(Click here to jump to YouTube to watch the video.)
Image Description:
Lisa is a white woman, shoulder length brown hair, with brown-rimmed glasses. She is wearing a blue shirt with the NAD logo on the left side. Tommy is a white man, short brown hair, short beard, wearing a blue shirt with a Maine Association of the Deaf logo on the left side.
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Transcript:
Lisa: Hello, I’m Lisa Rose, President of the National Association of the Deaf.
Tommy: And I’m Tommy Minch, Maine Association of the Deaf Co-President.
Lisa: I want to thank you for joining me today. I know this is a sensitive time. I wanted to ask your opinion on a few different things, is that okay?
Tommy: Sure!
Lisa: Great. First, I wanted to ask you about your personal connection to this terrible tragedy that occurred?
Tommy: Well, first, I am a resident of the state of Maine. Second, I am the co-President of the Maine Association of the Deaf. I work for Disabled Rights Maine as an advocate.
On the night of the tragedy, I was called to step in as an advocate, to make sure that the survivors received the advocacy services that they needed. Some of them were also close friends of mine, so I felt compelled to serve them.
So, it’s been a year since the event. We recently initiated a contract with the Maine Resiliency Center, which has become the agency that is responsible for providing advocacy services to the surviving victims. MRC also has a contract with the state Attorney General’s office, to develop police academy training programs.
Lisa: Wow, that’s fantastic!
Tommy: Our goal is to provide training that covers individuals that police officers may encounter, such as those with intellectual disabilities, Deaf and hard of hearing people, and others.
Lisa: Wow. I’m curious – after the terrible incident, what were some of the challenges that you and others experienced? Can you share your opinions on that?
Tommy: One of the biggest challenges was communication access.
Lisa: Can you elaborate?
Tommy: Well, on the first night, at the very first press conference, there was no interpreter, and no captions. As a result, Deaf people were denied access to information. As a result, we had to depend on text communication with our phones, which ultimately led to a lot of misunderstandings. At that point, the Maine Association of the Deaf stepped in and set up a website that served as a central clearinghouse for information. Interpreter requests went to the website. If someone needed support, the requests were routed through the website.
At that point, we were able to review requests, and things became more manageable. Interview and other media requests from news reporters were handled through the website. We had two individuals who were assigned to screen incoming requests, and route them to the appropriate recipient. We tried very hard to ensure that the community had time to grieve. We did not want individuals to be overwhelmed with requests.
We also want to make sure that we recognize and thank the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) for their advocacy during this time. NAD ensured that the press conferences that were televised included the interpreters on the broadcast screen. NAD’s participation and partnership with the Maine Association of the Deaf helped make things as smooth and successful as possible.
Lisa: Do you feel that handling all the coordination occurring through the website had positive results?
Tommy: Yes, it was very successful. We were able to control the information to some degree, and avoid having false information spread by mistake. We did that by establishing specific points of contact with consistent messaging, and ensuring that they were utilized. The website really helped with that.
In addition, the website also served other requests – if a neighboring town wanted to host a Christmas lights display and provide interpreters, they now could do that by going on the website. Upon receiving the request, we would coordinate with an interpreting agency, and make sure that an interpreter was assigned to the event. The website really helped with coordination of requests like that.
Lisa: Is this a model that you would recommend others adopt?
Tommy: Definitely.
Lisa: Can you share details on the types of support that you provided when the incident occurred, as well as what types of support were provided later?
Tommy: The community really came together during that time. From all over – north, south, east, west, the call went out through text and email, and everybody rallied together. Meals were brought for the survivors and the families of the victims. Donations poured in. There were four Deaf people among the 18 people who died. The community rallied in support in a huge way.
The tragedy occurred on October 25th; two weeks later, we hosted the event here at the Brick South, and the community poured in. This was a good opportunity for us to rest and reset. There had been funeral after funeral. These were not positive events; so, we hosted the event at the Brick South to boost the positive feelings in the community. This helped people to start on their healing journey. Over the past year, we’ve seen continued healing, and today is our second time hosting this event here.
Lisa: Thank you for that. As of last night, it’s been a year, and I recognize that it’s been difficult. I’m curious – as you look back over the year that’s gone by, what are some of the things you’ve seen happen?
Tommy: We’ve seen substantial changes at the state level. Prior to the tragedy, the Maine Association of the Deaf was kind of quiet, and there was not much engagement with officials in the state government.
When the tragedy occurred, various officials and departments in the state suddenly were asking the Maine Association of the Deaf for assistance and advice. As an example, there was a hearing at the state house. The audio/visual team was experiencing difficulties with providing appropriate accommodations due to their outdated and insufficient internet connection. As a result, they totally revamped their system, and invested substantial resources. Today, the connection is robust, and they are able to host events with interpreters on Zoom, and the resulting video is smooth. The state actually invested in improving accessibility in the state house because of this situation.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) also provided funding to cover the costs of interpreters, if survivors needed them. For example, some needed to go to the bank to deal with estate planning; interpreters were provided for that to ensure that they were as comfortable as possible. This support was ongoing – it took quite some time for some situations to be resolved.
Even today, the state continues to provide financial support for interpreters, as needed. It’s been a very positive experience.
Lisa: Can you share your thoughts on the participation of other Deaf organizations? Who else provided resources and support systems that were beneficial, especially in the areas of mental health?
Tommy: The Board of the Maine Association of the Deaf is composed of really strong people, who were able to support each other. Because of that, we were able to focus on the needs of the community. We can take care of ourselves – and we were able to focus on the community.
One example of what we could provide – we hosted an interpreter retreat weekend. This was an opportunity for the interpreters to process the event, and to help them heal.
This event today is another example of our ongoing support for the community. It’s an opportunity to come together and just be together.
Mental health considerations will last for quite some time; the impacts are long-term. This is a work in progress. I can see improvement, and I can see increasing hopefulness in the community.
Lisa: Now, to wrap up this interview – people have gathered here today to celebrate the one year anniversary of the tragedy. What are your hopes for what you see happen after this event today?
Tommy: I intend to continue providing support for the community, just like we have for the past year. I intend to continue collaborating with state agencies as we have been. I feel positive about these collaborations.
In addition, I look forward to working with some of the state legislators, possibly changing some of the proposed legislation to make things equitable for deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind citizens of Maine. We will continue this work.
Lisa: I want to sincerely thank you for your time, and for being here with us today, and sharing your story.
Tommy: It has been my pleasure.
About the NAD:
The National Association of the Deaf is the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by, and for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened people in the United States. The NAD represents the estimated 48 million Americans of these communities, and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.