Here & Now

Beyond the Ballot: Wisconsin's Deaf Community

Frederica Freyberg:

In the months leading up to the 2018 fall elections, “Here and Now” is collaborating with Wisconsin Public Radio on their “Beyond the Ballot” series. A project that has reporters traveling around the state to talk to people about the issues they find most important. We asked that question of two members of Wisconsins deaf community and how they think their legislators are doing at responding to those issues. They were speaking through an interpreter.

Dori Richards:

I want to see Wisconsin become more open to having deaf professionals, access to licensing here. There’s so much red tape to go through to get licensed in the mental health community. Often we have people going through the educational system, but when it comes to getting their licensing hours, the red tape is almost impossible to overcome.

Brian Fruits:

I have two. One is mental health treatment and the second one is interpreters, particularly around the state of Wisconsin, licensure, certification, et cetera. Some interpreters are working without certification and licensure in the state and puts deaf people in very dangerous situations. We talk about going to the hospital or having critical surgery or going into the court system. There’s a lot of different things that if an interpreter misinterprets, it has a– our lives could be destroyed. It has a very negative effect.

Dori Richards:

There’s a lot of mixed messages. A lot of difficulty knowing who are the truly qualified interpreters within these realms of our lives. And how our lives are seriously affected and how we can get our voices heard through these interpreters and working with these interpreters.

Interpreter:

Dori is saying there’s a lot of things we didn’t mention because often we’ve been brushed aside historically. Brian’s asking her what she means.

Dori Richards:

I mean we did hear about the mental health thing. We heard about the licensure thing. What happened? There was no real follow-up. There was no real follow-through on anything.

Brian Fruits:

So they know about it, but they don’t really help us achieve what we need.

Dori Richards:

I agree.

Brian Fruits:

It’s important to understand the deaf community, deaf/hard-of-hearing, deaf/blind community is not looking for a handout. We just want appropriate laws to prevent discrimination and give us opportunities to work, to prove ourselves. We don’t have a lot of money to make big donations or host political party activism groups. But we’re human and we have rights.

Frederica Freyberg:

For more information, visit wpr.org/ballot.