Sunday, March 8, 2015

What Happened Happens

It's not about you.
It's not about your love of the music.
It's not about your love of ASL.
It's not about your excitement of putting the two of them together and it's not about how many times you sang that song while signing it in your car.
It's not about your chance to interpret something big.

Recently platform and performance interpreting has gotten a lot of attention. Politicians, musicians, and Saturday Night Live. It's a cool spot light to be in. Or at least to pretend to be in while you share the spotlight with the real star. The person I am there to see. I am not there to see you. I didn't pay to see you. I didn't dream 17 years about seeing you live. I didn't learn all the lyrics to your songs. 

I didn't, because it's not about you.

Tonight we had a team of interpreters for the Garth Brooks concert in Buffalo, NY and as soon as the show started it was obvious that the interpreters were in the dark. They weren't prepared. The venue wasn't prepared. There was a small music stand light that the interpreter used for copies of the lyrics. When asked to illuminate her face instead of the papers she said she didn't want the light in her face because it would give her a headache. The light, illuminating her face, at a concert, while she interpreted into American Sign Language, a visual language that requires a well lit space, would give her a headache. Multiple times we told her we couldn't see her.

When this picture was taken, she stopped interpreting, told us to delete the picture, told us that she had not consented to having her picture taken, and told us that she wasn't going to interpret another word until we deleted the picture. Even when we tried to explain that we took it as evidence of the poor lighting and that her face wasn't even viewable & her reply was "delete my picture". 

A picture, taken in a public place, of a professional at an arena show, when her face was in the dark. She knew in that moment she had the power and the access. Delete my picture or I won't interpret. I have the power and I will withhold information. 

We didn't delete anything.



All of this was happening during the concert, during multiple songs, during an event we paid money for and waited 17 years for. Going was our Christmas present to ourselves this year.

There was also a desk lamp that they brought to try. A bright full force desk lamp that was turned on and off and on and off again. Our concert went from midnight to noon. The other patrons turned around to look at us with angry expressions. This was all happening during the concert. The concert they paid for and anticipated and waited for- all because one person, one hired "professional" wouldn't simply tilt the music stand light towards her face. 

So much happened at once. We asked her to move over, she started arguing with us. During a concert we were so over the moon to be at. Feelings of shock, anger, hurt, and more shock. Shock because no matter what, no matter how many times, we've seen it before, it's still shocking when someone makes something all about them. When in reality it's not about them, at all. We asked them to leave. Just leave and let us enjoy the rest of the concert. Interpreting is a privilege and she shouldn't have been there any more. 

There was another interpreter there. She asked if we would let her try before they leave. "I have Deaf parents", she said, "I want to try." She took over and she tilted the light towards her face and we could see her and she interpreted.

The rest of the show. 

Only once did they switch. And when they did, the other interpreter lowed the light again. Again, "we can't see you" we said. This time she said "you can't see me?" And she asked her team to look. Her team answered her, "no, I can't see you"- with that information she put her hands down and sat down. The other interpreter took over, repositioned the light, and continued to interpret. She sat 5 seats away from us and texted on her phone, danced in her seat to the music, shuffled papers, and seemingly enjoyed the show. The show she got paid to work at.

She's an interpreter here in Rochester. Someone I know. Someone I have 42 Facebook friends in common with. Someone whose name you know. Someone who works at RIT, VRS, and in the community. Someone who is nationally certified and someone who should have known better. She's not a random unskilled, uneducated signer. She's as professional as you can get, on paper.

The other interpreter who took over did a great job, without relief of a team, during a fast paced hard assignment. She did a great job mostly because her heart and her attitude were in the right place but here's the truth, it wasn't about her either.

It's about not being able to hear the lyrics of the songs but still wanting to know what's being said. 

It's about needing someone when you don't want to need anyone. 

It's about sharing your date night with two strangers out of necessity even when you'd rather not see anyone else in the world. 

It's about someone being rude and a bully and unprofessional on a night when you have a sitter for your two kids and all you want is to be happy.

It's about craving equality in an unequal world. 

And it's about the injustice that is lingering in our hearts because along the way, we met someone like you.

29 comments:

  1. So sad to hear this. I wonder what is going on in her world, not that that makes it OK.... but it must be bad enough for her to be unable to perform the duties of her job. And very unfortunate that your night out suffered because of it.

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  2. One suggestion. http://www.rid.org/ethics/enforcement_procedures/index.cfm/AID/67

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  3. I do agree with Amy's suggestion above. I just wanted to apologize to you for this experience. It should not happen. I know it does. More than we think. I'm sorry.

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  4. My heart is broken that this had to happen, especially when there are those of us who do all we can to make interpreting work successfully for everyone, instead of making it 'our' show! But I agree with Terri--I am so very glad you shared this, and I will be passing it along on my Facebook page. People need to know this is happening, and I also agree with Amy Williamson's suggestion re: rid.

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  5. I am appalled that someone would blatantly disrespect you and the Code of Professional Conduct. The CPC is in place for a reason, and when someone doesn't abide by it, I agree with Amy and Suzy that action should be taken with RID.

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  6. You should file a grievance for violations of Code of Professional Conduct tenets 3 and 4. Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.Consult with appropriate persons regarding the interpreting situation to determine issues such as placement and adaptations necessary to interpret effectively.Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers. Interpreters are expected to honor consumer preferences in selection of inter- preters and interpreting dynamics, while recognizing the realities of qualifications, availability, and situation.Consider consumer requests or needs regarding language preferences, and render the message accordingly (interpreted or transliterated).
    Approach consumers with a professional demeanor at all times.

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  7. Thank you for all of the comments, shares of the post, and support from the community. It means a lot to us to be standing among so many. We are filling a complaint with the venue (already done), the hiring interpreter agency in buffalo, and RID. We spoke to employees at First Niagara last night in an attempt to fix the situation (during the show- missing the show) we were told "that's the only light 'they brought'" (they being the team of interpreters) indicating that there had been previous arrangement of lighting between the stadium venue and the professionals they hired. I personally have never interpreted at the venue last night but I have in multiple other platform & performance venues and I have always arrived early and done lighting checks to make sure I could be seen. It honestly didn't even occur to us until the show started that the interpreters who "do these shows all the time" didn't seem to consider their need to be seen. We don't have the background information of what transpired between them and the venue, and we shouldn't have to. We were just there to see a show. That's the point. We shouldn't have to be faced with all of these barriers and negotiations. We just wanted a date night. To show up and have professionals do their job. It is a fact that everything, every event, every special moment takes longer to arrange & requires extra consideration but we did our part. It wasn't about her or the lighting people it was about us. Our night. Just show up and do your job. Find a way or make a way to do your job the way Deaf people have to find a way or make a way every single day of their life! The only attempt to add more light was the desk lamp that was brought and no, it was not even close to proper lighting for ANY of the concert patrons especially us. Rob can speak more to why the bright desk light wasn't appropriate (he's on a plane right now) but it seems fairly obvious to me why it would not have worked. The tilting of the music stand light was "good enough" Good? No but good enough. It was her choice to be impossible to work with. It was her choice to make it about her and a potential headache that she may have gotten from the light (at a Performance assignment!) tilted towards her face. There is no excuse and while we knew that last night in the moment we have been validated hundreds of times over today. Thank you thank you thank you.

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  8. This is audism, unprofessional and WRONG all around. Instead of being vague and forcing people to guess who this interpreter might be, come out straight and NAME them. Let the community know who is working among them that does not respect Deaf people as individuals and as a community. Give us the knowledge to, as a community, blackball this "interpreter" by refusing to have them "work" for us at any time. This is the only way that we as a community can gain the power to transform the interpreting field, to let people like this know that we deserve more respect and professionalism from the people who are supposed to be "working" for us!

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    1. I agree with you! Thank you for your comment. I replied in a general comment below.

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  9. Yes, give us the name of the interpreter.

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  10. Thank you for having the guts to talk about this and for calling out the interpreter. It's the right thing to do.

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  11. I hear you! I also feel that not naming her does a disservice to the entire community because I believe people have a right to know when someone behaves so grievously at their job. The message of Deaf Disempowerment is the point and that is why Rob and I are intending to file a formal complaint with the RID. She is nationally certificated and we are withholding her name from social media until that complaint is filed and delt with.

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    1. I just came across your blog. What an awful experience that must have been. It's now January 2016. Has the complaint been filed and dealt with? If so, what is the name of this oh-so-unprofessional interpreter? I live in Rochester and do NOT ever want to use her services if she is still around interpreting.

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  12. I would really love to see this post published on Street Leverage (www.streetleverage.com) - I think this message needs to be seen by as many interpreters as possible!

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  13. I am not deaf, so I cannot imagine what this must have been like. It sounds horrible. And more horrible because someone -- one person -- had the power to make it right and they willfully chose to not do the one thing that would have solved the problem, even when asked to do so. It is a sad statement on the condition of the human species that people like this still exist.

    And I'm aware that the Deaf experience this (or worse) on a regular basis, ordering at restaurants, going to government offices, appearing in court, visiting hospitals, etc. You deserve so much better. Please know that not all of us are so uncaring.

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  14. This brought tears to my eyes. I'm so sorry you had this experience.

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  15. I'm sorry that you could not fully experience the concert and didn't have full to the music. Lighting is essential! As a concert interpreter, that is emphasized to the venue as soon as I receive a request. It's still fairly new to many locations and this can be a learning experience for many.

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  16. I'm sorry that you could not fully experience the concert and didn't have full to the music. Lighting is essential! As a concert interpreter, that is emphasized to the venue as soon as I receive a request. It's still fairly new to many locations and this can be a learning experience for many.

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  17. Also it's not about the interpreter but the interpretation.

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  19. I know there is nothing that can be done to bring back this special day for you. I am embarrassed that a person who supposedly is a professional Interpreter is anything but a professional, much less an Interpreter. It saddens me that you have to deal with those who don't no better on a daily basis then, thinking you're going to an unbelievable concert, you get a self centered, selfish, unkind, mean, and completely irrational person.
    I hope the very best for you both in your future endeavors. I also pray that there is a way to make this right in someway for you.

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  20. There was a TEAM of interpreters? They BOTH behaved this way? They supported each other in this horrendous lack of professionalism? There are no words...

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    1. Sounds like the teamer did the best she could and interpreted the rest of the concert.

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  21. It's too bad that this couple couldn't just show up like everyone else and enjoy the concert. It's too bad that they are still dealing with this instead of talking about the good memories. I applaud you for going through proper channels instead of calling out this interpreter in public. There are two (or ten) sides to every story. Normally venues and tours have strict lighting protocols and this is not usually left to interpreters. With the proper contact between venue and agency, the light should have been set up on a stand above the interpreters. Even then, it requires testing before the show with the lighting director. Interpreters that accept performance work need to be prepared, ready to be under hot lights and sweat! Also be ready to deal with gruff venue employees who are busy while you demand lighting. This is one example where it went horribly wrong. Deaf concert goers and experienced interpreters have been fighting for equal access for over 20 years. It can get better and can be great! Off the top of my head, I can think of three artists that interacted with the deaf folks in the audience (not the interpreter). Venues and management are still learning but with a little pre-work, audience members who are Deaf can just show up and enjoy the show! Feel extremely sad that you two didn't experience that. Amber

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  22. Thank you sharing this. I'm so glad this is going viral. I have been interpreting for 22 years and my mind is still reeling over this. I read your story 3 times now. I hope you are considering filing a grievance with RID. There is no excuse for this kind of bullying oppression. Who will she victimize tomorrow? Who's date night will she ruin next? I'm flabbergasted.

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