FROM THE DEAF COMMUNITY TO WIDHH:
THIS IS A PETITION ADDRESSED TO THE BOARD OF WESTERN INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAFAND HARD OF HEARING. OUR REASONS FOR THIS PETITION ARE:
– It is the Vancouver Association of the Deaf that founded the Western Institute for the Deaf so the WIDHH’s origins are within the British Columbia Deaf Community;
– Members of the B.C. Deaf Community are deaf and have experienced being deaf, and are very familiar with issues confronting the deaf;
– We-the Members of the B.C. Deaf Community- have seen the decay of the services for the deaf within the Province such as the provinical school for the deaf and the provincially contracted mental health programme;
– Too often programmes for the deaf decay whenever they are under the management of non-deaf persons, thus prolonging sufferings experiences by Members of the B.C. Deaf Community; and
– We are concerned about services for the Deaf, and seek to reverse the decaying trends.
THEREFORE, WE DEMAND THE FOLLOWING:
– Whenever a vacancy occurs in the position of the Executive Director of WIDHH, the position must be fulfilled by a culturally Deaf person;
– Whenever a vacancy occurs in the position of the Deptartment Head of Interpreting Services in WIDHH, the position must be fulfilled by a culturally Deaf person; and
– A screening and hiring committee composed of at least 51% culturally Deaf persons be supported by the Board for the sole purposes of informing Deaf communities across Canada, of determining qualifications, of screening and hiring.
WIDHH’s REPLY TO THE DEAF COMMUNITY VIA GVAD PRESIDENT, KIMBERLY WOOD:
