Don't stand in front of my interpreters.
"I will move in a few minutes," said someone.
"No, you need to move now. You cannot stand in front of my interpreters," I respond sharply.
Some may find my response harsh, but this impulsive action affects me far more than you can conceive. When a deaf person or I ask you not to stand in front of our interpreters, it's not just a personal request but a plea for equal access to communication.
Imagine if someone removed the subtitles or muted your audio for a few minutes while you were watching a movie at the theater or your favorite show on Netflix. Or even worse, while you were listening to an emergency announcement.
Surely, that would be upsetting, right?
Then why must I accept this? Why is it okay for me to miss out? Why do you think it is okay for anyone to create an additional obstacle for me?
A person with normal hearing relies on their ears for hearing. In contrast, those who are hard of hearing or deaf, such as myself, rely on their "eyesight" for hearing. To put it another way, standing in front of a sign language interpreter while they interpret is equivalent to having someone cut off your audio, like ripping out your earbuds while you're listening to your favorite song. Except in my case, it’s being excluded from a conversation because someone decided it was more important for them to mingle right in front of the interpreters blocking my visual access.
Learning sign language itself was not difficult, but mastering the grammar and structure has proven to be challenging for me. It remains an ongoing struggle even today. Millions of individuals like me have spent years acquiring sign language skills to engage in conversations. However, when we finally want to utilize our knowledge, we often find ourselves unable to do so because someone or something obstructs our view, preventing us from accessing the conversation. It can be a camera crew, a presenter, or simply someone who unknowingly obstructs the interpreter. Many people do not realize that obtaining an interpreter requires advanced planning, often requiring a request to be made at least a month or even two or three months in advance. More often than not, our requests are denied, and we are left in a constant cycle of explaining the importance of ADA accommodations and advocating for our rights.
Even when an ASL interpreter is provided, we still face challenges on-site and continually find ourselves educating others on environmental accessibility and why interpreters are necessary. The journey to inclusive communication is often arduous and requires persistence in educating others about our needs.
Deep down, my younger self felt discouraged by the idea of learning sign language, even though it provided a sense of liberation. Despite having used various tools and resources in the past, I never truly felt liberated because the struggle always seemed constant. While technology and resources serve as valuable tools, they are not the ultimate solution. An integral aspect of this lies in our unwavering dedication to education and actively practicing inclusivity and accessibility. By making a committed effort to embrace these principles, we can truly make a lasting impact. This is why at Imanyco, we not only prioritize the development of communication tools with advanced technology, such as Koda, a digital interpreter, and accessibility assistance for conversations, but we also place great emphasis on educating ourselves and our customers about environmental accessibility.
My only regret is that I lacked the courage to say this years ago; if I had, I probably wouldn't have missed out on much. But in light of the fact that I have it today, I will conclude with this message.
No, you cannot stand in front of our interpreters.
Writer: Saida Florexil