In Arizona, the number of residents with some form of hearing loss numbers 450,000. To help them maneuver through daily life, many rely on the help of interpreters for the deaf, and many more would like some kind of assistance. However, there are fewer than 100 certified interpreters within the state to deal with this growing population.

As the state’s large baby boomer population ages, the gap between the numbers of hearing impaired and certified interpreters continues to grow. By 2010, for instance, the numbers of Arizonans with hearing loss is estimated to be at half a million. And by 2030, that number will reach 700,000, according to estimates by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (ACDHH).

“The shortage of qualified interpreters is serious, and the shortage of qualified trainers is critical,” says Kay Hilder, interpreter preparation program director at Phoenix College.

But in an effort to address this shortage, the Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing is seeking $750,000 from the Legislature to boost interpreter training at the state’s universities and colleges.

If approved, H2495 would supply funding for the commission to partner with schools like Phoenix College, as well as the state’s major universities, to train interpreters and interpreter instructors. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mark Thompson, R-17, and seeks money from the Telecommunications Fund for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing, which currently is funded by a 1.1 per cent tax levied on phone service.

Supporters of the bill, which recently passed the Senate Health Committee, say there simply aren’t enough qualified interpreters in the state to meet the needs of the nearly half-million Arizonans with hearing loss. Further, in several years the problem is poised to become more complex, when a state statute goes into effect requiring that all interpreters be licensed by the ACDHH.

For members of the commission, securing a solution to this problem is critical. The bill is a response to the community that says there’s a problem, according to Marian Kaanon, planner and public relations coordinator with the commission. “There is a shortage of interpreters in this state.”

Though their numbers are small in comparison with the hard of hearing population, hearing interpreters provide a much valued — and much varied — service, says Ms. Kaanon.

Voice For The Deaf

They help clients with everything from maneuvering through legal proceedings to translating instructions in doctor visits. “(The hard of hearing) are much more hindered in the everyday occurrences that we take for granted,” Ms. Kaanon says. “Interpreters are voicing for the deaf person, as well as signing what we say to the deaf person… If they don’t accurately voice for them, that’s a problem.”

Thus, quality training for deaf interpreters is a vital component of providing services to the hard of hearing. The commission’s 14-member staff not only coordinates training efforts, but also assists audiologists, hearing aid dispensers, school representatives and the parents of deaf and hard of hearing children.

Their services will be greatly expanded if H2495 becomes law. “(It) will bring about great changes,” says Ms. Kaanon.

The bill would allow the commission to set up and standardize interpreter training programs with colleges and universities. Currently, Phoenix College offers an Interpreter Preparation Program (IPP), and the University of Arizona boasts a program that trains students to help the hard of hearing in strictly educational settings.

People suffering from hearing loss, Ms. Kaanon says, certainly benefit from assistance in the educational arena. But there are many other areas in which qualified interpreters can provide an important service. “Doctors’ offices, legal proceedings, business meetings and meetings within organizations and groups — it really runs the gamut,” she says.

Mr. Thompson says he was moved to support H2495 by the coming mandate that all interpreters be licensed and certified.

“Those funds will greatly enhance the commission to coordinate with community colleges and universities to set up programs,” says Mr. Thompson. “We’re waiting on a Senate floor vote, but I don’t anticipate any difficulties with this.”

Mr. Thompson adds that, should the bill pass but feature what proves to be inadequate funding, he will support other efforts to earmark money for the commission. “I’ll see what I can do to assist them.”

711 Hotline, Equipment Program

Since 1970, the commission has been charged by the Legislature with several tasks, among them the coordination within the state of the nation’s 711 hotline allowing deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired persons to communicate with others. A free system, the service provides seven different types of calls.

“Part of our mission is to tell people about 711,” says Ms. Kaanon. By using the confidential and operator-assisted phone system, the hard of hearing can lessen their reliance on family members and friends to make their calls. “It’s an issue of freedom.”

The commission also provides items for the hard of hearing through its Arizona Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (AzTEDP). Such items include Braille or amplified telephones, and models with lighted ringers. Interested parties can apply for a program voucher after being certified by a medical professional. This program has proved extremely popular, and saw a 260 per cent increase in applications this year. “It’s our fastest growing program,” says Ms. Kaanon.

“(The commission) provides several essential services for the state’s deaf and hard of hearing people, not the least of which is the administration of telephone-related programs,” says Alan A. Amann, a commission board member. Mr. Amann, an attorney in the criminal appeals section of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, is a member of the deaf community.

Another committee member and hearing impaired representative, Michael Ubowski, has been the board’s chairman since being appointed in August 2002 by Governor Hull. Mr. Ubowski is also a firm believer in the importance of the commission’s telecommunications programs.

“The agency’s services are beyond importance in a real sense, and are really more of a necessity,” says Mr. Ubowski. “Our state has the foresight to keep services to the deaf and hard of hearing community in one centralized, easy-to-access agency that understands the community’s special needs.”

In addition, the commission serves as an information and referral agency. “We’re a reference point for a lot of people trying to figure out state or local services,” says Ms. Kaanon. “We also provide services to state agencies about their abilities to address the needs of deaf consumers.” The commission provides an e-mail digest, a regularly updated Web site, a reference handbook and other provisions to its clientele.

44% Of Those With Hearing Problems Are Older Than 64

Much of that clientele is elderly, and their numbers are increasing, both in Arizona and across the nation. Of the approximately 450,000 hearing impaired citizens of Arizona, some 44 per cent are older than 64. “The majority of this population is hard of hearing, and we estimate 45,000 who are totally deaf,” says Sherri Collins, executive director of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing via e-mail.

“As the nation and the state’s baby boomer population continues to age,” she says, “the number of people with hearing loss is expected to grow rapidly, adding to the need for progra
ms and services such as those provided by (the commission). As we prepare for the growing number of people with hearing loss, we’re working with the governor’s staff to ensure that, as Arizona’s population ages, our services meet the growing need.”

National Certification Costs $$$

Ms. Hilder, with Phoenix College, expands on the current interpreter woes in our state: “When people talk about the ‘shortage of interpreters,’ there is a need to add the word ‘qualified.’ There is not only a shortage here in Arizona, but also nationally.

“There are many signers out there, some of whom have graduated from IPPs and decided not to pursue national certification. Historically, interpreters have not been paid well, and the exam is quite expensive.

“I believe, however, a main reason has been that there has not been a standard or required credential for interpreters, so most did not see the need to improve their skills or take the national exam. Now that licensure will be required, interpreters will have to get that national certification in order to practice in the community.

“Our Interpreter Preparation Program (IPP) is under construction. Currently, the prerequisite certificate is 38 credits. After that, students can apply to the IPP, which is an additional 26 credits. They can chose to apply for an IPP Associate of Applied Science degree instead, which is an additional 45 credits.

“Up to now, students could complete the prerequisite and IPP in as little as 2 years. Since we are making changes and adding course requirements, it may take a minimum of 2.5 to 3 years total. When finished, they will be at entry-level competence for the interpreting field.

“The funding that H2495 would provide would assist us greatly in enhancing our program, to train more instructors, to expand our program and to involve the deaf community more in the education and mentoring of our students.” —