The absence of a sign language interpreter is leaving people who are deaf or hard of hearing out of the coronavirus information pool in Antigua and Barbuda, says the leader of a disability organization, reports Antigua Observer
“We have not truly seen any move, especially by the government, to ensure people who are deaf or hard of hearing are given equal information,” said Bernard Warner, President of the Antigua and Barbuda Association of Persons Living with Disabilities (ABAPD).
Warner said international and regional media houses have included sign language specialists as part of their television newscasts, but Antigua and Barbuda seems to be left behind.
“The absence of a sign language interpreter on all of the visual interviews is frightening,” he said.
Warner also called for subtitles or closed captioning for people who are deaf, along with tailored audio messages, large fonts and braille leaflets for people who are blind. He said short accessible messages were needed to explain simple ways to mitigate against infection and spread.
Meanwhile, the Disabled People’s International of North America and the Caribbean has written to several governments around the world, including Antigua and Barbuda, to address concerns about the virus.
“We told them that our disability sector remains most vulnerable as medical consensus indicates that older persons and persons with specific medical conditions and disabilities who have an impaired immune system are at greatest risk of developing complications from COVID-19,” Warner, who serves as the body’s public relations officer, said.
