Union: Interpreting

Union: Interpreting

In this video Jan DeLap describes how union leaders were dubious about accepting outside interpreters at union Chapel meetings.

Zilvinas Paludnevicius

Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center Collection

2022

This Item has been made available for educational and research purposes by the Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center at Gallaudet University. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You may need to obtain permission for your intended use if your use is otherwise not permitted by the copyright and applicable related rights legislation. For specific information about the copyright and reproduction rights for this Item, please contact the Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center: https://www.gallaudet.edu/drs-john-s-and-betty-j-schuchman-deaf-documentary-center

American Sign Language

A video featuring an ASL interview with Jan DeLap, an older white woman seated in a darkened studio.

Jan DeLap: Every month there was a meeting. They'd remind us, “We’re going to have a chapel meeting” It was usually a half hour, 45 minutes. Unless there was a big topic we were discussing. I went to see what was happening and I noticed Deaf people weren’t at the meetings there weren’t any interpreters at the time. We had no idea. Really, At that time it was 1974, -75. At that time interpreters were new to me. I had lived in Puerto Rico for seven years before moving to DC. And I didn’t know anything about interpreters, as it was recently developing in the US. I met one gal who was invested in interpreting. She explained how we should have a neutral person and had the right to an interpreter. I listened and learned from her and she really influenced me. Her name was Betty Colonomos. She taught me a lot and I was interested in learning what she was saying. After that I went to a union meeting, and felt it wasn’t right. We were all contributing to the union so why weren’t they accommodating us. So I went to the chairman and asked him to have an interpreter there for us. He said that we couldn’t because it was a confidential meeting and there couldn’t be an outsider. I explained that the interpreter would be neutral and have no impact on the meeting. He wasn’t convinced and told me that we had some union members that could sign for us. I explained it wasn’t the same, that those members weren’t neutral. If you were running for office and the person who was interpreting for you was running against you they could purposely misconstrue your message and you would never know! The chairman finally saw my point and said we could have an interpreter one time in the next meeting.That next meeting I reminded everyone and told them we would have an interpreter. The chairman was shocked. There was the regular audience and then that same amount of Deaf people. They were shocked by our numbers and then they were baffled that Deaf had opinions. A Deaf member would raise their hand and make comments. The chairman had previously overlooked and excluded the Deaf. Over the next few meetings it became a bylaw that chapel meetings must have an interpreter. I was proud of that accomplishment.

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