An Inaccessible Visit to the U.S. Capitol

Submitted by Alexis.Kashar [1] on Sun, 06/06/2010 - 23:53

During a recent visit to the Nation’s Capitol. I discovered that many of our government’s programs are not readily accessible to people who are deaf.  Many programs offered at the U.S. Capitol and surrounding area, such as the Library of Congress and the NASA museum, are not equipped to meet the needs deaf visitors, unless the visitor first does significant advance research on whether or not the program is accessible.  This is particularly surprising given the large number of deaf people who live in the area and in surrounding communities.  Access means different things to different people.  In my case, I rely on sign language interpreters and/or the written word for a typical tour or film. 

The most obvious problem I noticed at the public institutions I visited was the lack of signage or information on site about the availability of sign language interpreters and written transcripts of audio tours.  This information is also not readily available on the websites for the Smithsonian or the White House.  On the Smithsonian website, one must go into the group tour link in order to find any information on the availability for an interpreted tour.  On the White House website, it directs persons with hearing impairments to contact their member of Congress in order to receive accommodations for a tour.  The website for the U.S. Capitol was the most deaf friendly.  It has a specific link to the interpreters’ office for those seeking interpreters for a tour.  For my visit to the Capitol, I was able to make arrangements for an interpreter for my tour with little notice because I used to work at the Capitol and knew that sign language interpreters were often readily available.   However, having specific knowledge should not be the standard.  Access to the tour of the Capitol and surrounding public institutions should be widely advertised and be readily available to everyone, even if some advance notice is needed.

The tour at the Capitol begins with a film. This film is open captioned.  However, the location and the poor quality of the captions made it very difficult to understand the film.  The captions are underneath the film and very dim.  The story of the film, from what I was able to ascertain, shows the progress America has made as a Nation by portraying various laws that were passed over time.  It also lists the various equal rights laws that were passed over the years as well.   Surprisingly, it did not list the Americans with Disabilities Act.  In any event, I walked out of the film unsure whether there was a problem with the captioning equipment or if it was time for another eye examination.  The captioning was indeed poor. Not only was I affected, my hearing children were affected as well as I was unable to engage in a meaningful discussion with them about the film.  This is unacceptable to me both as a deaf individual and as a parent.

I would like to be the last one to complain.  The U.S. government is supposed to be a model for all and must be expected to follow the standards it sets for others.  It is not just the deaf individuals seeking out access who are affected but also families and friends who are with the deaf individuals which add up to a very large number of people. We should not be satisfied with second class access such as deficient captioning and the unavailability of qualified interpreters.  If the U.S. government does not send the right message, who will?

It is our responsibility to make sure we use our combined voices and voting power to make ourselves heard and to demand that the U.S. government recognize that basic human rights include easy and meaningful access for the deaf and hard of hearing community.  This includes tours of the U.S. Capitol as well as access to courts and other government programs where lack of access can result in severe consequences. 

To make myself heard, I am sending a copy of this message to the U.S. Capitol, my state Senators, and to the White House disability policy advisor.  We must make it clear to our government that it is time step up to the plate and provide first class access at all government programs.