NYC is famed for its many venerable institutions. Many childhood memories are forged at the fantastic vignette displays or the life size model of a blue whale and the Hayden Planetarium's universe. Sadly, these gems are not accessible to the Deaf community. They have a staff member (Gabriel Grayson) who works as an 'interpreter' to translate the guided tours upon request. His proficiency of ASL is so poor that many colleagues, clients and acquaintances have simply walked out of those guided tours. When approached about hiring certified ASL interpreters or even better, trained Deaf educators (at a lower cost!) - they declined such requests, stating 'fiscal concerns'. This museum was given substantial funds from state sources to ensure that their institution was more accessible. These funds are not being allocated properly. Shame.
