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Resident urges Keizer committee to expand interpreter access, emergency communications for deaf residents
Summary
A longtime Keizer resident told the engagement committee the city should budget for interpreters at events, improve captioning and emergency alerts, and coordinate outreach to immigrant communities fearing immigration enforcement.
Janet Johansen, a longtime Keizer resident who identified herself as “a sixth generation deaf citizen of Keizer in Oregon,” told the Keizer Community University engagement committee that city events and public programs are not accessible to many deaf residents and called for a broader, citywide approach to interpretation and emergency communication.
Janet Johansen said she is repeatedly told to “bring your own” interpreter for neighborhood meetings and community events, and she described anxiety and safety concerns stemming from past trauma and from reports of immigration enforcement. “Do you provide interpreters or captions at the park?” she asked; the committee heard that, for many events,…
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