Southland Deaf Community call for sign language interpreter

Saturday, 11 May 2024

Southland Deaf Community chairperson Roger Strong and secretary Philippa Strong say there are plenty of instances where people with hearing disabilities require a sign language interpreter.

Imagine being admitted to hospital and you can’t hear or understand what the doctors and nurses are saying to you.

That’s been the reality for Southland’s deaf community who have been without a dedicated sign language interpreter for the past three years.

The Southland Deaf Community organisation is calling for a new interpretor for the region as relying on translators to travel from Dunedin is impractical.

But Deaf Aotearoa say there aren’t enough people in the area who require the service to warrant employing someone full time.

Southland Deaf Community president Roger Strong used a transcribing app on his wife, secretary Philippa Strong’s, phone to communicate during this interview, but it meant looking at the screen and not being able to fully engage in the conversation.

But an interview is just one example of when he would need an interpreter.

There’s doctor’s appointments, bank appointments, and Winz visits; while some members have pointed out how good it would be to participate in community events or theatre shows.

“We really need interpreters in Invercargill,” Philippa said.

Students at Auckland’s Kelston Intermediate School have been learning how to sign pepeha vocabulary for New Zealand Sign Language Week.

Using the example of a doctor’s appointment, she pointed out that sometimes she could get a same day appointment for Roger, but often they had to wait until an interpreter could travel from Dunedin.

“It’s a real nightmare,” she said.

When someone wasn’t available, they would be asked to use the government-funded relay service that converts speech to text and visa versa, using a computer or smart phone.

“But a lot of our members are older and they aren’t up to date with technology. They would rather have face-to-face contact,” Phillipa said.

Ryan Cassidy teaches five signs that represent Māori concepts and is joined by Jon Tai-Rakena, Tik Tok creator and teacher of NZSL at Ko Taku Reo.

She conceded that the organisation wasn’t large, but believed more people would use the service if they knew it was available.

Deaf Aotearoa chief executive Lachlan Keating said a lack of interpreters was an issue many smaller towns and regions in New Zealand was facing.

“It’s not a situation we are happy with. We can understand the community finds it frustrating,” he said.

Deaf Aotearoa had been discussing the challenge with its funders but its contracts were limited and it was difficult to keep someone in full time work in small communities, Keating said.

In some regions, communities had been able to co-ordinate with agencies to have interpreters fly in an do a three-day block of appointments with ACC, for example, he said, “but deaf people can’t be expected to set their lives around the availability of interpreters”.

Keating called on businesses and services to be proactive themselves and book interpreters as soon as they’d set an appointment with someone from the deaf community.

Southland members of Disabled United New Zealand protested funding pauses outside Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds’ office on May 2.

“The more notice, the more likely we are to match interpreters,” he said.

This was particularly true when people had a preferred interpreter or needed someone who understood particular jargon or fields.

The Strongs have thrown their weight behind Disabled United NZ who have been protesting a pause to disability funding announced in March.

“Money needs to be spent on people with disabilities to make it a safer environment,” Roger said.

“Everyday living will be more difficult with these cuts. It’s hard enough as it is.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated the former interpreter had died. This is not the case. (Amended 10.30am, Sunday April 12, 2024)