Irony

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skm4441

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So, I am a student at SUNY Brockport, of course, it's a hearing college, only 4 deaf students go there. It's close to Rochester. There are interpreting agencies... And there is VRS...

Now to my point... For the last three weeks, the interpreting agency that is used by Commission of the Blind and Visually Handicapped (yup, I'm visually impaired too) has been struggling to find interpreters for a morning class I take, which is on MWF 9:30 to 10:30. It's a tough and required course. So I speak with the coordinator yesterday and I asked what's up with that?

The lady tells me, most of the interpreters have taken jobs working for VRS. I was a little bit annoyed. Then I told her... "While VRS is very beneficial to the deaf community, interpreters are becoming less and less beneficial." So that's the irony of my story.
 
Yes, unfortuately... All the interpreters I have worked with so far this semester said exactly the same thing, including the coordinators at interpreting services agencies...
 
I saw that coming when Christy got her VRS Phone. I also talked to some of her interpetor friends that went to VRS for a job. VRS gives them almost the same benitfits, same pay and they don't have to drive all day for work. They just have to drive to one play and park and work there, like a normal job. Really, the only thing that most of them lose when they work for VRS is getting paid for driving, then again, that can get claimed at tax season.
 
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Nevertheless, they MUST provide you with one...even if they have to fly one allllllllll the way from JClarke's hometown in Austraila to interpret for you in New York - so make sure that they don't just use that as an excuse, ok?
 
We are having the same problem here in MD too.
 
Me, too. We have the same problem here in Sudbury, Ontario, lack of interpreters and now I am thinking maybe you might have a point where the interpreters went for their jobs in VRS. Also maybe they might find interpreting job in BIG city like Toronto or Ottawa or Montreal. We should have lots of interpreters but we don't have them anymore. That is very frustrating. :mad2:
 
Yeah, same here where I live as well. Interpreter shortage is everywhere. What does FCC say about using real-time interpreters, like on TV to interpret for us? For example, if I was in the doctor's office and there's a TV...we can turn it on and have an intepreter interpret the conversation between two of us...is that legal? Does anybody know?
 
deafbajagal said:
Yeah, same here where I live as well. Interpreter shortage is everywhere. What does FCC say about using real-time interpreters, like on TV to interpret for us? For example, if I was in the doctor's office and there's a TV...we can turn it on and have an intepreter interpret the conversation between two of us...is that legal? Does anybody know?
Click to expand...

Good question. There might be a problem with confidentiality, but I really don't know the answer to that one. Sounds like a possible solution.
 
deafbajagal said:
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Nevertheless, they MUST provide you with one...even if they have to fly one allllllllll the way from JClarke's hometown in Austraila to interpret for you in New York - so make sure that they don't just use that as an excuse, ok?
Click to expand...

Thank you. Unfortuately, the Disability Services coordinator said we are the best we can do. I'm thinking "My ass." You see, there are two main interpreting agencies in Rochester that Brockport uses... Interpretek and Sign Language Connection, Inc (SLC). I am getting support services from Commission of the Visually Handicapped and Blind (I have Usher's Syndrome).

So the point is... last year when I was with VESID, they used SLC... SLC has much less interpreters and they were ALWAYS able to find an interpreter, no matter what the condition is... Now Interpretek can't find anyone to come and they have MUCH more interpreters. I had to miss two classes because of this... My ass... The interpreter who I currently work with told me it's because it is about money... It's all a corruption. I think being able to give services to the disabled is more important than money. And the school didn't make much of an effort... Arghhhh.
 
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