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Murfreesboro and Rutherford County news from The Daily News Journal - www.dnj.com - Murfreesboro, Tenn.
For the deaf, communicating with the world is a daily challenge, according to Les Hutchinson, president and CEO of the League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. For many, finding help when they need it can be even harder.
To help out, Hutchinson's Nashville-based nonprofit is opening a new interpreting office in Murfreesboro today.
It's main purpose is to aid in interpreting important paperwork, like complex legal documents or official letters. It also helps set up business appointments or visits to the doctor.
"The average person who has learned some sign language doesn't have the vocabulary to go into those situations," Hutchinson said.
As Middle Tennessee has grown, so has its deaf population. As a major city, Nashville has attracted a number of sign language interpreters, Hutchinson said.
Beyond the Davidson County line, it's a different story.
"It's almost impossible to find interpreters in rural areas," he said.
Because of that, many deaf people have a hard time with simple daily interactions, like making an appointment with the doctor.
"They struggle along with homemade sign language, or write notes back and forth," Hutchinson said. Reading can be hard because the syntax of the written English word is different from the sign language they're used to, he said.
Jaclyn Kollar, the interpreter who'll staff the Murfreesboro office, said the city's deaf population is large and growing fast. For the last nine years, Kollar has worked as a sign language interpreter for the Rutherford County school board.
"Rutherford County's school system has one of the faster growing programs" for deaf and hard of hearing students, she said.
Kollar hopes the League's involvement in the community will help young students outside the school walls.
"As they get older, we can work on teaching them how to be more independent," she said.
The League serves most of Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky, Hutchinson said. Most of its programs have historically focused on Nashville, where it is headquartered.
"In Nashville, we're probably reaching 50 or 60 percent" of the deaf population, Hutchinson said. "Outside Nashville, we're probably reaching 10 or 20 percent."
The League is also considering expansions in Gallatin and Lebanon.
For the deaf, communicating with the world is a daily challenge, according to Les Hutchinson, president and CEO of the League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. For many, finding help when they need it can be even harder.
To help out, Hutchinson's Nashville-based nonprofit is opening a new interpreting office in Murfreesboro today.
It's main purpose is to aid in interpreting important paperwork, like complex legal documents or official letters. It also helps set up business appointments or visits to the doctor.
"The average person who has learned some sign language doesn't have the vocabulary to go into those situations," Hutchinson said.
As Middle Tennessee has grown, so has its deaf population. As a major city, Nashville has attracted a number of sign language interpreters, Hutchinson said.
Beyond the Davidson County line, it's a different story.
"It's almost impossible to find interpreters in rural areas," he said.
Because of that, many deaf people have a hard time with simple daily interactions, like making an appointment with the doctor.
"They struggle along with homemade sign language, or write notes back and forth," Hutchinson said. Reading can be hard because the syntax of the written English word is different from the sign language they're used to, he said.
Jaclyn Kollar, the interpreter who'll staff the Murfreesboro office, said the city's deaf population is large and growing fast. For the last nine years, Kollar has worked as a sign language interpreter for the Rutherford County school board.
"Rutherford County's school system has one of the faster growing programs" for deaf and hard of hearing students, she said.
Kollar hopes the League's involvement in the community will help young students outside the school walls.
"As they get older, we can work on teaching them how to be more independent," she said.
The League serves most of Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky, Hutchinson said. Most of its programs have historically focused on Nashville, where it is headquartered.
"In Nashville, we're probably reaching 50 or 60 percent" of the deaf population, Hutchinson said. "Outside Nashville, we're probably reaching 10 or 20 percent."
The League is also considering expansions in Gallatin and Lebanon.
