Parents of deaf child, advocates express concern as B.C. college halts only sign language program in province | 24CA News

Aurelia Braun says she hopes to grow to be a DJ or musician sooner or later, and as a fourth-generation deaf baby, she is aware of fulfilling her dream is just not unattainable — however she is going to want an ASL interpreter. 

“I want to become a musician … and I really want to have an interpreter with me the whole way,” signed the eight-year-old from Surrey, B.C., to CBC. “You know, I want to be able to understand the words.”

However her father, Dan, says he is observed fewer of them obtainable through the years.

Now Douglas College, the one college in British Columbia with a Sign Language Interpretation program, says it’s pausing this system subsequent 12 months as there aren’t sufficient college students to maintain the autumn 2023 consumption open.

This may depart many within the deaf neighborhood behind — together with his daughter, says Dan Braun.

“If you are on Zoom and everyone’s on mute, it becomes, ‘Hey you’re on mute, you’re on mute, I can’t hear you,'” signed Dan by way of an interpreter. 

“That’s my daughter’s access to the world around her right now.”

According to the Western Association of Visual Language Interpreters, there are simply over 250 interpreters within the province for hundreds of deaf and onerous of listening to individuals.

Nicki Horton, director of Family Network for Deaf Children, says accessibility for deaf individuals is one thing her group fights for, and that the battle is endless.

“Accessibility allows for deaf children to have the same education that their hearing counterparts would have access to. It’s a human right,” Horton mentioned.

Interpreters are for everybody: mum or dad

During the interview, Dan Braun continued signing however stopped utilizing the interpreter.

For a number of moments, it was silent.

“What I was saying as I was signing was you couldn’t understand what I was saying,” Braun later defined, as soon as once more by way of the interpreter. 

“The interpreter is for both of us today.”

In an announcement to CBC, Douglas College mentioned it intends to return to this system in 2024 though they didn’t specify whether or not scholar enrolment can be a consideration then. 

But Horton says a pause is unacceptable.

“What happens to those students who actually want to apply right now? Are they going to put life on hold for a year?” she mentioned.

Horton and the Brauns say they’ve reached out to the province.

“My daughter is now a fourth-generation deaf person in our family and we’ve been fighting this fight for all four of those generations,” Braun mentioned.

In an announcement, the ministry of post-secondary schooling and future abilities says it’s in discussions with Douglas College about methods to help this system.

Meanwhile, Aurelia says she has a message for the college.

“It’s not fair,” she signed.

“I want there to be more interpreters, not less interpreters … please do not suspend the intake.”