Read My Lips

http://www.ustream.tv/flash/video/16293961

I was desperate for an interview a couple of weeks ago for the bi-weekly internet broadcast I do when I was contacted by a gentlemen fishing for funding for his program for deaf folk. I turned the call and soon had my last Thursday of July filled. I was a little concerned that this was a interview with person who is deaf. I have purposely stayed away from this disability group because of the captioning thing. I believed once I did the deaf interview then I was on the hook for accessibility to the rest of the interviews we have done. I know we should be captioning or providing some form of interpreting but our budget I so tight—there is absolutely no funding for anything but answering the phone. A couple of years ago, when we at least had budget for two operators—I had the other operator transcribing the tapes from the interviews with the hopes of using Movie Maker software to run a trailed under the video of the actual speech—I figured if we ever did get busted I could call “reasonable” accommodation —the transcription project quietly died when Tory moved on to another job outside of State service.

I made it clear to the folks who are deaf I could provide interpreter and when they started pushing my on the idea I told them I was dropping the interview like a Republican contribution slip. They came back indicating they would take care of the problem. When they showed up for the interview the did not have an interpreter and the event went down hill from there. I have kept the interview—what it was-- on the web site to illustrate the need for accessible and affordable communication options. I told them I would try to find a sighner for a re-do of this interview in two week.

So, I called the or the Deaf and Hard of Hearing an pike with an old friend, there who directs the program. She even indicted she may have a little funding to provide an interpreter. She a good State employee and cautious and will commit an interpreter until she has visited with the couple. She wants to be sure the interpreter will be signing the truth—there seems to be some issues with couple. So, no I am waiting to see if I have interpreter services for my next show the 11^th of August. An what about beyond?

I have the director of the state program scheduled for later this Fall which is a good thing. I have opened the door to the whole deaf thing and now can see where this elephant will go. Maybe the deaf folk an provide their interpreting or maybe a way for us to to get our shows captioned. Already with the director’s I know we are doing the right thing and I think some doors might open up for our little interview project. Now I just have to figure out a way to diffuse the whole deaf interview from last week. Check out the interview talk about Marx brothers...