Thanks everyone for your feedback.
In a way, on-site interpreters have done this to themselves. They charge the hospital for travel time and a minimum of two hours of service, even if they only provide interpreting for 10 minutes. This reminds me of what happened in the Relay industry. Relay companies focused on the money and not on the needs of the customer, resulting in fraud, deception and dishonesty. Sadly, the Deaf community is the one who paid the ultimate price.
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Hmmm. Not d/Deaf here, but HOH so I don't need or use an interpreter at this point in time, although I do sign (minimally) and am re-learning ASL to what I hope will become fluency level.
I feel the need to comment on this because I take issue with hospitals (and other social/service agencies) refusing to use in-person interpreters "because of their service charges". Of course interpreters charge for travel! Why shouldn't they? And why shouldn't they have minimum fee requirements? Just about every other profession does. Nobody balks when a doctor, medical specialist, lawyer, or IT specialist charges fees for their care, but for some reason, there's an outcry when an interpreter (for any language, not just ASL!) charges similar fees. It's ludicrous really. Let's face it: When it comes to understanding what is said, particularly in a medical situation which is already stressful for most, one needs a qualified interpreter if language is a barrier. Period. In terms of d/Deaf people, "the nurse on the ward who knows how to finger spell" doesn't usually cut it. I know. I've been that ER nurse who was described as being able to "interpret" when I only knew level 1 ASL. Despite my telling all of the staff that my poor signing skills were in no way a substitute for a real interpreter, there was always this assumption that I could interpret. NOT! It floored me. D/deaf people (or anyone who uses a different language) need a real, professional person who has the skill to not only interpret correctly, but also act professionally, with empathy and with accountability. To get someone with those qualifications costs money. It really is that simple. Expertise costs money.
When I did rural nursing years ago, I charged for my travel time. But...people were paying for my expertise and experience. Interpreters have that expertise and deserve to be paid for that! In my limited experience using a remote interpreter a handful of times with a former Deaf client, it was in no way comparable to having the skills, abilities, and empathy of a real live ASL interpreter sitting in the same room. There are so many nuances of both spoken and signed languages that need to be heard/seen one-on-one, and in my limited experience, video relay is not a great way to do that. I'm sure there are exceptions to my experience. But still, that was my experience. I felt terrible for my client whenever we had to use video relay. If it was frustrating for me, it must have been so much more so for him!!!
Gary, I realize that you are asking questions about offering a particular service that you believe in, and I think it's fantastic that you are asking people who have a great deal of knowledge about this. But, it seems to me that technology isn't always a better option, even if it is considered to more affordable. My question is this: Can we put a price on accurate communication? Personally, I don't think so.
Sorry. I had to rant. If this post comes across as angry, it's not meant that way. I just get so tired of people cutting corners at the expense of the well-being of others! I'm not suggesting you are doing that, Gary!!! And I appreciate you seeking out preferences for the community you wish to serve. That shows character and integrity.
Ok. End of rant
