NCDHH insures the deaf community has signing for COVID-19 briefings

A local Nebraskan organization is making sure that the local deaf and hard of hearing community have access to vital information during the quarantines.

A local Nebraskan organization is making sure that the local deaf and hard of hearing community have access to vital information during the quarantines.

The Nebraska Commission Deaf and Hard of Hearing  reached out to local officials, noticing when COVID -19 press conferences were held, there were no interpreters.

“We have interpreters with the mayor’s and governors meetings,” said Carly Weyers for the NCDHH. “Originally we didn’t and we told them that this information was so important to us. Then from that point forward they started bringing interpreters on. So that helps for us to receive the information.” 

The NCDHH has blogs and additional resources online to refer people to helpful information interpreted in American Sign Language.

Interpreter Sharon Sinkler has begun signing for the mayor’s meetings and says the deaf community is grateful to understand the information in the real time that it is being shared.

“The deaf community is very very thankful and appreciative of the efforts made for this information to be accessible to them, and I think it’s never been done before,” adds Sinkler.

Sinkler says though captioning is a great tool, ASL is a first language for many in the deaf community and receiving it that way is vital in critical times like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re seeing it really make a huge impact in the community,” says Sinkler. “They feel like they’re on par with everyone else.” 

Weyers says making information accessible to everyone makes the community healthier.