Learning About Accessibility Laws for the Deaf

[barnesbri]

Hello! My name is Brittney and I am in a sign language class that includes a research project. My topic is on the Accessibility Laws for the Deaf. Below are some questions I have for anyone here willing to help! I would love to get different perspectives from people with different backgrounds and stories as to why you are here and what pushed you to care about the American with Disabilities Act.

1. I first would love to know about you! What brought you to this website? What is the story behind your passion for the rights of the deaf community? Do you know sign language?
2. What are you most passionate about changing when it comes to accessibility laws for the deaf? The front page of the NAD website pushes for "stronger rules in place to ensure that all deaf and hard of hearing people have access to emergency information and alerts". Is this an important movement the NAD is pushing for right now to you? Do you believe this stems from the issue before COVID briefings how there were not interpreters at every important message from the government or healthcare officials?
3. Are there any laws to protect the deaf community in the job market? I know that the ADA requires employers to make sure that communication with the deaf and hard of hearing employees is provided and effective, but wouldn't that push an employer away from hiring someone if they had to hire an interpreter as well to be able to talk to their new employee?
4. Are you aware of any loopholes in the current laws that you have experienced firsthand or heard of when talking to deaf individuals? How badly was the deaf individual impacted from the experience? Do you have any suggestions for fixing those loopholes or generating better workarounds?
5. What is the most common issue you hear about by deaf individuals when it comes to something that could be prevented by law? Is it discrimination in the workplace, issues in emergency situations, or anything else?
6. What would you recommend people do to help bring equality and push for the end of discrimination against the deaf community?
7. Is there anything else you have to add that you think would be valuable information? This research project is intended to inform and my presentation is aimed to help my fellow classmates understand the laws better and potentially fight for better equality.

I greatly appreciate any help and I look forward to hearing from you!

 

[x1heavy]

You cannot force a employer to spend 20 dollars a hour for a interperter for a work shift on top of the 15 or whatever you are already going to earn. They would just as soon hire three hearings out of the dozens of non deaf apps.

In trucking Employers are entirely legal to hire a hearing driver over a deaf one, when both present equal and full qualifications etc for the job. (Hazmat, CDL, Physical etc etc etc) I have had several employers taken to court over ADA but learned from Federal Govt via the FMCSA who controls all things trucking in the USA told my lawyer and me to forget it. We have no case. Its legal. There was one in TBH Westminster Maryland that could have stood in court but in those days I was already hiring out to bigger and better things relatively fast so its not worth it to chase after relatively small local fry. The ultimate solution was to take your self and emigrate out of the east coast and into a western or southern state that will now benefit greatly for a lifetime of labor, tax paying and production. And none of the discrimination here.

There is nothing that can be prevented by Law. If for example someone wants to commit a felony or a crime? They will do it, law has no hold on them at that point. Unless you can catch em and convict them in court after.

Emergency stuff? Well there were some drills from the white house for all cell phones to recieve a drill alert and so on. However I find that a very large number of devices failed to get these alerts. If there was anything going on in the world that affects us and our survival as a species be it war or ELE (Extinction Level Event) etc, you pretty much will be in the situation rather quickly anyway should you survive the initial hit. I am long past worrying about emergencies. Let it roll, I'll have a smoke and a drink.

I have emailed those who are in charge of broadcast interperting problems. One example was a hurricane situation that was being carried by the weather channel live and we were fixing to be hammered by the eye fairly recently. The WC People failed to adequately show the interperter and literally shoved her to the far side off camera basically. So its no good. I had to visit NOAA, Natl Hurricane Center online to gather the revelant information. Then found the email for the boss of WC broadcasting and told him whats what. he went ahead and solved the problem with the next broadcast. It worked out. You learn to get the facts yourself with the tools at your hand. Not necessarily TV or whatever. They have not been reliable towards the deaf at all. As if they can be bothered to do something in the first place. Some deaf do without. They go on as they have in life and if something came up to them personally in a storm or whatever? They will work it out. Learned to not depend on TV etc for that.

We no longer use the WC or pay for broadcast TV. We dont use the TV much for anything now. At most we transfer you tube or other content to it.. Actual news can be sopped up with a biscut out of the internet collections services in a few minutes each day.

In the days before the internet you were on your own and sometimes when you are not told anything anywhere yer it. So you make do.

In short we have made do for a few hunderd years since America was a Nation and even before then. We dont need or realize there will be a thousand new laws to help us along the way solving common communication issues that we have always run into. Its no big deal. And frankly with regards to the employers that is a great waste and loss in some cases. For every one who cannot be bothered to hire laws or no laws, you can find 10 that will.