CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – American Sign Language, or ASL, interpretation is now available during Charlotte city council business meetings.
A city spokesperson, who said the change went into effect in September after the new city council was sworn in, explained this was a way to connect more with the deaf and hard of hearing community here in Charlotte.
Donna McCord-Smolik, who is deaf and communicates with ASL, says it’s a game changer.
“I’m thrilled!” she signed.
“It means deaf people, deaf residents have an opportunity to be involved, to express their opinions, to voice their concerns about our hometown!”
She went on to detail how the deaf community can sometimes feel left behind, whether it’s struggling to communicate with the hearing population, finding the right fit for the deaf in schools and jobs, or, until recently, only having caption to follow a streamed council meeting.
“Sometimes words are missing, sometimes the words scroll through too quickly, your eyes get tired of reading everything,” she said.
“We need to be aware of the politics. We need to be aware of events. We need to exercise our rights. It’s important for us to know what is going on in our neighborhood,” added Donna.
Elita Hill, who interprets ASL for Mecklenburg county commissioner meetings, said access for the deaf community, in a city like Charlotte, is still an uphill battle.
“If council members hear directly from residents, they are more like to include a broader scope in how their decisions are impacting people,” she said.
“There’s always an opportunity to do more. There’s always room for improvement.”
If you are interested in going to a Charlotte city council meeting, you can find their calendar of meetings here. Meetings are typically on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month.
The city says you can also tune in on the Gov Channel, which is Time Warner Digital 97-2 or 1302 or U-Verse 99 Local PEG-click. You can access it on their YouTube channel too.
You can find state resources through the North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing here.
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