This country music fan helps the deaf community enjoy concerts | MSN
Tens of thousands of country music fans at Commanders Field angled their bodies to get a good view of the stage set up at one end zone.
One woman across the field turned away from the screens, microphones and instruments and got ready for work: interpreting the music of Luke Combs into American Sign Language.
Banks of lights cut out as the sun swooped below the nosebleed seats. The dim glow of an iPad stood alongside three LED strip lights perched on a music stand, each a speck on the field near the opposite end zone.
Stephanie Schaffer lifted her arms as if readying an orchestra, and caught the eyes of her audience of one.
Dale McCord had requested interpretation on this night — just as he has for years at concerts across the Washington region — because he is hard of hearing. Music venues are often tasked with hiring interpreters like Schaffer to ensure deaf and hard-of-hearing music fans like McCord can enjoy their nights with their favorite artists.
Facilities have provided these services since the enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. Attention to the deaf community has grown in recent years because of an increased cultural focus on elevating underrepresented and underserved groups, such as in the Oscar-winning 2021 film “Coda.”
But people in this community still feel they’re largely an afterthought for concert venues. Consider: A deaf music fan needs to be a planner to get the full experience of their chosen concert. They must request an interpreter weeks ahead of time, then hope they’re provided someone who can relay the music accurately and faithfully. If they want to take a friend up on a spontaneous night out, they’re out of luck.
