troop_358_potlatch 10 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I am not sure if this post should be under this forum or if I should have posted under Issues, but here goes. Our troop has 2 deaf boys. The council has said that they will not provide sign language interpreters for summer camp. These 2 boys are in the same family. The parents are going to take turns being there, but each boy will be doing different things at camp.There will also be some times when neither parent will be there due to work schedules. My question is should the Boy Scouts provide the interpreter for these special needs boys?Any input would be greatly appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 My son is deaf. He never had an interpreter at summer camp. There is also another Scout in another Troop who is deaf & he has never had an interpreter at summer camp. These Scouts are entitled to an interpreter under the law. The only reason your council can deny this request is if they can prove it will cause financial hardship to the council by paying for the interpreter. I would push this issue all the way to the council executive. Keep us informed. Ed Mori Scoutmaster Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
OldGreyEagle 5 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 How handicapped accesible is the camp? I beleive the ADA covers this (as Ed points out) and your Council cant just "refuse". Is there a college near by with students learning sign language that could be used as volunteers ? High School students who know sign language that need service hours? Do you know any Woodbadger who needs a good diversity ticket item? Arranging for a sign language interpreter at the council's summercamp whenever its needed would be a good item. (or so I think) Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 OGE, The council must supply professional interpreters unless something other is agreed to. Professional interpreters are expensive. Ed Mori Scoutmaster Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
OldGreyEagle 5 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Ed would know, follow his advice Link to post Share on other sites
Bob White 20 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I do not believe that ADA covers having interpreters. A church for instance is not mandated to provide sign language interpreters for their activities, but some do as a service to their congregation. ADA requires that structural accomodations be met and that special needs resources be allowed to be used, but it does not mandate that the resources be provided. A good example would be if a corporation has a sight impaired employee, they must allow the individual to use their guide dog but they are not required to supply the guide dog. The camp must allow the use of the interpreter but they are not required by law to supply the interpreter. I would hope however knowing the needs of these scouts the council would exhaust their community resources looking for a couple volunteer interpreters. Bob White Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I was in error. I just got off the phone with the suprevisor of interpreters in my area and was told the BSA doesn't have to meet the ADA guidelines because they are a private organization that doesn't accept government funding. I am very sorry for the incorrect information. When my son attended our council's Eagle dinner, the council paid for his interpreter. That is what I based my information on. Bob, You are incorrect. ADA does cover interpreters. If a deaf student needs an interpreter, the school district must provide one. Churchs don't have to for the same reason as the BSA. Once again, I apologize for the incorrect information. Ed Mori Scoutmaster Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
eisely 13 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I concur with Bob White, although I am not an attorney. ADA applies to employment and public accomodations. Further I doubt that any entity subject to the law would be required to provide paid interpreters as an accomodation, other than possibly public schools K through 12. I don't think BSA is legally required to do anything. Having said that, BSA should try harder. There have got to be alternatives that can be provided in the situation described. It occurs to me that there may be safety concerns regarding these two boys that may come into play. It might make sense to try to pair the boys up with other scouts from the troop in their merit badge classes and other activities to ensure buddy coverage. Link to post Share on other sites
LauraT7 13 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I'm not going to get into the ADA argument, but it occurs to me that many of the counselors I have met at camp are young people looking to be teachers and other service oriented fields. It would not surprize me at all to find that someone on staff knows "some" sign language or has other interests that might help. I would contact the camp director and ask him to look into the staff he is now hiring and see if anyone meets the bill. that being said, both these boys are obviously of an age to read & write - if they don't want to carry a pad and paper around all the time, get them a small whiteboard and markers! and work out visual cues ahead of time for swimming, etc. make sure they are paired at all times with a hearing boy or adult from their troop who knows and understands them. I see a prime opportunity for working on the handicap awareness badge or for just doing the things we teach in scouting - to help and show loyalty to a team mate. Laura T Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Bob White & eisley, I suggest you check. Both my kids are deaf & the ADA DOES cover interpreters. Ed Mori Scoutmaster Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
Bob White 20 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Ed Thanks for the clarification. As I said I didn't think it applied to scouts since it didn't apply to churches. Do the ADA laws only apply to government funded concerns? BW Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I think LauraT7, has the right idea. What now seems like a problem could become a really good learning experience for the boys at this camp. Maybe the boys and their parents, could do some sort of presentation for the boys at camp who might be interested. Some years back when I was a Webelos Scout Den Leader, I had a Lady who was very good at American Sign, come to the den meeting to help the Scouts with the Communicator Pin. Nothing very hard. Stuff like Mom, Dad, My name is, Love, and that type of thing. To close she taught the boys to "Sing" Kum By Yar, in sign. The meetings were in my house, so as soon as everyone was gone, it was time for OJ, my son to get his shower. He is in the bathroom, singing his heart out. Her who must be obeyed, looked at me and said "If he is doing that in sign language, he is never going to get clean." This one den meeting, did a lot for some of the boys, I know of two of them who went on to become fairly good at American Sign. As for the rules of the ADA,I do know that it has a lot to do with the new buildings we have put up at our camps. But I work for a very large health system, and in my buildings the only one who knows any sign is myself. I never really gave it a lot of thought, maybe because my division is one of the few that is a for profit corporation. And we do not accept any outside funding. Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Bob, It applies to all public accomidations. the whole intent of ADA is to level the playing field. That is to give people with handicaps the same advantages as everyone else. troop_358_potlatch, How do these two Scouts communicate? Are they sign only or do they talk? I feel having an interpreter at summer camp would only get in the way. Scouting is very visual & this is an advantage for deaf Scouts. My son never had an interpreter at summer camp and loved every minute of it! Ed Mori Scoutmaster Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
eisely 13 Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Responding on the very narrow point that there is a REQUIREMENT to provide interpreters.... The first reference to this was in the context of a school situation. I presume that this was a public school. In my most recent post I acknowledged that this would likely be a requirement for a public school. That is not the same thing for either an employer, an ordinary business dealing with the public, or boy scouts. I doubt very much that ADA requires interpreters in all situations. The thought that LauraT7 brings up about treating this as a learning opportunity also occurred to me. There are many potential solutions to this situation. It is not obvious that guaranteeing the presence of a highly trained interpreter is the only, or necessarily the best, solution. In a different thread some time back I related a bit about an experience I had as a teenager on staff at summer camp in Missouri when an entire troop of deaf boys came to camp. We did not have interpreters, but everybody did just fine. The deaf scouts profited from the experience and so did everybody else, self included. Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 eisley, If a deaf person has a doctors appointment and requests an interpreter for that appointment and give the doctors office enough notice, the doctors office is required to provide an interpreter. What this does is enables the deaf person to understand what is happening during the visit to the doctors office. Ed Mori Scoutmaster Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
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