The Albino Foundation Public Notice
…frowns at hiring unqualified interpreters
Nigeria National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) says it should be fully involved in the recruitment of sign language interpreters in television stations to prevent the use of unacceptable signs that caused misinformation and incomplete information in the dissemination of news by unqualified interpreters.
NNAD National President, Dr Chidi Topaz Olujie, made the call at a news conference in Abuja recently, following the Federal Government directive to television stations in the country to involve sign language interpreters in the dissemination of their major news items.
“We have observed with dismay, the non-inclusion of the Deaf Association and Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Nigeria in the processes of hiring the interpreters, which has brought some unacceptable signs and caused misinformation and incomplete information in the dissemination of news,” Olujie said.
“This need to be avoided. We the owner of the Language needs to be fully involved in the processes. It is about our language and we cannot keep quiet, leaving others deciding things for us. Nothing for us without us fully involved.
“The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes and promotes the use of sign language. The convention clarifies that they are of equal status to spoken languages and facilitate the learning of sign language and promote the linguistic identity of deaf people.
On employment of the deaf and deaf interpreters in TV stations, Olujie said the Persons with Disabilities Discrimination (Prohibition) Act, 2018, mandated the implementation of a 5% employment quota reserved for Persons with Disability (PWD) and should be respected by TV stations.
“Sign Language interpreter can also be Deaf persons and not necessarily only hearing Interpreters.
“We are enjoining the television stations to comply with the Act for the betterment of the Nigerian deaf community.”
Olujie commended the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, for the directive to TV stations. He called for an extension of such directives to government functions and events.
While appreciating the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) for its efforts, it urged the station to extend the Interpreting screen to cover all programmes and not only the NTA News @7pm.
He also urged the NTA and all TV stations across the country to hire deaf interpreters, not only hearing interpreters for their programmes.
