Deaf Advocates Stand for Live Interpreters at Galveston Event

The Capsule Group and Sign Shares Inc./International held an event in Galveston, Texas on Friday, June 3, to address Deaf community concerns regarding the use of Video Remote Interpreting, or VRI, in health care settings.

The event was held at the Galveston City Hall.

The Galveston Daily News covered the event.

Galveston resident Janie Morales prefers a live interpreter.

According to the report, Galveston resident Janie Morales, who is Deaf, wants a live interpreter.

“When Janie Morales goes to the hospital, she doesn’t want to speak to a computer screen,” according to the report.

One of Morales’ chief complaints was that VRI was on a small screen and it was difficult to see.

Attendees requested more information about how to request live interpreters and shared their experiences with healthcare interpreting in general.

The group also discussed revisions to healthcare law Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which will now hold the higher standard of giving preference to the individual with a disability’s choice of accommodation. While revisions to Section 1557 go into effect in July, complaints are active now, since preference for consumer choice was already in effect under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

If you’re concerned about not having a choice about the use of Video Remote Interpreting with your healthcare professional, you can call Video Phone: Deaf / Hard-of-Hearing: VP1: 832-431-3854 or VP2: 832-431-4889 to discuss it with Sign Shares advocates.

Galveston Rally about the Hardships of VRI

The Capsule Group and Sign Shares Inc./International are holding a rally in Galveston, Texas on Friday, June 3, 2016 to address Deaf community concerns regarding the use of Video Remote Interpreting, or VRI, in health care settings.

From focus groups, we discovered some individuals are not receiving a choice regarding the way they need to communicate with their health care providers and are being provided with VRI.

Many people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind don’t know they have the choice to request a form of communication that doesn’t provide a barrier to understanding what their health care providers say.

If you prefer or feel a Certified, Live Interpreter matches your accommodations that the American With Disabilities Act requires, come join the Galveston rally to empower your voice and your communities!

The rally will be held from 1p.m.-4 p.m. at Galveston City Hall, Room 100, 823 25th St, Galveston, TX 77550.

The meeting promptly starts at 1 p.m. in the meeting room and finishes on the steps of Galveston City Hall.

Light refreshments will be provided.

If you plan to attend, send an email to: info@signshares.com and meet us in Room 100 at the Galveston City Hall.

To learn more, see the attached flyer or call Video Phone: Deaf / Hard-of-Hearing: VP1: 832-431-3854 or
VP2: 832-431-4889.

Rally flyer: UPDATED on TIMES amp LOCATION JUNE 3RD-Galveston TX – Rally

 

Responses needed about VRI in medical settings

According to a recent vlog/blog from the National Association of the Deaf, or NAD, the organization joined forces with Deaf Seniors of America to “find out which situations calls for a live interpreter or VRI [Video Remote Interpreting].”

At a hospital or clinic, a person who is deaf or partially deaf may receive a live interpreter, or a remote interpreter via computer (VRI). Problems from remote interpreting may stem from a litany of technological difficulties. In 2008, the National Association of the Deaf posted a position statement on VRI and included a list of potential problems.

Are there situations in which remote interpreting won’t work?

In the vlog/blog, Vice President of Deaf Seniors of America, Al Sonnenstrahl, says the organizations “recognize the challenges in using Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) in medical settings such as hospitals and doctor’s office. Some experiences are positive while others are not.”

According to vlog/blog, the organizations need to learn what people who are deaf and hard of hearing’s experiences are so they can better advocate for their interests. This does not involve a lawsuit.

In order to do this, the taskforce is requesting less than three-minute videos or English texts of your experience.

Information they need is: “which city and state this story happened in, the name of the doctor involved, which hospital this took place in, and your experience while using VRI. The Taskforce will report back to both organizations with information and strategies to address the growing use of VRI at hospitals and medical facilities.”

Stories can be submitted to: Email, VRIstories@nad.org / or by Videophone, http://www.nad.org/contactus / GLIDE, QDA BEIE .

According to the vlog/blog, “the purpose of the Taskforce is to gather information and are not covered by the attorney-client privilege. With these stories, we will be able to develop guidelines to be shared with doctors, hospitals, and others in the medical setting.”

The deadline to send in video or text responses is Dec. 1, 2015.