Thread: Lack of BMV interpreters means Fort Wayne residents.........

www.fortwayne.com

Posted on Tue, Aug. 16, 2005

Lack of BMV interpreters means Fort Wayne residents who don’t speak English or Spanish have few options

By Nicole Lee


Shariff Yarrow, 31, has failed the state driver’s license test twice. He understands the traffic signs, but trips up on other portions of the test. A native of Somalia, Yarrow came to Fort Wayne last October.

The test is only offered in English and Spanish, and though the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has certified interpreters in 30 languages, only one speaks Somali â€â€

“It’s very tiring. I need a car,� he said. The shortage of qualified interpreters affects all levels of state government and services, said Adrienne Meiring, a staff attorney for the Division of State Court Administration. It has eight interpreters, all certified in Spanish only. She said the trial courts need interpreters for at least 20 more languages, ranging from Aramic to Urdu to Punjabi.

We speak English here. Get used to it.
Is this country running some kind of social service organization?
Oops, I guess we are.