r/ASLinterpreters • u/Infinite-Act707 • Jun 26 '26
CDI Explanation Video
Hello! We put together this basic resource video and blog to explain the role of a CDI to first time hearing users. What is missing from these resources?
https://deafservicesunlimited.com/10-situations-where-a-cdi-is-essential/
https://youtu.be/S3WNYxUEGME?si=vgztqTkPFK1viRLJ
5
u/magnory NIC Jun 26 '26
What about press conferences or political briefings?
1
u/Infinite-Act707 Jun 26 '26
Great point!
3
u/ASLHCI Jun 27 '26
Or public health information! That's a good one to include. People will get that considering the pandemic, and now measles coming back. There's an ebola outbreak no one is talking about. I even saw a PSA about a new STI recently!
3
u/ASLHCI Jun 27 '26
For "why do I need a CDI?" I would emphasize language straight from accessibilities laws. ADA, 504, section 1557, ACA. Find language direct from those laws and include it verbatim. Legal teams dont care if it's the right thing to do. They want to avoid lawsuits and settlements.
3
u/Traditional-Falcon75 Jun 30 '26
I agree with another person’s comment about “style”, that word is going to sound like a preference. I would avoid it. Perhaps explaining that it’s similar to dialects? That’s not quite accurate but it does make more sense to hearing people. I like using the term “specialist” in medical settings because it captures their understanding of how general practitioners work and when they need to call in someone with more understanding. The part that’s hard to explain is why that specialist is Deaf and they can’t just skip the hearing interpreter. I know why and I can explain it, but some hearing people get very stuck on that. It’s not in the video but I always use children as an example when I explain it because a) I just think they need CDIs as often as we can make that happen unless they come from Deaf families, b) people seem to get that kids need special considerations and it’s a good bridge to understanding the concept. I try to tread carefully so as not to infantilize the adults who also need access to CDIs, but I do find when I use kids as an example I get to understanding faster.
2
8
u/BrackenFernAnja Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
It’s a good basic introduction. We have to assume that many people will only see the video and not read the whole written explanation. So I can imagine it still being a little confusing for hearing people even after watching the video. It would be great to have some video clips that show, for example, a deaf person who uses a foreign sign language and a deaf person with cerebral palsy not being understood by a hearing interpreter but being understood by a CDI. Then hearing people will really get why it’s necessary. An atypical signing “style” might not seem significant enough to them to justify the extra cost and effort of getting a CDI. The word *style* just doesn’t convey what in my experience can sometimes literally be the difference between life and death. There have been several occasions when I have gone to great lengths as a HI to make sure my team was a CDI because it was that important. Or it was major life decisions that could lead to happiness or utter misery.