Green party calls for University course on sign language

Alternattiva Demokratika is urging the University of Malta to develop a course that specifically caters for sign language interpreters.

In a statement, the Green party said the struggles faced by the Deaf Association can no longer be ignored as it was struggling to provide interpreting services.

“Deaf people rely strongly on interpreters to provide access to communication in all areas of life, including education,” AD spokesperson Claire Azzopardi Lane said.

 Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (UNCRPD), which Malta ratified in October 2012, asserts the right to professional interpreting services.  

Fourteen years ago, the Association received funding from the Government to employ a sign language interpreter, which eventually increased to three interpreters.  

The Association itself continued to make use of volunteers to organize the administration of the interpreting services. It is now requesting that the administrator 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,” Azzopardi Lane said.

AD’s chairperson, Arnold Cassola, said his party supported 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,” he said.