“Deaf Georgia Vote Blue” works with Democratic candidates
The Daily Moth (Alex):
On Tuesday, voters in Georgia will head to the polls to vote for Senate candidates in two runoff elections. Millions have already voted early. A group of deaf people have formed social media pages called “Deaf Georgia Vote Blue.” The page posted videos of the Democratic candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff signing in ASL.
[Video clips]
Alex:
Nice! I reached out to two leaders with Deaf Georgia Vote Blue to learn more about their organization.
Trevor Baldwin:
My name is Trevor Baldwin. I’m originally from Indiana, got involved in various things, but now I work here with her.
Virginia Shou:
My name is Virginia Shou:. I’m from New York City, but my family is here in Atlanta, Georgia. So that’s why I’m here for this project, “Deaf Georgia Vote Blue.”
Shou:
“Deaf Georgia Vote Blue” provides a safe space for deaf people to express their thoughts in vlogs and also we provide direct information for deaf people if they need it. It’s on our Facebook.
[Video clip]
Baldwin:
Some are surprised at the amount of deaf people who support the Democratic party even though it is a red state. Many deaf people want to fight for improvements with language deprivation, with communication, education, and jobs. Deaf democrats are supportive of this but some are afraid to express it because many deaf people come from hearing families. Many hearing families are Republican and they might scold the deaf family members and cause them to feel inferior. There also might be communication gaps because they use their voice to speak and they don’t understand what’s going on.
Shou:
I know that there are many deaf organizations who serve here and we reached out to them, but they couldn’t participate because they are a nonprofit organization. They have to remain neutral. So, where is the discussion? That’s where we come in.
Alex:
You just released a video that was cool, of Warnock and Ossoff signing in ASL for people to come and vote. They are clearly new signers, but it was nice for them to show effort. Can you explain how you managed to film them and release the video?
Shou:
Really, when we started this project, the first thing we did was to go to the campaign rallies. We saw a rally that had both Ossoff and Warnock. We managed to find the campaign manager and we exchanged contact information. We remained in touch. Also, we reached out to many organizations such as the DNC, Georgia Democrats, disability coalitions, we reached out to all of them and collaborated with them. At the same time we produced vlogs on our Facebook page, so they could see our work and how serious we are. They then decided to reach out to us so we could work out the details and the rest is history!
Baldwin:
Ossoff, Warnock, and the DNC, when they hosted events, they would provide an interpreter. There were over 60 or 70 bus stops and all of them had an interpreter at the ready. It didn’t matter if a deaf person showed up or not. Interpreters were there to translate the message in ASL. The DNC, Ossoff, and Warnock are very supportive and it’s amazing.
[Video clip]
Alex:
Thank you for explaining. Now I will show a brief video from our sponsor.
[Sponsored video from Convo: www.convorelay.com]
Alex:
Both Baldiwn and Shou: pointed out that the Warnock and Ossoff campaigns usually provide interpreters for their campaigns and provide subtitles for their videos, while the Republican candidates typically don’t. I asked the two why they thought this often happened.
Baldwin:
I have experience with the Republican party. Republicans often say “do it yourself.” That means they expect you to provide interpreters for yourself. You’re supposed to be independent and able. Why do you have to depend on others, or for example depend on social security income or VR support? Why rely on them? Do it yourself! That applies to interpreters and captioners. Do it yourself! While with Democrats, we believe in a collective effort. That means whatever you can do, if you have strength in an area, such as interpreting or ASL for example, then they Shou:ld do that part. We have different kinds of responsibilities. Republicans are “do it yourself.”
Shou:
Also, a disability organization did send a questionnaire with top ten questions. The Democratic candidates replied, but the Republicans didn’t.
Alex:
That’s a very interesting observation. From my time covering politics on “The Daily Moth,” it is a pattern that Democratic candidates make it a part of their campaigns to include interpreters and subtitles, while Republican candidates typically don’t. It’s hit and miss.