as well as smaller communities like Kapuskasing. There is another interpreter in Sault Ste. Marie and one French interpreter serving all five cities.
As requests come through we fill those requests on a needs basis," Coutu said in a telephone interview from Sudbury.
The society requires two weeks notice to fill a request for an interpreter, which Coutu said is needed to co-ordinate schedules and negotiate fees.
All Northern communities have to appreciate they are recipients of a blended service model," said Cheryl Wilson, director of Ontario Interpreter Services.
Wilson will be in North Bay Thursday for the forum.
She points out that North Bay also has a freelance interpreter.
As far as a Northern community goes, North Bay is pretty well served. I am not sure North Bay really understands out of all the Northern communities, they are better off. They have a freelance interpreter available to them. That doesn't happen in Sudbury."
Wilson, who assured there are absolutely no plans to cut services," wants the community to bring its concerns to the meeting, but also be prepared to help provide solutions.
It's talking about new innovations and directions we want to go. It's bringing people forward in a new area of service delivery and getting feedback on how we can do a better job," Wilson said. We know we can always do better."
Chris Polson hopes an open forum will clear the lines of communication between the Canadian Hearing Society and North Bay's deaf community.
The forum takes place society's Worthington Street East office Thursday, and is open to both the deaf, hard of hearing and hearing public.
Deaf people in the North need interpreters. They are crying for them," said Polson, chairman of the Nipissing and North Bay Deaf Club, through an interpreter.
Deaf from birth, Polson speaks using American Sign Language. But with so few hearing people fluent in signing, the services of an interpreter are a necessity.
We need them for doctor's appointments, mental health appointments. If we are in crisis, or an emergency at the hospital or with police, how do we communicate? We are left writing notes back and forth."
Polson said the deaf community has issues with the exchange of information from the society and the frequency of interpreter availability.
The new schedule for interpreting services posted at the society's office lists nine days of service until the end of December.
That is for the whole community," Polson said.
Silvy Coutu, regional director for the Canadian Hearing Society, said there is one interpreter based in Sudbury for that community, North Bay and Timmins, as well as smaller communities like Kapuskasing. There is another interpreter in Sault Ste. Marie and one French interpreter serving all five cities.
As requests come through we fill those requests on a needs basis," Coutu said in a telephone interview from Sudbury.
The society requires two weeks notice to fill a request for an interpreter, which Coutu said is needed to co-ordinate schedules and negotiate fees.
All Northern communities have to appreciate they are recipients of a blended service model," said Cheryl Wilson, director of Ontario Interpreter Services.
Wilson will be in North Bay Thursday for the forum.
She points out that North Bay also has a freelance interpreter.
As far as a Northern community goes, North Bay is pretty well served. I am not sure North Bay really understands out of all the Northern communities, they are better off. They have a freelance interpreter available to them. That doesn't happen in Sudbury."
Wilson, who assured there are absolutely no plans to cut services," wants the community to bring its concerns to the meeting, but also be prepared to help provide solutions.
It's talking about new innovations and directions we want to go. It's bringing people forward in a new area of service delivery and getting feedback on how we can do a better job," Wilson said. We know we can always do better."