Fake interpreter at Mandela memorial

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Posting for the interest of those of us who use a signed language or who are a part of or support other 'disability' communities like the Deaf community.

The Deaf and other sign language users have a right to equal access to information and this man needs to be held to account for his actions as does anyone who hired him for such an important event, if that is what happened.

The Limping Chicken broke the story

Stuff article from New Zealand
The age article from Australia

The rest of the world's media are now catching on and running the story too.

I will be very interested to see the outcome. This is not acceptable.

Wow, what a cold-blooded hustler.

Oh. My. God. I thought he looked a bit odd, and that the signs didn't seem to be flowing.

If it's true, it's a complete travesty.

I'm flabbergasted by the stupidity of this on two levels:
1) That someone would be stupid enough to hire this man.
2) That this man would be so stupid to think he could get away with this.
Of course this is an affront to the deaf community. But it is also an affront to anyone with a brain; or half a brain.

It's very insulting and a clear human rights violation at a service for a man who fought for human rights!

I really feel for my SA friends within the local Deaf community here who were watching excitedly, expecting to see their native sign language and instead saw this gibberish and had to get hearing friends and family to attempt to interpret the audio for them. We have to fight so hard to get access to interpreters for both day to day and official events. This was a golden opportunity for SA to do this right and gain a lot of respect from the Deaf communities of the world. Instead this man has made a mockery of sign languages and the rights of Deaf people and other sign language users.

Why am I not surprised that everyone is denying any connection to him despite his history of 'interpreting' official events and his official pass? I'm afraid I'm becoming quite the cynic. Something is particularly wrong with the ANC spin. I hope he and anyone else connected with this are found.

For more information: latest Stuff article with more information.

Yes, I agree that this is also insulting to almost everyone else. The implication is you either won't know any better or won't care.

The only positive to come out of this is all of the discussion of Deaf and wider disability rights that is happening. I hope that continues!

Bogus sign language interpreters are a problem in South Africa, because people who know a few signs try to pass themselves off as interpreters, said Parkin, the principal of the school for the deaf. And those hiring them usually don't sign, so they have no idea that the people they are hiring cannot do the job, she said.
"They advertise themselves as interpreters because they know 10 signs and they can make some quick money," said Parkin. "It is plain and simple abuse of the deaf community, they are taking advantage of the deaf community to make money."

Full article here

That is horrendous! I hope all of the media attention helps to make people aware of the problem so that only qualified interpreters are booked in future.

For anyone still following this:

'Fake' interpreter says he has schizophrenia

This is even more insulting as it's obviously an excuse - Deaf people and other signers with schizophrenia still use actual signs and grammar they just say things that reflect their illness. He just signed gibberish. He is doing a disservice to people with schizophrenia as well.

At least he didn't try to use Asperger's Syndrome as an excuse.

Actually, the interpreter was genuine. It was Obama that was fake.

ruveyn

I'm South African, and although I haven't lived there for almost 11 years, I still keep up with the news, on an almost hourly basis.

What happened at the memorial service, and the interpreter giving random hand gestures, is just plan disgusting, and disgraceful, and an outright embarrasment for South Africa.
But the SA government has a history of being disgusting, and disgraceful, so that doesn't really surprise me, what does surprise me, is that due to the number of high profile leaders, and celebrities, such as Obama, and other important world leaders, usually before people enter the stadium, people had to be screened, and strip searched before they entered the stadium. Now what I heard, was that apparantly people who feature in some way, get screened and background checked a few days before, and this guy was only apointed for the job, like a day before, and he was able to enter the stadium, and be within feet from Obama, all without being safety screened, and background checked.

If you don't believe me, you can check for yourself.

Nothing in that country suprises me any more, I've seen, or heard it all.

He's been employed by the ANC as a sign language interpreter for 12 years.

We had an incompetent interpreter appointed for our president back in the Seventies. When Carter traveled to Poland and gave a speech that included the point that he "loved the Polish people" it was translated as "I have carnal lust for the Polish people".

Stuff happens.

Typical cANCer scumbags.......
Doesn't supprise me, but apparantly, he was only confirmed to be the interpriter at the event the day before.