Still confused? You may need the services of a CDI.

What is a CDI?

 A CDI is a deaf or hard of hearing interpreter who has demonstrated knowledge and understanding of interpreting, deafness, the Deaf community, and Deaf culture. CDI’s have specialized training and/or experience in the use of gesture, mime, props, drawings and other tools to enhance communication. CDI’s have native or near-native fluency in American Sign Language and are recommended for a broad range of assignments where an interpreter who is deaf or hard-of-hearing would be beneficial. Source: Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. certification/ certification/

Here’s a famous example of a CDI working in tandem with a hearing interpreter. You may remember this example from January 2015, when New York City had a severe snow storm. Here, you’ll see two interpreters working together to interpret Mayor Bill de Blasio’s remarks. The interpreter standing next to de Blasio is Jon Lamberton, a CDI. If you look carefully at the bottom left of the screen during this clip, you will see his hearing wife, interpreter Andrea Lamberton, transliterating de Blasio’s remarks for Jon to interpret into ASL. Photo Source: al/ / _lamberton_deblaz.png al/ / _lamberton_deblaz.png Video Source: 15/01/30/ / 15/01/30/ /

Let’s review: You’ve been arrested. The arresting police officer hands you the Miranda Warning on a card. Do you understand this warning? Source: Jacqui Shine, “How ‘You Have the Right to Remain Silent’ Became the Standard Miranda Warning,” Slate.com at _how_the_language_of_the_warning_became_standard.html _how_the_language_of_the_warning_became_standard.html

Or, let’s imagine that a hearing police officer reads the Miranda Warning to you. Will you be able to understand your rights if they are spoken to you?

What are your rights as a deaf person if you are questioned while in police custody?

 Two important federal statutes assure your right to a sign language interpreter:

What are your rights as a deaf person if you are questioned while in police custody?  Two important federal statutes assure your right to a sign language interpreter:  Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and

What are your rights as a deaf person if you are questioned while in police custody?  Two important federal statutes assure your right to a sign language interpreter:  Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Your rights under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Source: law-enforcement/communication-access law-enforcement/communication-access

Your rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Source: law-enforcement/communication-access law-enforcement/communication-access

However...  Deaf people, their lawyers, and their interpreters often question the ability of "qualified" sign language interpreters to explain the Miranda Warning to their deaf clients.

However...  Deaf people, their lawyers, and their interpreters often question the ability of "qualified" sign language interpreters to explain the Miranda Warning to their deaf clients.  Courts have suppressed evidence obtained from deaf defendants where it has been found that the Miranda Warning was not adequately communicated to the defendant.

However...  Deaf people, their lawyers, and their interpreters often question the ability of "qualified" sign language interpreters to explain the Miranda Warning to their deaf clients.  Courts have suppressed evidence obtained from deaf defendants where it has been found that the Miranda Warning was not adequately communicated to the defendant.  Miranda Warnings must be broken down to the defendant’s language level.

What are some of the consequences you may face if you don’t understand the Miranda Warning?

Are deaf ASL users the only people that face these kinds of problems when interacting with police or the court system?

 Speakers of other “minority languages” face similar problems when interacting with law enforcement and the legal system.

Are deaf ASL users the only people that face these kinds of problems when interacting with police or the court system?  Speakers of other “minority languages” face similar problems when interacting with law enforcement and the legal system.  A “minority language” is a language spoken by less than 50 percent of a population in a given region, state or country.

In this unit, we’ll be studying three different examples of speakers of minority languages who have been denied justice due a lack of adequate interpretation services:  First, we will examine the story of Santiago Ventura Morales, a Mexican migrant laborer who was accused of murdering a coworker in Oregon. At the time of his U.S. trial, Ventura Morales only spoke a language called Mixteco. Mixteco is a minority language in both the U.S. and Mexico. Source: &id=4XQfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JPEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5707, &hl=en &id=4XQfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JPEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5707, &hl=en Santiago Ventura Morales (right) with activist Donna Slepack (left).

In this unit, we’ll be studying three different examples of speakers of minority languages who have been denied justice due a lack of adequate interpretation services:  Second, we will examine the story of Jacinta Francisco Marcial, an indigenous Otomí woman from Mexquititlán, Querétaro state, Mexico. Francisco Marcial was tried and convicted by a Mexican court of kidnapping 6 Mexican federal agents after a dispute at a local market. Francisco Marcial’s right to an Otomí-speaking interpreter was denied at all stages of her judicial proceedings. Photo source: content/uploads/2009/09/112-colinvitada-jacinta- marcial.jpg content/uploads/2009/09/112-colinvitada-jacinta- marcial.jpg

In this unit, we’ll be studying three different examples of speakers of minority languages who have been denied justice due a lack of adequate interpretation services:  Third, we will study the story of Junius Wilson, a deaf African American man who was imprisoned on an unsubstantiated rape charge in A jury found Wilson mentally incompetent to stand trial due to mental retardation. Wilson’s caretakers later discovered, however, that Wilson was not mentally retarded but instead used an obscure North Carolina sign language known as the Raleigh Dialect. Unfortunately, by this time, Wilson had already been castrated and imprisoned in a state hospital for 69 years. Photo source: pg pg