Dissing the deaf

A local sign-language interpreter is challenging the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management’s (ODPEM) declaration that the organisation’s disaster communication system is one of the most comprehensive and robust in the world.

Both acting director general of ODPEM Richard Thompson and sign-language interpreter Antoinette Aiken were taking part in last Thursday’s Resilient Series Fireside Chat, hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at its multi-country office in St Andrew.

Thompson, who was among four presenters including representatives from Bermuda and Dominica, boasted that Jamaica had probably one of the best disaster risk- management frameworks globally and explained that the three-tier system operates at the national, parish and community levels.

“We are responding to the needs of everyone, also ensuring within that process that there is inclusivity to ensure critically that our most vulnerable populations are at the forefront of our considerations. Persons with disabilities, women, children and the aged, those persons are at the forefront of our risk-management agenda and to ensure that whatever policies, programmes or projects that are being implemented are implemented with that consideration at the forefront.”

Question and answer

However, Aiken, who was on duty as an interpreter, used the question-and-answer session to challenge the effectiveness of these systems in terms of reaching the deaf community.

“I notice you guys talking about the radio and tone. How does a deaf person know when there is an emergency? Because if there is a siren, radio (messages) and tones, and you talk about the phone as well, but it’s not a must that the deaf person will get that message through the phone. So what access are you really providing for the deaf person? What happens when a hurricane comes?” she queried.

“What happens if a tsunami comes, what access (to information) are you providing for that deaf person? They need communication access. They need to know that there is an emergency. During Hurricane Sandy a lot of deaf people had no idea, literally, until the day it came and that’s their experience every day,” she declared.

“I don’t think you were hearing exactly what I was saying,” Thompson responded, to much laughter at the unfortunate turn of phrase, before going on to explain that, in a pilot project with the Portmore, St Catherine-based Sun City radio station, strobe messages were being used to get the messages to deaf people.

“We are trying to build that out now with the communication providers and you will get messages coming into your phones. Once you are able to see, if you are hearing impaired, you will be able to read those messages... .”

“Not necessarily ... .” interjected Aiken. However, she was prevented from completing her point by moderator Kerry-Ann Willis.

“If you are deaf, is the current term, but what I want to ask is from our partners in Dominica and Bermuda to also join the conversation, but could you also before we switch over to them. What is the strobe message?” she asked, disrupting the conversation and directing the technicians facilitating the live stream to take it elsewhere.

...Deaf community at risk of being left in silent darkness during next disaster

After discussions at last Thursday’s Resilient Series Fireside Chat, a clearly peeved sign-language interpreter Antoinette Aiken shared concerns with The Gleaner about what she considered a slight against the deaf community, as well as the design of disaster communication systems for them, without any communication with or input from them.

Aiken argued that the oversight, which affected the deaf community when Hurricane Sandy slammed into Jamaica in October 2012, is at risk of recurring.

At the time there were no sign language interpreters on television and she got a call to sign just hours before the umbrella organisation for disabled persons, the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), was slated to host a hurricane update. After the JCPD finished its statement about what assistance was available and when, where and how to go about, there was no other communication directed at deaf persons, according to Aiken, whose mother and father are deaf.

“So if they didn’t watch that little segment they would have had no idea what was going on. So you had deaf people not knowing that a hurricane coming. My father is a leader in the community, so when he gets information ... through me, he would then send it to his friends and that’s how deaf people get the information, but there is no structured way of doing it.

“So early warning systems, radio messages, strobe messages from Sun City, if a deaf person even get the message, they probably not going to pay attention to it, they would have no reason to. Another thing is that English not their first language, so a lot of times people think that it’s okay to just send a message, but you might be sending it to somebody who cannot read English, so, therefore, they are not understanding,” she pointed out.

“Another major issue affecting deaf students is that most of the teachers coming to the schools which cater to hearing impaired and deaf students do not know sign language, which is proving to be a major learning setback.

“Because our teachers are not equipped with knowing Jamaican Sign Language they are not able to teach them English to the full extent where you and I understand it. It is a serious issue where deaf kids are teaching their teachers how to sign. I shouldn’t be teaching my teacher. So, if me a teach you how fi teach me, how me ago learn?” she queried.

The Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), which is celebrating its 85th anniversary, confirmed that this is a major challenge for deaf students. In a release, the JAD noted that, despite successful partnerships and various achievements, its schools have been negatively impacted by a lack of resources, limitations on deaf new media communication access and a lack of parental support to complement the classroom experience.

“There is an urgent need for more teachers who are fluent in sign language. Teachers of the deaf must be qualified in Jamaica Sign Language (JSL), as JSL forms the critical foundation for executing the bilingual approach. The universities and teachers’ colleges that are preparing these teachers for special education should ensure that they do JSL courses as part of the suite of courses within their curriculum. Preparation of teachers needs to be adequate to [get them ready] to effect a bilingual approach within schools for the deaf,” the JAD said.

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com