Wednesday, September 19, 2007

I would like to have an Interpreter please? NO!!!!

29 comments:

Oscar Chacon said...

O-U-C-H!!!

No interpreter provided just because the law firm refused to pay for it? Wow, talk about greed!

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I really do not have the answer. Hubby lost the employment as a result of no interpreting service provided in his weekly meetings. That sucks. We tried to do anything about it, like suing the company, but no one was on our side. Lawyers were looking for credits, and $$, unforuately not for his human rights.

Try this blog, ReunifyGally, and see what they suggest... They are involved this ADA restoration... Big time.

deafk

drmzz said...

Big irony. Happened before. I guess their attitude is "Sue me, then I'll be forced to listen."

Squ65 said...

Yep it s**ks ...A few months ago, I was in the waiting area with my friends included the certified interperter at the veterinary hospital where I work. I wasn't expected that the interpreter join my friends to my work. I met them there and my duty was off at that time. The woman who works in the business area (or whatever) asked me if it is alright to let interpreter go so I can take care of the rest. I was pretty speechless and I told her I am here as a friend and ..... I am off duty. The woman looked exasperating and left. It is obviously money is the issue for her. Too bad ... lol. The interpreter was pretty stunned too! I've worked for 6 years now .. My bosses knew getting an interpreter for our meeting is a must. It is expensive but they must follow the ADA law!

Anonymous said...

Yeah I got similiar experience...I called the popular law firm that was on tv commerical that he would listen to anyone. I called his office and his secretary left my message. He called so I returned the call thru TTY and he said he will be GLAD to have me sit and talk to him. He want to hear all about it!!! I said great since I am deaf can I request for an interpreter please ? He said he will call me back.... He did and told me to call this number for another attorney in other county 2 hours away. I contacted this referral number and I was told he couldn't help me outside my county and I have to contact the one in my own county to help me. I got shafted!!!! He got rid of me by referring to someone else who can't help me at all. Sleazy lawyers!!! The worst on top of the list for refusing an interpreter for the Deaf are Doctors and Lawyers!!! Cheapskates!!! They got BMWs and huge acreage of property to throw their money away and they can't even pay for an interpreter that can be simply be used for tax deductible. Sheesh!

Squ65 said...

I often was told to get myself an interpreter because I am Deaf and it is my responsibility. Hello -- ADA law is still existed! They must arrange this, that ... etc ...

Anonymous said...

curious, squ65,

do you know how to use ADA law, eh? I don't.

deafk

Anonymous said...

As I understand it, here in Rochester NY the lawyers chip in to a fund for interpreters and then when a lawyer needs to get an interpreter, it is paid for out of the fund, sort of like insurance. I heard about this a few years ago but haven't seen it mentioned lately so I'm wondering if it's still active ..

Anonymous said...

I am not an expert on the ADA, but I'm thinking that the basic issue here is physical access vs language access. When we talk about languages, and Deaf people HAVE a language, therefore Deaf people are NOT disabled in that respect. We are like the United Nations representatives utilizing interpreters for others to communicate to us as well as for us to communicate with others in a way that is closest to "natural"...as opposed to writing / reading.
ADA seems to benefit Deaf people best only in making English accessible in the written form...i.e. captioning, but in the language issue like ASL in education or at work...ADA sucks! and hurts badly... When interpreters are associated with ADA, they are viewed not as LANGUAGE facilitators, but as CRUTCHES for Deaf people. Duh? They are NON-SIGNERS' CRUTCHES as well! But realistically, again, interpreters are for BOTH speakers of different languages.
Maybe we need to demand a new law be passed -- maybe an offshoot of ADA, or a "Deaf Americans Law" -- that recognizes ASL as a legitimate and official language in Deaf people's lives from birth to death?

mishkazena said...

They say no because they feel they can get away, breaking the laws.

It is up to us to see that they follow the laws. Otherwise they are not going to change.

LaRonda said...

This is the Next Greatest Irony!

~ LaRonda

Anonymous said...

Yes, it's true. Lawyers KNOW the ADA, but they oppose its requirement for them to provide interpreters.

From personal experience, I have seen lawyers refuse to see Deaf people because they asked for interpreters, even to the point of dropping the client after the first interview. Other lawyers ADD the cost of the interpreter to their bill, covering it up by a higher fee or as administrative expenses.

Fight for your rights! Go to the local disability advocate in your city or largest interpreter agency and ask them to educate the lawyer on the advantages and tax benefits that they may not realize.

Anonymous said...

That is so terrible, and it happens to people EVERY DAY. How is this right? What are some effective ways that you have gotten an interpreter in the past when people refuse to pay?

Squ65 said...

Some lawyers are absurd. By the way -- How is your puppy? lol

Anonymous said...

Yep, most lawyers won't provide terps, and they don't HAVE to! Know why? They don't receive government funding, they are in private practice therefore the ADA doesn't apply to them!
Of course good business practice would be to provide one, but just put yourself in their shoes for a minute...and think of the expense! I hate it, but understand it.

Deaf Woman said...

This is definitely greed on their part for not wanting to provide interpreters...I just don't understand...if they want to help clients, REALLY CARE about our cases, then they should make every effort to provide us interpreters, so we all can feel we are involved...without interpreters, we just guess what they are saying, is that fair, NO!! I don't know what we can do...is there anyone who would know...advise us in case we need to get our lawyers/doctors to provide us interpreters. Sighs...
Great vlog and good question!

Anonymous said...

There are several things you can do:

-I know of one person who had the same situation, and she ended up suing her own lawyer for not providing terps! She won, but I bet it was a long and drawn out battle with costs involved as well.

-You can file a complaint with the Department of Justice. I've done this before, but I never got a response, so I don't know the effectiveness of this one.

Anonymous said...

My last comment posted before I was done...

-Print out the ADA law and highlight the area where it says that businesses must provide interpreters. Bring this with you to show the lawyer. If the lawyer isn't stupid, he can read the law and know exactly what he's required to do and what will happen if he doesn't.

-Report them to the BBB, Chamber of Commerce, and other local agencies.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do and the result!

Anonymous said...

you and lawyer wrote a paper in first place that made him to think you can write to commution with him so you should ask him for interpreter first place than writing a paper. I have a experince with hearing people. I prefer to tell them that I cannot write any get a damn interpreter.

Judge said...

Sue this lawyer!!! The lawyer BROKE the law!

Anonymous said...

What do I say when my divorce lawyer said my intepreter's bills is bankrupting her? She doesn't have many clients and has only a secretary and an assistant in her staff? Her office is 950 bucks a month.

Also, what do I say when my doctor is lashing out at me because my intepreter just billed him 2 hours of service for a 15-minute appointment?

With that said, this issue is still too murky. I give up. I'm going back to my paper and pen.

Anonymous said...

Seems like ADA Laws are very weak systems for the Deaf!!!!????

Anonymous said...

Hello B A D,
That is so true lawyers and doctors refuse to provide interpreter and it look like nothing will changed for years years even we know ADA passed the law. It is old story.

Perhaps we all should contact NAD to get in fight for everyone in USA not only your hometown.
It is time for all of us to fight for our rights just like people in wheelchairs do have rights to
have access to anywhere so why not do same with the deaf that needs interpreter to work with doctors and laywers.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !
SB

Andrea said...

Lawyers are obligated under the ADA to provide interpreters. And cannot charge extra for them.

YES, this DOES apply to private practice lawyers too. Providing law services is a public service, so they fall into the public service part of the ADA: they are obligated to make their public services (ie, law services) accessible to Deaf people.

The ADA already specifically mentions ASL interpreters as an example of a reasonable accommodation. If a lawyer, doctor, etc. refuses to get one, then that is the failure of the lawyer/doctor etc to obey the law -- not a failure in the law itself. It is also a failure in improving education and training for lawyers and doctors in their obligations under the ADA.

If you come over to ReunifyGally (thanks, deafk, for mentioning it) ... I don't write a great deal directly about the ADA itself, but I write about the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, which, if it is passed, will be meant to rescue the ADA from the damage done to it by the courts. I am not sure, though, that it would directly apply to the situation described in this vlog. But it would apply to other civil rights issues, including the right to be protected from discrimination when looking for a job.

Anonymous said...

The Deafies (incl. myself) have similar problems here in Rochester, the largest deaf population.

Some lawyers are greedy, period.

I don't retained any lawyers who refused provide interpreter. No interpreter, no service.

That is my believe.

Laurie M.
Rochester, NY

DeafKathy (Wilson) said...

Have the lawyer charge you half price for their time if communicating via written (it takes longer in written communication comparing with interpreter). We did and it works better than paying full and still refuse to have terps.

Deaf Pixie said...

I have huge problem with doctor who refused hire interpreter and I am on way to sue the hosptial and clinic.

I told doctor all the time " A.D.A Law say so! and give the NAD

Anonymous said...

Tell the NAD their lawyer group/section let them take that manto court!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

What is the difference between a Spanish interpreter and a sign language interpreter? Really. NO DIFFERENCE! So, why should it matter? A lawyer WOULD hire a Spanish interpreter, a Vietnamese interpreter, etc., with no questions asked, right? How does a lawyer or a doctor deal with foreign speaking people, anyway?

Then again, the local hospital nearby has now started to utilize the interpreter phone thing - you can't do that with sign language, right? But at least they have a sign language interpreter on call. So that helps. Just that now they use foreign verbal languages interpreting via phone.

I'm thinking that maybe ADA hurt more than it helped - it somehow made sign language interpreting "different" from foreign language interpreting. And I agree with the other poster that they should charge you 1/2 the normal rate because as we all know, it takes longer to communicate through the relay, writing, even interpreter, etc.