The Center for Disability Rights (CDR) applauds the lawsuit filed today by Disability Rights New York (DRNY) to ensure that Governor Cuomo provides ASL interpreters at all his press briefings. The Governor’s press briefings provide vital legal and public safety information to New Yorkers during this crisis and by not having Interpreters the Governor is denying Deaf New Yorkers access to that information.

“The Deaf Community has the same need for that information as everyone else in the state.” said Brooke Erickson CDR’s Director of Deaf Services at CDR. “The governor has recently said that he is ‘the governor for all New Yorkers’. He needs to start being the governor for Deaf New Yorkers by ensuring communication access to those whose primary language is ASL. If he does not, he is endangering thousands of Deaf New Yorkers.”

Even when the governor has had interpreters, he has relegated them to a separate feed, so that when the news media picks up his briefings the interpreter is not part of the feed they use. Ensuring that the only members of the Deaf community who have access are those who were able seek out the live feed on his website. “We are hopeful that this lawsuit will encourage the governor to change his practices and ensure Communication access for all.”

 

Check out our press release about this important action:

CDR applauds DRNY’s lawsuit against Governor Cuomo for ASL interpreters at Press Briefings