LIHU'E, Kaua'i — The refusal by PONY Baseball to allow a deaf boy's sign-language interpreter into the dugout with him has ignited a furor over disability rights and prompted two complaints to the County of Hawai'i that the decision violated the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act.

"As a person who had the honor to be on the South Lawn of the White House when (the first) President Bush signed ADA into law, I am furious! Here it is 15 years after the passage and this ... still happens," said Tom Sellers of Houston.

The PONY Baseball national organization, which has its headquarters in Pennsylvania, insists it did nothing wrong by requiring 10-year-old Justin Kapono Tokioka's father to stay behind a low concrete wall outside the Hilo Boys and Girls Club field dugout, listen to coaching instructions and then use sign language to communicate them to his son.

The boy, better known as Pono, was on the Lihu'e Mustangs all-star team that went to the PONY state championships in Hilo in July.

"It is our policy that the interpreter was allowed near the dugout but not in it since only the three coaches are allowed inside," said Don Clawson, PONY's national director of baseball operations. He said it was the local league's responsibility to find a coach who knew sign language.

"PONY did not discriminate against this child as he was allowed to play and did participate in our tournament. Why a league (did) not pick at least one coach who could communicate with a deaf child is the question," Clawson said.

Refusing to let a deaf child have direct access to his interpreter because any adult would be considered a coach betrays a misunderstanding of what an interpreter does, said Greg Kimberlin of Glendale, Calif.

"As a former hearing person who became deaf while in the military, it has been astounding to me to learn how little is known about the role of sign-language interpreters as well as other assistive devices for deaf persons. An interpreter is NOT a coach, teacher, judge, or whatever, when interpreting. There are far too many nuances that need to be heard, seen and addressed to assure communication for a deaf individual," Kimberlin said.

Two Hawai'i organizations that support the rights of the disabled—Challenge Maui and Handicapped Advocacy Works of Kona — filed complaints with Hawai'i County Mayor Harry Kim as well as the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department. They said PONY cannot discriminate against a deaf player. because it receives public money.

Hawai'i County Managing Director Dixie Kaetsu said the Boys and Girls Club sports facilities have received federal block grant money, which is processed through the county.

"We will definitely investigate and follow up when we receive these complaints," Kaetsu said. She said her own son, Alex, is deaf.

Other parents and ballplayers said they were disturbed by PONY's decision in part because they could see no advantage to the Lihu'e team having an interpreter present — therefore no competitive reason for excluding him from the dugout.

"We're there because of the kids. Our view is: No harm, no foul," said Carl Watanabe, who spent 20 years with the PONY organization on the Big Island and is now state commissioner for another youth baseball organization, Babe Ruth Hawai'i. After reading about Pono Tokioka's problems, he e-mailed the Hawai'i Babe Ruth organization, saying in part: "You are to allow the presence in the dugout of an interpreter to sign for any hearing impaired player. I believe this is a valid exception to the rules."

The coaches of the 'Aiea Mustang All-Stars, the team that won the July tournament in Hilo, had no objection to Pono's father, Jimmy Tokioka, being with the team to sign for his son.

"We all feel the same way. It was not a problem to have Jimmy in the dugout. To us, it was fine, no problem," said Regan Honda, 'Aiea assistant coach.

Pono's mother, Beth, said the family wants the rules amended so the same thing does not happen again to any child.

"It's just amazing what a nerve this is striking," she said.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.