Mojo Mathers made history on Wednesday, when she delivered her maiden speech to Parliament — in sign language. It was an inspirational moment for the entire deaf community. But the elation didn’t last long.
She’s just been told she’ll have to pay $30,000 for electronic note-taking that she needs to do her job. Student Merrin Macleod thinks it’s unbelievable discrimination — in the last three months of 2011 Parliamentary Services paid $3.1 million for MPs’ travel and accommodation perks alone, yet it’s refusing to support Mojo Mathers’ participation in Parliament.
Merrin’s started a Change.org petition calling on Speaker Lockwood Smith to grant the funding immediately. The issue is attracting intense media attention, and the Speaker’s refusal is being condemned as discrimination against the hearing impaired. If thousands join Merrin’s petition now, while the Speaker is under the spotlight, he’ll have no choice but to listen.
This week should have been a triumph for Mojo Mathers and the deaf community — a powerful symbol of progress for a community that has often been marginalised in public life. But the Parliament’s refusal is putting that progress in jeopardy.
Mojo Mathers says the case would set a “dangerous precedent” in a system still weighted against people with hearing impairments and other disabilities. Funding the note-taking will drain her office budget — she’s essentially being asked to choose between fully representing her party and paying to participate in Parliament.
And the issue doesn’t end with Mojo Mathers. Electronic note-taking would eventually lead to the captioning of television coverage — enabling 700,000 hearing impaired people in New Zealand to access the Parliament they pay and vote for. Ensuring she’s supported by Parliament would be a powerful gesture towards equal access and opportunity for every one of these 700,000 people.
