My story was about communication barriers in Syracuse between the Police and Fire Departments and deaf and Spanish residents. I talked about how the police work with the West Side Learning Center in a program called Cross Cultural Connections. In it, Latino youths teach police basic Spanish and the nuances of Latino culture. I also talked about how the Fire Departments only attempt to break down communication barriers is a few presentations here and there. The head of the SAL told me that isn't enough, and like the police, they should learn basic Spanish.
What didn't really get into my story is what both the Fire and Police Departments are doing to overcome communication issues involving the deaf. That is because the person I was trying to interview at AUROA, a deaf advocacy group, did not get back to me until this morning, past my deadline. Of course, she gave me the best interview out of all the ones I got, and it is lost to the far reaches of time now. She basically told me that the police department does nothing to really break down communication barriers with the deaf. She told me that they think writing things down is essentially enough to get them to undertand, and that they are naive in their approach. Had she gotten back to me earlier in the week, my story would have certaintly sounded different in the end.
I did learn a lot though about what is and what is not being done. The Police Department's relationship with the WLC is young, but it is a step in the right direction. 36 officers have completed the training. More needs to be done though, because in an emergency, a basic understanding of Spanish, or techniques to communicate with the deaf can come in handy. There is a lot more that did not get into my piece, and I would mention it, but this is a blog, not a novel. So with that said, I congratulate everyone on their great final projects, and making this class the most worthwile and enjoyable of my college experience.
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