Alternattiva Demokratik has said that it is supporting the current struggles faced by the Deaf Association in relation to the interpreting services provided by the same association.

AD spokesperson on disability issues and sports, Dr. Claire Azzopardi Lane, said, “deaf people rely strongly on interpreters to provide access to communication in all areas of life, including education. Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (UNCRPD), which Malta ratified in Oct 2012, asserts the right to professional interpreting services.

“Back in the year 2000 the Association received funding from the Government to employ a sign language interpreter, which eventually increased to 3 interpreters. The Association itself continued to make use of volunteers to organise the administration of the interpreting services.”

Dr. Claire Azzopardi Lane said, “it is now requesting that the administration of the service is taken over by a dedicated administrator. The recent tender issued by the Ministry for Education for Interpreting Services was unacceptable to the Association’s current standards. Yet government investment is needed to ensure that interpreters can continue to deliver a professional service that provides access to the Deaf community and that Interpreters continue to enhance their skills through training.”

AD’s Chairperson Prof. Arnold Cassola said, “AD supports the need for the introduction of subtitles as well as for further training for interpreters to provide a professional service. Malta indeed requires a dedicated university-level course for professional sign language.”

Permalink: AD supports Deaf Association requests for interpreting services