[nagdu] Interpreter Services

Wed Sep 23 03:17:40 UTC 2009

Yeah, Peter, I have to come down with Angie on this one. I think as we have 
more people with these kinds of needs, it is important that the NFB deal 
with those. Look! Does that make her feel like a part of us if she has to do 
that herself as a part of the "Federation Fammily?" That's like your having 
to find a way to get a Braille program for a concert because they don't 
provide it. If a person has someone available to her to do this service, 
that's all well and good, but I think that kiind of attitude is both high 
handed and not very welcoming. I hope you will give that a little thought 
and think how it really does sound.

Sincerely,
Cindy Lou Ray

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angie Matney" <angie.matney at gmail.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 10:11 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interpreter Services

Peter,

I suppose NFB should stop providing Braille agendas; those who need them can
bring their own.

I suppose NFB shouldn't provide childcare; those who need it can spring for
the cost of the sitter's extra plane ticket.

I suppose NFB and NAGDU shouldn't provide relief areas; those who need them
can find their own.

Angie

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Peter Donahue
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 9:46 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] Interpreter Services

Hello Roxy and listers,

    What she says is true concerning NAGDU. Mary and I personally helped her

find someone. We were able to get a friend of ours who is a federationist,
and incidentally an employee of the Anatole Hilton to sign for her during
the NAGDU Meetings.

    As I recall you were able to hear enough to respond to questions. I know

because we communicated that way all be it at close range. The NFB does
provide hearing enhancement for the general sessions. You must pay a fee for

the service but if it will help you hear for those meetings hopefully that
would reduce your need for an interpreter. You're given a transmitter and an

ear piece to wear rather than your regular hearing aids. The signal from the

p.a. system in the room is piped directly to you via the transmitter. I'd
strongly suggest looking in to that if you plan to come to Dallas next year.

And you can count on us to help you find an interpreter for the NAGDU and
possibly other meetings.

    The other issue I want to raise is that of responsibility. We can talk
about what the ACB and NFB do, or don't do when it comes to providing such
services. Ultimately it comes down to our taking responsibility for
procuring these services for ourselves. Here in is a difference between the
ACB and the NFB. One provides interpretation services to the deaf-blind
without requiring them to secure it themselves. The other urges the
deaf-blind to find creative ways of locating, securing, and if necessary
paying interpreters. This is not unlike the difference between feeding
someone a fish or teaching them how to fish. The former will take care of
you for a day while the latter will enable you to fish for a lifetime.
Herein is the difference. Until these differences can be molded in  to a
single approach any idea of working together just, isn't, possible!

    Do you have someone that could come with you to interpret? do you have
family, friends, or know of organizations in the Dallas area that could
provide this service for you?

    While it would be a great service for the NFB to provide interpreters
for all deafblind persons who attend the convention at the end of the day
the responsibility falls on the deafblind individual himself-herself. This
is no different than a guide dog user expecting someone to pick up after
their dog during the convention or their being responsible and cleaning up
after their own dog. Okay I'm done.

Peter Donahue

  ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 7:04 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] convention 2010 ???

One of the reasons I'll go back to ACB conventions is that they
provide interpreters for Deafblind attendees.  This last year, I went
to workshops, meetings and the exhibit hall and had interpreters with
me upon my request.

Both myself and other Deafblind people have tried unsuccessfully to
get these same accommodations from NFB and have not been successful.
I went to one convention where I tried to speak with a member of the
Deafblind group (who was hearing) so I could address these issues.
She did not sign and there were no other interpreters present at the
boot the facilitate communication.

Honestly, I'd like to go to an NFB convention because I am interested
in what they have to say.  I am a member of NAGDU and not GDUI because
in my experience NAGDU cares more about including their Deafblind
members.  I'm just not sure if the NFB as a hole does.

I can't go to my local meetings because of the same issues of lack of
communication and total disinterest in leadership in helping me
address these issues.

Sometimes the reasons one might choose to attend the other convention
is because they have other needs which can be better met there,
unfortunately.

Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
"Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you
earn it and win it in every generation."
-- Coretta Scott King
pawpower4me at gmail.com

Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss

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