Hello Deaf Community,

I am reaching out to all of you about concerns for the future of the ASL-English Interpretation Program (AEIP) at Red River Community College Polytechnic (RRC). The AEIP teaches students to become interpreters so they can interpret information from English to ASL so our community has access to every aspect of our lives.

The AEIP has been inactive for several years. Initially, a revised program with a new curriculum was proposed to RRC, and RRC enthusiastically approved the proposal. The proposal was then submitted to the Government of Manitoba for final approval.  Although the government has approved the curriculum, they have not approved the funding portion of the proposal. This delay in government approval means that the AEIP will potentially not run again in the fall of 2025 or, worse, be cut completely.  This would mean that Manitoba could possibly not have an AEIP going forward and, even worse, no interpreters and very little access for our Deaf community.  We need our government to approve the proposal for the AEIP, and we need your support ASAP. 

Attached, you will find a prepared letter that you can use as a template to advocate for the approval of the AEIP proposal. All you need to do is add your name and address and send it to your local MLA so they, too, can read about our concerns. There is also a petition that you can sign so that we can show our government that we have a right to the access we receive through interpreters. Without the AEIP and interpreters, they are choosing to take away our right to access and negatively harm our community.

Below is a link that will take you to a drive folder with 4 prepared letters that you can use as templates to send to your MLA and 3 other Ministers. All you need to do is either copy or download the letters to your email, add your name and address and send them off.

RRC Interpreter Program - Temple Letter for MLA and Minister