Pontiac press release ignores different hearing loss identities
November 1999
Pontiac's press release regarding their auto shows
mentions providing communications access to the deaf and hard of hearing
community by providing interpreters. The deaf community certainly
appreciates this attempt to provide access. However, the 95% of persons with
hearing loss who are hard of hearing, late deafened, or oral deaf
receive no benefit from the presence of sign language interpreters.
A
member of the deaf community sent a Letter to Pontiac
explaining that interpreters do not provide access to 95% of deaf and
hard of hearing people and offering information and assistance.
If
Pontiac chooses to reply, their response will be posted here.
January
2001 - Well,
here it is January 2001. No response yet and Pontiac continues to claim
to provide access to the hearing loss community while ignoring the needs
of 96% of that community. Being ever the optimist, I sent them another letter.
As always, I'll post their response if I get one.
August
2001 - Last year about this time we published a story about the lack of
accessibility of Pontiac's auto shows. We commended them for providing
interpreters, but we also informed them that the vast majority of the
hearing loss population doesn't know sign language and uses other
communications methods. Our offers to work with them were ignored, but
they DID go off and work on access - and this year, they're providing
it. Read all about it!
