Transcript. LotuSIGN: Service or disservice?

Welcome to LotuSIGN! I’m so happy you’re here. We need to let you know there have been some changes. If you look at the website, you’ll notice that some people are no longer here. You’ll also see some changes in our policies and volunteer information. There’s a purpose behind these changes. We found some problems and decided that like in many good relationships – a boyfriend, family, other things – change is sometimes necessary. Some relationships move smoothly for a long time; others have problems that can be resolved. But on occasion, people need to go their separate ways.

We noticed a year or two ago that there were problems. Some of them were caused by our own actions and media attention that focused on the interpreter. Others were caused by our own wavering goals and intentions. We were lucky, though, because we have good friends and peers – people who came forward and told us when they thought things weren’t quite right.

We were resistant to some of this criticism at first, because there was so much we were doing behind the scenes, but then changes began to take place within the community. We heard from more interpreting students, for example, who wanted to do what we were doing. This was a little surprising to us, since we had worked in the field for a very long time to achieve our position, especially when students said they wanted to be up on stage and have the spotlight like we did. And that’s when we realized what some students thought interpreting was all about and how we had apparently been representing our profession.

It hit me hard; it was very disheartening. This wasn’t our purpose in setting up the agency or doing this work. We take on the persona of the stars for whom we interpret, but we shed that persona when we go home. We have always promoted greater access, but portrayals in the media and even in some of our own productions had encouraged students to aim at being on stage in hopes of gaining self-confidence and importance.

After realizing what was happening around us, I wondered if these attitudes were inside the company as well. I looked at my own motives and the company mission and also asked for outside perspectives. People were kind and careful not to offend, but they had things to say. We reached out even further from our local community and asked others what we looked like from a distance. And then we asked people to examine the inner workings of LotuSIGN. Among other things, they were amazed to see all we did that is normally invisible to the public.

After all this consideration, we committed to changes. We decided to act correctly, regardless of perception or consequences, recognizing that the history and stature of LotuSIGN brought lots of media attention and therefore responsibility for public influence. If a student interpreter wants to be a star and thinks that is the important part of being an interpreter, then we had erred in portraying our roles.

During this time of reconsideration, we had several interactions with the media. Interviewers usually had good intentions, but when we brought them information about the profession, they tended to dropeverything but what they thought was entertaining. In that disappointing realization, we put everything on hold. We occasionally provided examples of our work, but mostly we were determined to investigate if there was any way in which we were negativelyimpacting the independent agency, empowerment and cultural preservation of the Deaf community. This required further personal evaluation, as well as consideration of the agency and my peers, after which decisions were made to make more changes. It was difficult to do so much work and reflection inside LotuSIGN and not be able to share with others. We decided to open up to public scrutiny, showing our strengths, weaknesses and errors.

While all this was going on, there were several events involving interpreters who sometimes worked withLotuSIGN. We refused to be distracted by those events or jeopardize the progress we had made in revamping LotuSIGN. Staying on our path, we wish them well and hope they might learn some of thelessons we have, but we realize we can no longer work with them. We have to look to our own purposes and actions.

So many things happen that aren’t known outside the company. LotuSIGN works onsite at festivals for about 15 days per year, then spends the rest of the year making arrangements, communicating, consulting, preparing and so forth. For a major festival, there may be as many as twenty organizing meetings, along with about three months of personal preparation. Every year we provide free interpreting at more than 25 non-profit, Deaf or small events that do not have the resources to pay for interpreting. That is much more time than we spend on major stages. And the smaller events are not necessarily easier; they all require preparation and consultation, as well as support to other interpreters. 

The purpose of all this is access, which is terrific, but not if we aren’t representing the situation well. So we’ve clarified several major intentions: to make sure our work matches community needs, to be sure we are representing the interpreter profession properly, to listen to feedback from our peers, and to proceed ethically and take Right Action at all times. As long as we meet these high standards, we will continue to interpret music, but if we fail in these intentions, then we will stop.

We’re happy about some of the changes made and sad about others. I have feelings about all of these things, but I also have to do what is right forLotuSIGN. Many of you have been so supportive and wonderfully helpful and we are grateful. We listened to our community, but if we have misunderstood, tell us! If you noticed mistakes in the past and turned away from us, please look to see if maybe we have since made the needed corrections.If not, and we couldn’t hear you before, please know that we are ready to hear you now. We’re back on our path and I encourage you to join this dialogue, whether you are a hearing person, an interpreter or you are Deaf. Please tell me what you think is wrong, right or successful about LotuSIGN. I’d like to be able to talk to you directly, especially if you judge us as insincere.

Barbie Parker
Executive Director, LotuSIGN
& Featured Interpreter 
210-313-4751

LotuSIGN
LIVE MUSIC INTERPRETERS

On Apr 25, 2014, at 4:10 PM
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