Part 1
Part 2
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Communicating change: A deaf young leader's experience
Advocacy Writer John Silva with SDEAS attendees Dan Lester Perez and Michael Lopez
accompanied by Ms. Bea and Ms. Jamie as interpreters
accompanied by Ms. Bea and Ms. Jamie as interpreters
(Young leader Dan Lester Perez submitted this video application to the British Council and Rappler for the seminar, 'Communicating for Social Change.')
Perez does not consider his hearing impairment as an impediment to telling the story of his community.
"I participated because of the theme. It really touched me to know that I can contribute to change. It could be instrumental in making our advocacy for the deaf community more effective."
Such is the kind of change-maker that the organizers were looking for: driven to effect change and achieve great things not only for themselves, but for their country and the world.
"Everyone has a story. It may not be important to others, but if it's important to you then it's still a good story to tell," Evangelista said in her speech to the select group of young leaders that included Perez.
Sharing insights on why storytelling is important and examples of what makes a good storyteller, Evangelista said, "For us, the trick is imagination. Not ours, yours."
Friday, March 23, 2012
ANC gives the deaf a voice
(The Philippine Star) Updated March 21, 2012 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - When the sign language interpreters of Chief Justice on Trial: the ANC Coverage first encountered the term “subpoena duces tecum” and other obscure legal terms, they had to text colleagues who were off-duty and scrabble for the nearest dictionary to find out their meaning and devise ways to interpret them.
Nine weeks into the legalese-heavy trial, the interpreters-instructors from De La Salle’s College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (CSB-SDEAS) and Philippine National Association of Sign Language Interpreters (PNASLI) still get on with their preparation practices before they sit on-air at 2 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays — bring a dictionary, consult with lawyers and the deaf community, and on their off days, meet and discuss difficult legal phrases and the best ways to “sign” them.
Two sign language interpreters take turn every 20 minutes on a single trial day in interpreting the argument among the prosecution and defense panels and the senator-judges live. Off-camera, a deaf coordinator, a hearing coordinator — and at times, a legal consultant — synergize to ensure legal technicalities are correctly interpreted.
From left: Deaf consultant Maria Rowena Rivera,
sign language interpreters Catherine Villareal and
John Baliza singing letters ANC
The initiative of ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, to fortify its uninterrupted coverage of the impeachment trial has spawned wider political participation by making information accessible to the deaf.
ANC has established itself as “the news channel” that delivers non-stop reportage of news events including the groundbreaking blow-by-blow coverage of the former Pres. Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s impeachment trial, a first on Philippine TV.
ANC managing director Ging Reyes expressed that the sign language initiative serves as another milestone for the news channel and recognizes that the deaf have a stake in the growth of the country.
Catherine Joy Villareal, an instructor at CSB-SDEAS and one of the interpreters, said the team has garnered significantly excellent reactions from the deaf community in provinces and even Filipinos abroad.
“We get to perform our roles, however little, in this historical event. Our goal is to serve the deaf community for them to be able to be aware of what’s happening and for them to have a voice. They participate in what’s happening through us and through ANC’s efforts,” she said.
ANC first incorporated sign language insets during the airing of President Benigno Aquino III’s 2010 and 2011 State of the Nation Addresses. Following positive feedback on the efforts, ANC once again tapped the CSB-SDEAS faculty to make sure the Filipino deaf community is not left out on the historic hearing.
The interpreting team also hopes to promote support for legislations that would require sign language insets in all newscasts and TV programs.
“The effort is significant in a sense that we’re making history not just for the deaf as a community but for the Philippines as a country. We’re slowly integrating the deaf into the society and opening opportunities to them,” said Oscar Sherlo Reyes, CSB-SDEAS’ coordinator for employment opportunities and one of the hearing coordinators in ANC’s coverage.
Aside from the CSB-SDEAS faculty and PNASLI, sign language interpreters from partner groups CAP College, Philippine Association of Interpreters for Deaf Empowerment and Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf also volunteer for ANC’s impeachment trial coverage.
Chief Justice on Trial: the ANC Coverage airs on ANC (SkyCable Ch. 27) or online streamed live on HYPERLINK “http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/cjontrial” http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/cjontrial, while those mobile can get instant updates by following @ANCALERTS on Twitter.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
On Sign Language Interpreting: Chief Justice on Trial
It is indeed encouraging to know that people, the Deaf and hearing alike, appreciate the inset of sign language interpreting in the course of the Impeachment trial of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Renato Coronado Corona televised live at ANC Channel on Studio 23. However, there are much more to sign language interpreting than meet the eye.
To the hearing people who do not know sign language, they are simply amazed and bewildered about how a sign language interpreter would try to keep abreast, much less cope, with the discussions, interpolations, direct/cross-examination, manifestations, etc., considering that there are numerous characters involved during the procedures. Moreover, dialogues are sometimes unpredictable as one could just "butt in" anytime whilst one is still speaking. However, the exchange of words during debates and arguments and sudden shift of characters not only need to be interpreted by the sign language interpreter, but be able to establish the people involved in these conversations also.
For the information of the majority, sign language interpreting is not as simple as it may seem, because the instruments involved are not just the hands and the ears but something hidden. The main mechanism involved is the brain because this is where all the information is being processed. Sign language interpreters do not just sign what they hear – BUT decipher the message, analyze it, and interpret it in the language that deaf people could understand through visual signs and gestures. Words are not signed verbatim, but the interpreter gets the concept and uses appropriate signs depending on the context.
Another role is distinguishing between characters or speakers. The sign language interpreter can designate a “sign name” for each character to be identified with by the deaf people. This is done by using their initials and sign those initials in any part of the face – for male, the upper part and for female, the lower part of the face – and would even add a distinctive feature in sign that is prominent with the character. For instance, the name “Neil Tupaz”, and he is wearing eyeglasses – it can be designated by using letters “N” and "T" in sign language and use those to touch the right and left cheek, respectively, portraying the eyeglasses he is wearing, or simply both being signed on the right temple. Therefore, if it is already Neil Tupaz speaking, the interpreter would use the sign name that was designated for him then proceed with what he is saying.
Another way of distinguishing between characters is through body movement. This is done by shifting the body slightly to the right or left and just establish which character is which depending on where the interpreter is facing. For example, the interpreter might establish Neil Tupaz speaking when he faces slightly to the right and establish Serafin Cuevas as another speaker when he faces slightly to the opposite side.
Also, more often than not, people would see the sign language interpreters slightly looking up or down while signing. This is also vital because these gestures would establish authority figures. Again with our example, if Neil Tupaz would be addressing the Presiding Judge, Juan Ponce Enrile, the interpreter would be signing what Neil Tupaz is saying while slightly looking up and facing a little bit to the right. On the other hand, if it is the Presiding Judge's turn to address Neil Tupaz, the interpreter would shift slightly to the left (or middle as the Senate President is seated in the middle of the senate hall) and slightly looking down as he signs what is being said portraying that latter is currently speaking.
We have a saying that goes, “A picture paints a thousand words”. This is actually true in sign language interpreting because it is visually-oriented as deaf people rely on their sight in receiving the messages through the interpreter, all encompassing – the hand signs, facial expressions and body movement. And all these have to be done in a split second! Otherwise, the interpreter would lag behind and miss out on other important messages.
This is the reason why after an interpreting assignment, sign language interpreters are not just exhausted physically, mentally, but emotionally as well. With this in mind, it is really ideal that in any interpreting assignments there should be at least two interpreters who would be alternating and the gap between is 20 minutes to give ample time for each one to rest. Yes, others could go for hours interpreting, which can be considered exception to the rule as a hiring body could reason that they lack budget. But it can be considered as an abuse because with all the intricacies in sign language interpreting mentioned above, they could eventually take toll on the interpreter if exposed too much alone.
To the deaf people, we do appreciate your positive comments and feedback as they inspire us more to be more vigilant with our advocacy and in joining you in your struggle to fight for your “rights to information” that greatly affect your community. We can even accept criticisms as long as they are constructive and not destructive so that we may serve you better in future interpreting assignments with our confidence remaining intact.
To my fellow sign language interpreters, we are all one in this challenging road we now tread. Therefore, I hope that we would continue to lift one another up and not the other way around. We are not in competition with each other, rather we should be partnering with one another. There is a principle that says, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”. If we all unite together, then we would be able to "bridge" the long-existent gap between the hearing and the deaf people more successfully so that their “VOICE”, too, would be heard through us, the sign language interpreters.
By: Reiner J. Blas
reprinted with permission
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