Chris Haulmark​ shares his horrible burdensome experience having no American Sign Language Interpreting Team accommodations at tonight's Johnson County Democratic Women South Monthly Meeting​ event featuring Kansas American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director as guest speaker.

[Video Description: Chris Haulmark, a white male with short brown hair and trimmed beard, is sitting in a chair within a restaurant with a blue-white checkered, button-up, and long-sleeved shirt. There are some people sitting behind him as they watch the speaker off the screen.]

Hello all!

This is Chris Haulmark, running for US House of Representatives in Kansas’s Third Congressional District.

Now you can see, I’m here at tonight’s Johnson County Democratic Women of Kansas monthly event.

I came tonight because last June, July, and August, some of the members invited our campaign to attend each of those months.

During those times, we brought up the need for an American Sign Language Interpreting Team accommodation.

They responded that they were unable to afford the accommodation.

So that left us trapped, with no clear resolution.

As it so happens, last week our campaign was again invited to this month’s event.

We, again, reiterated needing an ASL Interpreting Team.

Yet, the event managers kept saying they were unable to afford nor able to provide the American Sign Language Interpreting Team accommodation.

So!

We went ahead and honored the invitation by attending tonight, because the voters wanted us to come.

Yet, there is still no American Sign Language Interpreting Team accommodation.

Again, they’re saying they’re unable to afford it, nor can they get funding,

Can’t, can’t, can’t- all that endless struggling.

So, we’re sitting here, arriving at 6:00 pm and waited patiently until 7:00pm, all along as the sole Deaf person, while the other attendees interact with each other all around me, leaving me trapped- unable to communicate with ANYONE.

And, just so you know, in case you haven’t seen this-

*camera pans to laptop computer on a table, showing a woman typing*

Yet, she’s unable to transcribe EVERYTHING stated here.

She’s not a professional with the responsibility or liability protection to provide fully accessible communication.

Y’see, just so you understand, I don’t blame anyone, not at all…

I DO blame the system as it’s been set up.

Time to break down the system and make it MORE inclusive for the Deaf community all across the country, so that we may have full access to political discourse and events, such as this one.

Tonight’s event is not the only one where the Democrat Party has not been inclusive, no not at all.

So, it’s time to make major systemic changes for ALL disability groups, for their involvement in our society’s leadership.

Yes, I’m suffering without any accommodation here, but I strongly feel it’s necessary to do so for all people with disabilities, including Deaf people.

Time for people to wake up and understand this systemic flaw.

See the speaker over there?

*camera pans to a male speaker talking in a microphone, without American Sign Language Interpreting Team member in the reserved space next to him.*

See, there’s no American Sign Language Interpreting Team there.

Yet, we continue to suffer!

Join us in solidarity!

[Camera changes to Chris Haulmark standing in the kitchen wearing the same shirt.]

Hello all!

*Chris Haulmark standing, removes name tag from his chest and smiles wryly at the camera*

Now..hmm...that’s my story for you all to see.

It is allowing you to look and see what happened tonight.

*sigh*

We know that these are AWESOME, KIND people there, yes indeed!

We don’t blame any of them, it’s not those specific individuals- no!

We blame the SYSTEM!

We did this action to demonstrate to the country, and to local Kansans to UNDERSTAND why inclusivity is so VERY important.

[Transcription to be continued at: Link ]

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   CoolPJR Reply

   7 years ago

   ReplyTo:   ChrisHaulmark
   Title:   I feel you