Hey, Trix! What do you think about what happened with the unqualified and fraudulent interpreter at the Mandela memorial service?

A lot of fans have asked about this, and shared their opinions about the fraudulent interpreter at Mandela’s memorial service. At first glance, when I saw that they had included an interpreter, I was grateful for what I thought seemed like appropriate Deaf community accessibility. However, then, all around the world, the Deaf were shocked when they were unable to understand that interpreter at all because he was "faking" sign language and just moving his hands randomly.

The world is full of situations like this, in which accessibility is not provided, whether due to an unqualified interpreter or some other situation with inadequate communication. Trust me. I've been there!  I've tried so many times to educate people to provide for Deaf people's right to clear communication in public situations. This is not a first, but its significance is that now the whole world has seen the shocking situation in which a man without qualifications in interpreting, and with a long record of instability and even violence, was placed near the President of the United States and other world leaders. Maybe this was some kind of karma, a terribly unsafe and inappropriate situation caused by lack of concern for qualified interpreting accessibility. This situation has impacted the whole world!  There are so many questions for the governments, security staff, committees, attorneys, and Deaf people – why was an unqualified interpreter there? 

Once I performed my show in an auditorium full of elementary school children, and I noticed they weren't laughing at the funny parts. I knew it must be because of the inadequacies of the voice interpreter, so I asked the staff there to use a back-up interpreter (as usually there are two interpreters working as a team) and I performed the bit again. The kids got the point and laughed and laughed.  I decided to stick with the 2^nd interpreter for the rest of the performance. Later on, I talked with the 1^st voice interpreter, and she admitted that it was her first time voicing for a live performance.  I learned something from this experience, and afterwards, I made sure that a fully certified & experienced voice interpreter was selected for this position.

Most staff in charge of hotels, airlines, restaurants, and other such venues are not familiar with Deaf customers.  When I request a simple tactile alarm clock at a hotel, most people have no clue what it is.  Airline staff sometimes panic when they learn that I am a Deaf passenger. They keep asking me if I can lip-read. This gets to be an annoying question!  Restaurant staff give me funny looks when I simply ask for pen and paper to give my order. Is it so difficult to understand that I'd like to write my order? Do they think I am going to secretly rob them?

I always enjoy sharing my stories with various communities, such as the Disability, Diversity, Multicultural, Deaf, Hearing and Interpreter communities. In one of the shows I do, I love to make people laugh as I explain what I've been through while traveling over the last 15 years. 

Presentation:

Adventuring in American Sign Language: Trix ’s Travels

(excellent for all audiences, Deaf-Culture Educational)

 

Trix's newest show, Adventuring in ASL: Trix’s Travels, features hilarious true tales. As a Deaf person traveling among hearing people, Trix has experienced incredible ups and downs, adventures, snags, crazy-making moments, and eventual happy landings. Trix draws you in as she encounters misunderstandings, missed flights, embarrassing times, exciting challenges, and a growing sense of travel-savvy. Take a ride with Trix, and see for yourself! (YouTube Video Preview: Trix’s Travels)

Now, due to the event with the fraudulent interpreter, the world has finally been hit hard as it realizes what happens when communication issues are not carefully considered. Deaf communities have spoken out. This has INSPIRED me, and I say, "Good for them!" I support the complaints and look to join the worldwide Deaf community to seek improved service quality. The more people who recognize that Deaf people have rights and Deaf people can speak out, the better. Deaf people "Can do!"

Thank you all for thinking of me and allowing me to share my thoughts with you all.

Where do you find wonderful clothes for your work?

Wearing professional clothes during my presentations is key. My closet features mostly dark clothes, and that hit my mother hard. But she knows, now, that I don't wear any flower prints, polka dots, nor colorful patterns. She stopped buying them for me and decided to just take me shopping when she wants me to pick out something special.

I tend toward navy, dark brown, dark teal, blue, black, dark grey, grey, or any dark, solid color. These clothes provide a good signing background, which is appreciated by Deaf people, interpreters, and my audiences. I try to keep distractions to a minimum, so I avoid heavy jewelry and elaborate nail treatments.

Dressing up is a lot of fun; however, picking the right color and style for the best sign language visibility is vital to my work as a presenter. Sign language interpreters consider these clothing issues, too, and I appreciate that!

Some of my favorite stores:

White House & Black Market

Macy's

Cache’

Ann Taylor

Ralph Lauren

TommyBahamas
J.Jill
MaxStudio (in this photo: black dress)

How come you haven’t performed outside of the USA?

I have often received invitations to go abroad. However, I have family responsibilities that keep me home.

I cherish what I've learned about International Sign Language through workshops and professional networking. For example, during Deaf Way II, I worked full time with a Deaf international interpreter. It was an incredibly rewarding experience! I have also had the honor of meeting many Deaf people from different countries.

The Deaflympics in Australia showed my video, "Surf", on their huge screen! I found this out when one of my friends saw me performing on screen in front of thousands of people.

 I've been happy to see websites and magazines feature my work. That has given me some international name recognition. One day, I hope to go abroad, and meet people from other countries in person. 

Video Clip: Trix Bruce's Surf Storytelling

"Which sources contribute most to your educational development?"

I really love movies that are based on real-life events. Watching these movies, I read the subtleties of the facial expressions to see the characters’ emotional responses. This deepens my enjoyment and inspires me to learn more. Reading is certainly valuable for everyone, but honestly, watching videos and presentations in American Sign Language (ASL) helps me to learn much more effectively.

For example, when I was young, I saw an article about “Patty Hearst” in a newspaper. I asked my parents to explain what was going on, but it seemed too complicated. When the movie based on her story was released, I watched it and immediately understood it in depth, with a high level of detail.  My education grew with every chance to see someone act something out or provide a visual demonstration. I watched hundreds of movies, reading the closed-captioning when it was available. If my interest was piqued by a story I’d seen on video, I would look it up on the internet to explore it further. Video, ASL, and captioning provide tremendous educational benefits.