Last weekend Affordable Language Services took part in one of our favorite events of the year, the Deaf Health Fair. We love working with the Deaf and hearing-impaired community! To make sure we could communicate effectively with the people in attendance, we contracted a nationally certified interpreter (who often does contract work for us) to help us out. Nick Miller spent the day at our booth interpreting for our staff. Here’s what he had to say about the event.
This past Saturday, the University of Cincinnati once again hosted the annual Deaf Health Fair in the Tangeman University Center. This massive event attracts attendees from all over the tri-state area including populations who are Deaf, hard of hearing, hearing, students of sign language, interpreters, businesses, health professionals, and services that cater to the needs of the Deaf population. This exciting event allows the unique opportunity for many of greater Cincinnati’s Deaf population to all gather in one arena and socialize, learn about the services and opportunities the area offers, and simply to be in a setting where Deaf people are the majority.
As an attendee, I had the chance to be able to see many of the Deaf and hard of hearing people that I have grown to know over the years. Having the chance to see so many familiar and friendly faces allowed me to feel great pride as a sign language interpreter, knowing that I hold a unique position in being able to connect with members of this community in a way that so many of the hearing majority cannot. It was also a great joy to see the variety and abundance of services offered to a population who live in a hearing world and whose needs are often underutilized or sometimes ignored altogether. There were health screenings, interpreting agencies, social services, and Deaf owned businesses as well as resources which proved the greater Cincinnati Deaf community is thriving and well. I, as a local interpreter, was happy to witness the joy and be a part of this great event.