Accessibility concerns

Thanks to both the city of Spokane and Spokane Regional Health District for responding to several recent concerns from the deaf and hard-of-hearing community about the lack of accommodation of interpreters/captions during their emergency press conferences.

Several other issues are still needing attention.

Wish to see their website videos being shown with captions as the default setting. Captions are greatly encouraged at all public places and services where television is in use.

After much public discussion of health precautions, there is enormous necessity of having the plastic window on the masks. It can be an impediment for those using speech or lip reading. The profoundly deaf normally use American Sign Language as their primary mode of communication and facial expressions are the wonderful grammar of ASL.

Coronavirus testing face-to-face inside a vehicle or tight position can be awkward to people of disabilities, especially those with mobility issues. It is always beneficial to teach and encourage the tearing of barriers to promote accessibility in our everyday living, including during this difficult pandemic.

Larry Gorton

Spokane