Accessibility minister’s comments about ASL interpreter a ‘knife right in the back’ for deaf graduate

A woman who was excited to celebrate with her family at a graduation event for Indigenous women on Thursday says it’s hard to look at her college certificate after the experience was tainted by comments Manitoba’s accessibility minister made about sharing the stage with a sign-language interpreter.

Deborah Owczar, who is deaf, said the ASL interpreter was removed from the stage after Minister Nahanni Fontaine’s speech, depriving her and her daughter access to participation during the first annual Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Celebration of Indigenous Women Graduates held in downtown Winnipeg on Thursday. 

She said she was looking forward to getting dressed up with her daughter and celebrating with other Indigenous high school, college and university grads.

Owczar, who is Métis, had just earned a child and youth care certificate through a partnership between Ndinawe and Red River College Polytechnic. 

“I feel like my certificate is completely ruined. I got it from this event, now when I look at it, it’s associated with these negative memories, not with my accomplishment. I look at my certificate and I think about what was said,” Owczar told CBC News through an ASL interpreter on Sunday.  

“I felt like my accomplishment was not as worthy as the others,” she said. 

In a video taken by APTN news, Fontaine is seen telling a person off camera that she was “thrown off” by the interpreter sharing the stage with her at the event, saying the interpreter shouldn’t have been on the stage because she was blocking Fontaine’s view of the audience.