Congressional Deaf Caucus writes letter requesting White House provide interpreters
The Congressional Deaf Caucus wrote a letter to Vice President Mike Pence today to formally request the White House to provide ASL interpreters during all public briefings and especially for their response to COVID-19.
The letter said “Governors and local leaders are doing their part… We encourage the Administration to mirror these efforts by making all public briefings fully accessible by adding sign language interpreters.”
The letter cited the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a part of the rationale for the White House to provide interpreters and said interpreters are “essential employees” that are crucial to make sure 48 million Deaf or hard of hearing people in the U.S. are provided with the same information as the rest of the country to help slow the spread, flatten the curve, and ultimately prevent loss of life.
The letter was written and signed by the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Deaf Caucus — Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif) and Rep. John Rutherford (R-Florida). Six other members of Congress signed it.
[Sponsored Video from Convo: https://bit.ly/2RyMogR ]
Business Insider explained that the Congressional Deaf Caucus was founded in 2013 by Rep. Takano and former Rep. Kevin Yoder to help bridge the communication divide between Members of Congress and their Deaf and Hard of Hearing constituents and to promote equal access. The caucus has 26 Democratic and two Republican members of Congress.
We will see if this letter provides the political pressure necessary for the White House to provide ASL interpreters. Will it make a difference?
I mentioned yesterday that NAD CEO Howard Rosenblum said historically no U.S. president has ever given a briefing with an ASL interpreter, but that he thinks there should be one because of the severity of this national crisis. He also explained that you can’t sue the President to demand interpreters based on the ADA — he explained that the President was “immune” from laws passed by Congress. He said political pressure is the only way to push for interpreters.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was sued on Wednesday by Disability Rights New York who represented four deaf New Yorkers. The lawsuit said Gov. Cuomo violated the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.