New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office offered online interpreting for his daily coronavirus briefing for the first time Friday. This is after weeks of advocates for the deaf community raising their concern over the lack of virtual interpreting services available to them. The American sign language feed was available on the governor’s website and is expected to be made available there for future briefings.
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, online 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 virtual interpreting services like Zoom interpretation or Zoom simultaneous translation is a must during this time.
After the creation of a national coronavirus task force, clarity of information is nonnegotiable. However, closed captioning is often inaccurate, making the content of the press conferences more confusing than informative. Easy access to remote interpreting services 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. In order to shine a light on the role these interpreters play for the ASL community, here are two key reasons why virtual interpreting services for the deaf are absolutely essential.
Because of the fact that ASL community members are typically older, many find themselves isolated from their families due to social distancing regulations. Hearing information in your native language eases people’s anxieties. Therefore, it is critical that they have access to virtual interpreting services in order to get into contact with their doctor.
Although the demand for ASL interpreters has increased in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the supply has not. Many hospitals are understaffed with interpreters who can provide virtual interpretation services, making it difficult for ASL community members to receive adequate attention and care.
As of Friday, Cuomo’s office was offering the interpretation online through a separate stream on the governor’s website. However, because many viewers watch through television feeds, this still presents an obstacle. Hopefully, before long, New York’s virtual interpreting services will continue to improve.
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