Previously, when a Deaf or hard of hearing person contacted the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regarding discrimination at the hands of an employer or prospective employer, exchanges with an EEOC representative usually involved video relay service (VRS). VRS allows Deaf or hard of hearing people to communicate with hearing people through a video phone with interpreters fluent in both English and American Sign Language.

For many in the Deaf and hard of hearing community, communicating with EEOC representatives through VRS when lodging a complaint was a frustrating ordeal: Non-verbal communication, such as a sad expression, or the crispness of sign delivered with excitement, is sometimes lost in interpretation. With the absence of the portrayal of these and other expressions, some people who communicate using ASL felt their concerns and questions were not adequately expressed to the EEOC. Furthermore, using VRS to send and receive messages increases the risk that important and often time-sensitive information will not be relayed correctly. Just as it frequently happens when translating one spoken language to another, interpreting ASL to American English requires an interpreter to be well-versed in the differing nuances, grammar, and sentence structure, of each language. Like translators, interpreters must be able to comprehend a message in one language, while simultaneously tailoring and delivering content to meet the linguistic guidelines of another – essentially, interpreters must alter sentences in part or in whole, but must never change message content and intent. This is especially important regarding legal matters.

Now there is great news for Deaf and hard of hearing community! On December 10, 2015, the EEOC finally launched a new service that will help people who are Deaf and hard of hearing, by increasing the availability of trained EEOC employees who are fluent in ASL. Now, Deaf and hard of hearing individuals will interact directly with EEOC representatives about discrimination, rather than through an interpreter. With the implementation of this service, EEOC representatives who are fluent in ASL can offer guidance and answer our questions directly, rather than us having to rely on a middleperson to relay information. Speaking with an EEOC representative directly will surely simplify interactions for everyone involved!

Carrie St. Cyr, an ASL-fluent information intake representative at the EEOC, said “About 98% of people who are Deaf and hard of hearing use videophones. Now, when those individuals call EEOC, they will now be able to communicate face to face with a staff member who speaks their native language and whose gestures, body language, and expressions they can read easily.” In addition to helping many Deaf individuals who feel they may have been the target of discrimination, it is now easier to track the actual number of complaints lodged with the EEOC by the Deaf and hard of hearing people.

To speak with an EEOC representative who is fluent in ASL, you may access their toll free ASL hotline at (844) 234-5122, between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday. If you are not sure if you’re being discriminated against, or if you have questions, you can email me at: jdollhopf@rcil.org, or you can connect with me on VRS by dialing (585) 286-2725.