After the creation of a national coronavirus task force, clarity of information is nonnegotiable. Remote interpreting for press conferences is critically important, whether they come from the White House, local authorities, or state governments. Unfortunately, for New York’s ASL speakers the lack of consistent video relay interpreting present at these platforms also remains a continual source of frustration.
The vast majority of states have made consistent use of an ASL interpreter visible on screen; New York, however, is not one of them. Considering New York City has become the epicenter of the United State’s Covid-19 cases, video remote interpreting services can be looked at as a matter of life and death. Closed captioning is often inaccurate, making the content of the press conferences more confusing than informative, making easy access to quality remote interpreting is a must during this time. An English idea might be conveyed in two words, but in sign language, it could be formed from the combination of any number of signs. This makes holding remote interpreting services to the highest standards crucial, as a certified interpreter will know how to look over the material in way that benefits their interpretation.
Although necessary to so many, ASL interpreters have faced frequent barriers to their jobs during coronavirus briefings. In one recent episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver froze one ASL interpreter’s face for comedic effect. While this joke is harmless, it is also indicative to the challenges of remote interpreting. In certain press conferences, the interpreter will be cut away from throughout the speech. This dilutes the message and the clarity of the video remote interpreting is lost.
Certain state governments have incorporated their ASL interpreters to great effect. Chicago Governor J.B. Pritzker’s sign language interpreter Michael Albert has received praise for his remote interpreting from multiple new outlets including the Chicago Tribune. Hearing information in your native language eases people’s anxieties, and ASL is the first language for many.
Ultimately, these conversations are a step in the right direction. Although the dialogue around Covid-19 is unpredictable, and changing every day, languages are changing as well. In the case of American Sign Language (ASL), signs have now been developed to interpret the words “coronavirus” and “social distancing,” so they don’t have to be finger-spelled. Every day, as states continue to learn from each other, remote interpreting becomes less of a barrier and more of a tool to benefit communication.
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
Language Connections Inc.
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105,
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: +1-617-731-3510
Email: service@languageconnections.com