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November 24, 2005
Deaf need to have use of interpreters
The Canadian Hearing Society is in complete support of the Canadian Blood Services' goal as outlined in Chief Operating Officer Ian Mumford's letter, "to ensure that Canada's blood supply is as safe as possible."
The best way to ensure full comprehension and maximum accuracy for deaf citizens whose first language is American Sign Language is through qualified professional sign language interpreters.
Not only are interpreters bound by a code of ethics which guarantees confidentiality, but they are commonly used in the courts, hospitals and countless other settings where privacy, accuracy and clear communication are essential.
The Supreme Court of Canada's 1997 Eldridge ruling enshrined the rights of deaf citizens to clear and equal access to information.
Sign language interpreters provide the most reliable, accurate and safe communication tool between deaf and hearing people.
Canadian Blood Services' concerns about the risk of receiving inaccurate information would be completely allayed if it were to change its indefensible policy of denying deaf individuals the right to a sign language interpreter.
By Kelly Duffin
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1132786212183&call_pageid=970599119419
Posted by 4HL on November 24, 2005 3:50 PM
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