Do You Trust the Police?

Art Acevedo (Coutesy of Austin Police Department)

What should you do if you're stopped by the police? What if you're deaf? Those are among the questions posed to Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo on this week's episode of ACCESS News.

The 30-minute locally-produced news program launched this fall aims to open civic participation to Austin's sizable deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and to promote a wider understanding of issues of local importance to the deaf and hearing population.

Up this week is a discussion of police and policing, especially among the deaf community – an issue that continues to trouble many who say that officers routinely ignore their inability to hear when attempting to communicate during stops and on calls. And although required by the Americans With Disabilities Act (and spelled out in APD policy), officers routinely fail to provide deaf residents with an effective means of communication – such as a certified interpreter – even when (at times, repeatedly) requested, lawyers and other advocates told us last year for our December 2010 story, "Tone Deaf."

ACCESS News is anchored by Gallaudet University grad Tamara Suiter-Ocuto, and the program – airing Sundays at 1pm on KLRU – is broadcast in English, American Sign Language and is close captioned.

Here's a clip from the show's opening:

ACCESS News Bringing You the World and Beyond from Civication, Inc. on Vimeo.