I tried to find a deaf interpreter after Churchill Park festival failed to offer one. Here's what I learned

When global superstar Pitbull performed earlier this month at theChurchill Park Music Festival in St. John's, it was an iconic moment for the city.

But not everyone in attendance was able to hear him belt out his hits.

Reyn Sigurgeirsdttir is deaf and requires American Sign Language interpretation. She was looking forward to the concert, but learned the day before there wouldn't be an interpreter at the show.

I wanted to interview Sigurgeirsdttir about her experience, and learn more about what it's like accessing interpreters, but it took over a week to find an interpreter to do the interview.

While putting this story together, I experienced some of the struggleSigurgeirsdttirwas living with.

Trying to get an interpreter

Sigurgeirsdttir made a Facebook post sharingher concerns about thefestival before the concert. When she bought her ticket for Pitbull in June, she said, nearly two months before the concert, she contacted festival organizers to let them know she'd need an interpreter.

The festival responded that they were working on it.

The Monday before the festival, she heard they were unable to get an interpreter.

Sigurgeirsdttir suggested they reach out to Triangular Communications, a business that contracts professional interpreters and the Newfoundland Association of the Deaf, a non-profit organization that supports the local deaf community and provides interpreters.

WATCH | This woman says shepaid for a ticket and deserves to enjoy the concert too:

Do better, says woman who got the runaround trying to get interpreter for Pitbull concert

1 month ago

Duration 0:18

Reyn Sigurgeirsdottir is deaf and requires American Sign Language interpretation. Even though she contacted the organizers two months before the show to say she would need an interpreter, what followed would be a frustrating loop of inaction.

The festival told Sigurgeirsdttir they were unable to book through Triangular Communications and were working with the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of the Deaf to find another option.

The day before the festival, Sigurgeirsdttir was told, again, they were unable to book an interpreter. Organizers suggested she use an FM transmitter system provided by the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association.

However, Sigurgeirsdttir has never used the device because she says it wouldn't work with her cochlear implants.

"This is a human rights violation," she wrote in an email."I rely on sign language interpreters, not any other hearing assistance technology. Offering another hearing assistance technology is not being inclusive."

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association told the festival organizer the system does work with cochlear implants, they explained to her.

Sigurgeirsdttir then emailed the hard of hearing association to ask if the system would work. She says they told her it needs to be programmed into her implant processor by an audiologist.

These conversations happenedtwo days before the concert making it nearly impossible for Sigurgeirsdttir to see her audiologist on time.

Sigurgeirsdttir then took matters into her own hands, and contacted Heather Crane, owner of Triangular Communications.Sigurgeirsdttirshowed me screenshots ofCrane informingher they did have interpreters available but the festival declined the quote.

My hunt for an interpreter

The following Monday after the Pitbull concert, I contacted Sigurgeirsdttirto do an interview.

I also contacted theNewfoundland and Labrador Association of the Deaf to book an interpreter to do the interview.

For an entire week, emails went back and forth between me, Sigurgeirsdttir, and the association, trying to nail down a time when an interpreter would be available.

Twenty-sixemails later, I realized that I was experiencingSigurgeirsdttir's struggle first-hand.

The next week, I decided to try another option. Even though the deaf association and Triangular Communications use similar pools of freelance interpreters, I contacted Triangular on my own. In one day, they were able to find and schedule an interpreter for the interview.

Finally, success.

Meeting Reyn

I finally met Sigurgeirsdttir and the interpreter at Churchill Park, where crews were still tearing down festival equipment, to do the interview.

"It would have been great for the event to actually be accessible," said Sigurgeirsdttir. "It would have been nice [to not have to] request that they secure ASL interpreting."

Sigurgeirsdttir said she was not satisfied with the festival's response."I just feel like I've got to continue fighting. I've got to continue advocating," she told me. "It's tiring. It's stressful."

She had a good time at the festival but she could only hear bass and loud percussion:no words.

"There were people,like, screaming," she added. "The loud background noise took over the concert for me."

She said the festival also offered her tickets to see Shania Twain the following week if she could see her audiologist first. She contacted her audiologist the same day but never heard back.

Sigurgeirsdttir said she made the Facebook postto advocate for deaf people who require interpreters.

"We have the right to have entertainment as well," she said."People need to do better."

After the camera was turned off we were approached by the festival's promoter, Peter Quinton, who told us he had been the one working on getting Sigurgeirsdttir an interpreter.

He said he was quoted $6,900 by TCI to book a single interpreter for one night, which he turned down because a third party guaranteed the FM transmitter would work.

He said they tried their best to work with Inclusion N.L. and the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association to support Sigurgeirsdttir and apologized for the situation, but he declined to do an interview or provide further comment.

So why the cost?

According to Triangular Communications, there are only seven professionally trained interpreters in the province.

"While all [Triangular] interpreters are very experienced, not all possess the specific expertise of the vast array of requests that arise from the community," the company said in a statement.

They also say there are a number of factors considered when making up a quote, including"whether the event will be recorded, the complexity of the material, source language, situational gravity, as well as the preparation time required for the interpreter to study, translate, memorize and practise the material."

For event planners, ASL interpretation is often an afterthought, said the company.

"With adequate advance notice ASL interpretation is an accessible service for the deaf community. However, to improve the service in Newfoundland and Labrador more collaboration between all levels in the community, grassroots organizations and government is required."

An all-too-common experience

The issue extends beyond festivals for Sigurgeirsdttir, who also has trouble accessing interpreters for medical appointments.

"Some [interpreters] might not have the background knowledge to continue working with your appointment and not every interpreter is a good fit for every person," she said.

They have a very limited supply of interpreters, said deaf association community support worker Nancy Emberly.

"When you book an interpreter, they may or may not be available. Freelancers [do not] necessarily have to take a job," Emberly said.

While Emberlydeclinedto comment on the Churchill Park festival situation, she said it is frustrating for the deaf community.

"I work with many different people in the community," she said. "And there are times when I can't get an interpreter even for myself. And it's frustrating because I've got to postpone appointments that I make, arrangements and meetings that can't go ahead because there are no interpreters."

Getting an interpreter for health care is a common problem in the deaf community, said Emberly. There are often communication barriers in hospitals, such as when names are called out in waiting rooms, and deaf patients can't hear it.

The deaf association also requested the government help get more interpreters in the province.

"That would give us more access. And then if we had more awareness in the public," said Emberly. "I think people would then get a better understanding of what's happening."

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