The sign language interpreter that the White House dismissed and humiliated after she was revealed to be a supporter of former President Donald Trump said on Sunday that she hasn't been called back to the White House since the revelation.
According to Fox News, Heather Mewshaw, a 41-year-old mother who began working as an independent contractor for the White House last year, has not been contacted back to the White House since being revealed that she manages an American Sign Language (ASL) team that translates speeches at conservative social media events.
Heather Mewshaw worked with the Trump administration in November and December 2020 and interpreted 5 briefings. She also worked for the Biden administration on January 25th, 2021, and interpreted a press briefing for the Biden administration,
Mewshaw mentioned that she was "canceled and humiliated" after the online aggravation she faced and later on blasted critics for attacking her credibility and professionalism.
"The goal of my activity - at the White House or with Hands of Liberty - is that it's all about access," Mewshaw said. "The thing is, I was canceled and humiliated publicly and it was unjust and unfair."
An article from One America News Network said that this came as Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, touted the Biden administration's so-called "accessibility and inclusion efforts."
"Press secretary Jen Psaki announced that all future daily White House press briefing would have an ASL interpreter and she even introduced me to the world," Mewshaw explained in a video while also commending the administration for the huge advancement made for the deaf community.
"To my surprise, the remarkable win of having an ASL interpreter at every White House press briefing has been overshadowed by a few who have, without evidence or merit, chose to cast aspersions against my ability, objective and impartial, because of my involvement in a conservative social media group."
She said that these ungrounded claims about her were made by the media and a number of articles have already been written about this "erroneous conclusion."
Mewshaw responded to her critics saying they "don't want this content to be interpreted because they don't believe in it."
"Deaf people just want a chance to decide for themself what information is out there," She added.
Mewshaw grew up with her deaf parents and has spent her whole life fighting for the rights of the deaf community to have the same access to information as to those of hearing people.
She also mentioned that her first language was ASL as it was her primary form of communication with her parents which is why her translations are very accurate.
The negative media coverage that she has been receiving lately has been a "disservice to the ASL interpreting profession" as described by Mewshew because it emphasizes that ASL interpreters must have exactly the same set of values as the consumers.
Mewshaw said that "we must remember that an ASL interpreter is relaying the message of another person and not their own" and should be respected as professionals regardless of their personal beliefs.
