To want to be treated like a person and not an inconvenience?

[teaforthree]

I am profoundly deaf and use BSL. Booked an appointment last week with the council to sort out a housing benefit issue. They cancel it because the interpreter's not available, so I go this morning.

When I turn up, the interpreter is not even an interpreter, but someone with a level 2 qualification who works there! Its like having an English speaker with a French gcse translating, it's understandable, but it doesn't flow and some words aren't quite translated correctly. Interpreters are expensive so clearly the council wanted to save costs somewhere

When I get to the appointment, the man dealing with my case talks directly to the 'interpreter' and not me. The interpreter tells me about the claim etc, and when I ask to clarify something, she rolled her eyes and started again, not actually answering my point. This happened three or four times. The man and woman then started talking between themselves about what I was meant to do/should do (I can lip read) and when I asked was told 'never mind'.

They just treated me like they thought I was incapable of understanding even the most simplest of instructions, repeating things when I hadn't asked etc. I felt like a primary school child tbh.

IABU to not want to be treated like this and to expect a qualified interpreter?

[ChipsNEggs]

I'm glad you complained. Its a horrible way to treat a person.

It's also sad that there is a need to train people to act with basic manners and respect for others.

[beginnings]

I'm livid on your behalf OP. very glad you complained. Complete nonsense. Do hope you get a quick and sensible answer. If you don't, PM me and I'd be happy to ring and try find a name of someone to send the complaint to. I can't bear this kind of discriminatory nonsense.

I've never understood why some people assume that deafness means a lack of intellectual ability. Idiots. Not addressing you directly is horrifically rude.

[megandraper]

They were wrong, and discriminatory. The two people you dealt with behaved appallingly and should both be given an official warning. The amateur doing the signing should never be allowed to use it again in any official capacity, frankly, after behaving like that.

[BlackeyedSusan]

[sarcasm]

yabu. you know that as soon as something physical does not work, your brain is automatically efffected too and people talk to you in words of one syllable really slowly

hope your complaint puts a rocket up their backsides.

[TwoTearsInABucket]

Another one who hopes your complaint gets through to the right person and those two idiots are dealt with.
They should make BSL an official language in this country.

[DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved]

Oh how bloody rude and frustrating! Glad youve complained.

On the subject of incredibly ignorant and discriminatory people: I became physically disabled and was trying to convince the HR director that she needed to act according to disability equality law (ie not fire me for being ill), and she said 'oh Double, you're not disabled, youve not got mental problems!'

[cumfy]

Did you manage to sort the underlying problem out ?

Clearly the "interpreter" didn't enable you to communicate effectively and thwarted your efforts to do so by repeating herself rather than translate your BSL back to the caseworker.

I hope they have a proper interpreter, and this was just a stand-in/trainee.

[FryOneFatManic]

I'm glad you complained. I'm cross on your behalf.

I have a partial hearing loss, and if I had a £1 for every time I've had someone treat me as thick when I've asked them to repeat what they've said, I'd be a millionaire. And quite often this would be after I've mentioned my hearing loss.

I have now resorted to stating loudly that I'm deaf, not stupid, when this behaviour starts. It certainly gives them a bit of a shock and pulls them up a bit.

[teaforthree]

The reply I received:
Good afternoon,

Thank you for your email. I apologise for the experience you have had, I have forwarded this to the customer feedback team for their attention and response. If you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you

Kind regards,

How generic! Hopefully something will be done, it was not an experience I wish to repeat. She kept using the wrong sign for 'claim', she was using the sign for 'up until now' and by the time I realised, I wasn't sure what we were talking about.

Not exactly got the underlying issue sorted because she couldn't understand me when I was saying the maths don't add up and kept telling me I was paying something back or something about rent?! So, no better off really.

She wasn't even like a last minute thing, she works for the council and happens to have done the qualification so I got the impression she was used all the time.

Double- that's disgusting, and completely ignorant especially in this day and age. What did you do?

Fry one- yeah, and it's so fucking annoying when people don't believe I'm Deaf because I can speak clearly, I just can't hear!! As we all know, it's actually your larynx that goes deaf, nothing to do with the ears, oh no.

With people who exaggerate their mouth patterns, just put on your best Hyacinth Bucket voice and say 'sorry, could you repeat that normally?' And give them a filthy look.

I don't know why it's not taught in schools tbh.

[FryOneFatManic]

Hopefully you'll have someone getting in touch to discuss this. If not, I'd insist on going in personally (with your own interpreter to really hammer the point home).

I think you need to point out the lady's lack of knowledge, in detail. You need to highlight that if they are doing this to cut costs as you suspect, then it only going to blow up in their faces because of the sheer lack of clarity or understanding this lady displays. That it is discriminatory as it is not providing the service you clearly need and asked for.

If you don't get a satisfactory response, do take it higher to your local Councillor if necessary.

[Jux]

Oh that's disgusting. I do hope you get a decent response and the original issue gets sorted properly too. (A locum gp came to see my mum once and talked entirely to ME the whole time, barely listened to a word mum said, presumably because she was um, old, and er nuts? no, she was in her 80s and had full use of her faculties.)

[OneStepCloser]

tea that is awful and really bad from the council, I know a lot of services are being cut but translators should never be cut.

Im sure I heard that BSL was going to be offered at GCSE which would be great, but it would be really good if they started teaching it in primary.

[DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved]

There's something quite riling about generic responses I think! I hope they get back to you with a proper response, will you be able to chase it up if not?

If you can you definitely need to complain about the incompetence and unsuitability of the person signing, as well as the patronising awful attitude.

As for my story, I'd love to say I came back with a clever put down, but I didn't argh!

I did an impression of a goldfish just opening and closing my mouth, then carried on like she'd not spoken. I did write it down straight away with many other awful things they said and did, and got legal advice... But then overnight they became sweet as pie, suspect they must have got some legal advice of their own! Mine was chomping at the bit to take them to court, as they were pretty awful, but all I wanted was a job, steady income beats one off payment anyday, even in this litigious age...

[CatsRule]

You have been treated second class here and none of this is professional.

This is not equality!

You are entitled to be treated fairly and equally.

I work with/for dual sensory impaired people and the way you have been dismissed is not acceptable.

It amazes me how ignorant people can be...it's only your hearing you don't have...not your ability to process information or make decisions...an interpreter is only there to relay...not to discuss!

[Melawen]

That is absolutely shocking. I'm glad you've complained. I too am deaf, but am not a very good signer due to lack of practice. I have my BSL stage two and there is just NO WAY I'd be comfortable translating for someone. Translation is so much more than just knowing the language (even if you're fluent) because you have to think differently.

Anyway, I hope you get a result!

[VRBennett83]

omg how rude! complain for sure!