Disability Community Battles
City of Minneapolis
by Kenneth Brown
For a number of years
an employee of the City has provided American Sign Language (ASL)
interpretation and other duties around alternative forms of communication
for the City of Minneapolis Government/leadership, and elected
officials. The position has not been used to its fullest capacity,
nor has the Communications Director recognized it as a vital part
of City Government. To this end the Communications Director has
decided to eliminate the position, stating “Much of the
money saved by elimination of the sign language position will go
to pay for non-English translations of crucial material explaining
the city’s core services and how to access them to the fullest.” As
our immigrant population grows, so does the need for language translation
services. Is she claiming that the City has or is successful in its
translation of materials for the deaf/hard of hearing and blind/poor
sight communities? What is her definition of “non-English?”
In my view, the City
is placing the needs of a set of minority populations above and
against the needs of another. We are distinctly aware of the communications
gaps for our new immigrant populations. The Disability community
did not create the gaps, but we will be made to suffer for someone
else’s failings. We have been under the protection
of the Civil Rights Act and the American with Disabilities Act for
decades, but this does not seem to matter to the City. The City says, “The
organization stands by its commitment to maintaining a consistent
level of service to the deaf and hard of hearing community. By even
our most cautious estimates this can be accomplished with a savings
of at least $50,000 annually. But this is not about saving thousands
of dollars: it’s about the smartest use of limited resources.” The
only thing I see in this statement is saving money, unless I am “blind.” She
seemed to have quickly forgotten about the blind/poor sight community
in her statement/estimates.
If the City were readily
accepting new immigrant populations, one would hope they have minimally
budgeted for translation of “materials
explaining the City’s core services and how to access them,” and
not have to cut one to satisfy another.
The ASL interpreter
does much more than translate telephone calls to the city as the
Communications Director alludes to that position doing. The ASL
Interpreter coordinates ASL services for all city departments,
works with and trains police and rescue personnel, assists the
City in emergency preparedness concerns, and handles many other
tasks. Without this internal position, how will the City accomplish
these tasks “with the smartest use of limited resources?”
Every time the mayor, the city council, city council members, the
police chief or any other City representative has a public meeting
or goes out into the public, they should have an ASL interpreter
with them. I believe again, and advocate, if alternative communication
was a normal part of everyday business activity in City Government/leadership
the ASL position would be in demand and used appropriately. The city
plans to provide ASL interpretation through outside contractors.
One can imagine, if the City does not value people with disabilities
now, what does that say about our future?
People with disabilities
as well as all members of other minority cultures and new immigrants
should stand in unison against this assault on our Civil Rights.
We all pay taxes and have earned the right to be treated fairly
and duly respected as human beings with “certain
unalienable rights.” If City Government/leadership and elected
officials do not believe we are to be respected and that we will
hold them accountable, then they have made a huge misstep.
Victory for the Disabled Community
Can it be true, that some
of our elected officials get it? Yes, it is! At the last Ways and
Means Committee meeting, the committee voted to reinstate in the
city budget the Sign Language Interpreter position. It is true that
people like you and I can effect positive change in our city. Some
of us that represent the disability community contacted our elected
officials on the City Council and the Ways and Means Committee especially
to voice our concerns with the elimination of the Sign Language Interpreter
position. We explained the need for the position, its background,
and its positive influence for the city and the residence, as
well as the negative impact losing the position would have. I want
to personally thank Council-persons Sandra Colvin Roy, Natalie Johnson
Lee, and Paul Zerby for their support on this important issue.
We achieved one small victory in our continued struggle for a
level field of play and work.
With this accomplishment
in hand, I continue to be troubled by the real state of acceptance
for persons with disabilities to be fully included in employment,
leadership, advancement, career and management positions within
Minneapolis City Government. The city has a master plan, affirmative
action plans, diversity goals, and policies and procedures in place
to assist them in having an inclusive environment for all citizens
to live and work in. In my decades of experience, anything that
is written down is just that—a document on paper,
in a book, or in someone’s office somewhere. Unless people
put into real practice what they believe is “the right thing
to do,” the reality of true equality will never be achieved.
The myths about people
with disabilities will never be dispelled, the fear of ignorance
and separation will never be overcome, and people with disabilities
will continue to struggle. It only takes one person to be a champion
of “equal and fair treatment” for
others to realize the positive outcomes from having a true environment
of acceptance and equality. When the environment changes to one of
acceptance, understanding, equality, and commitment to fairness for
one group of people, this seems to lead to improved conditions and
positive outcomes for everyone.
