Meet these sign language interpreters from Chennai

When September 23 showed up as the International Day of Sign Languages with the International Week of the Deaf People in tow, The Hindu Downtown touched base with three interpreters who always have a packed schedule ahead of them

With their nimble fingers and animated expressions, they are unmissable even in a crowd of elected representatives. They are integral to government functions being telecast live into drawing rooms.

‘I learn from my students’

As a new faculty at St Louis College for the Deaf in Gandhi Nagar, B. Ambrose felt handicapped — even a wee bit ashamed — for not knowing the sign language. That was way back in 1994 when the college had only a handful of students and not knowing the Indian Sign Language was not a disqualification for employment. But Ambrose felt otherwise: he needed to learn the sign language. That Chennai did not have any institutions teaching it did not help.

“I took it as a challenge and started to learn the sign language by enrolling in different programmes. I was trying out what I learnt with my students and fine-tuning my skills. I am still learning from my students,” says Ambrose, head of department of commerce in the college, who upskills himself through the ISL app.

The 55-year-old faculty and sign language expert is a sought-after presence at events that seek to send out a message about inclusion. For close to 10 years, he has been on news channels’ list of experts, his stint with Puthiya Thalaimur as freelance interpreter for the 3 p.m. news being the longest.

“When the main sign language interpreter, Vijaya Baskaran, is not available I am called,” says Ambrose, adding that doing live news is always a challenge as the interpreter has to match with the anchor’s speed. Government functions are a regular occurrence on his calendar.

‘Helping at police stations’

Thanks to News 7 (Tamil), Vinoth N., a guest lecturer at Presidency College, is a familiar face. For the last four years, he serves the channel as freelance anchor on its 5.30 p.m. news.

“Some people recognise me when travelling by public transport and that is a star moment,” says Vinoth who teaches computer science for under graduate and post graduate speech-and-hearing-impaired students at the college. The college has an increasing number of speech-and-hearing-impaired students.

“Interpreting to a class of students accustomed to different sign language interpretations is not easy; and striking a balance takes some doing,” says Vinoth, who thumbs through the sign language dictionary when in doubt.

More than a year ago, MGR Janaki College invited him to conduct workshops on basic communication for able-bodied students. “The institute had more than 50 hearing-impaired students, so it was welcoming to be part of such an initiative,” says Vinoth, also an interpreter for the Mann Ki Baat (Tamil) programme aired on Doordarshan.

Vinoth has a list of institutions that regularly call him, especially police stations in T. Nagar police district jurisdiction. “I have appeared many a time as interpreter for a juvenile speech-and-hearing-impaired boy involved in a number of chain-snatching incidents. When he is presented before the Magistrate and when he has to be counselled, I have to appear.”

‘Like mother tongue to me’

Being CODA or Child of Deaf Adults, A. Roja sees sign language the way anyone would view their mother tongue. She has never had to take up a course in sign language but has volunteered with DeafEnabled Foundation to speak up for the rights of the hearing-impaired.

For the last six years, she has also been freelancing as a sign language interpreter. “There is difference in my sign language vs other interpreters. A good interpreter should not use his/ her lips but only express through hand and facial expressions,” says Roja, a student of Ambedkar College of Law. Her brother, who lives abroad, is a British sign language interpreter.

Apart from being invited to events organised by associations, Roja conducts workshops on life skills and soft skills at institutions such as Little Flower School for the Blind. She says, “I am also a tactile interpreter.”

Published - September 28, 2024 11:24 pm IST