STORY: Sign language interpreters promote Hong Kong Sign Language Day amid high demand for services
SHOOTING TIME: Aug. 12, 2024
DATELINE: Sept. 23, 2024
LENGTH: 0:01:45
LOCATION: HONG KONG, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Wanzy Lo in the HKSD
2. various of Sign Language Day of 2023 (File)
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Cantonese): WANZY LO, Sign language interpreter
4. various of the office of HKSD
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Cantonese): WANZY LO, Sign language interpreter
6. various of sign language interpreters from HKSD (File)
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Cantonese): TIMMY CHAN, Head of Sign Language Center of the HKSD
8. various of Hong Kong (File)

STORYLINE:

The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf (HKSD) has designated Sept. 18 as Hong Kong Sign Language Day since 2016.

Every year around this day, Wanzy Lo, sign language officer of the HKSD, and her colleagues are busy preparing sign language promotion activities.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Cantonese): WANZY LO, Sign language interpreter
"Our work is to help hearing-impaired people deal with all kinds of situations, such as applying for public rental housing, seeing a doctor, and communicating with their children's schools."

Some 10 years ago, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and the HKSAR's Legislative Council began to try and introduce instant sign language interpretation for some important meetings, and the HKSD played a pioneering role in it.

Sign language interpretation is challenging, especially in live programs, which require quick response and rapid delivery of meaning.

Interpreters need to pay attention to different information in their daily lives.

Lo emphasized that whether doing text translation or sign language interpretation, one is expected to have a broader knowledge base than others to do the job well.

Currently, there are nine full-time sign language interpreters in the HKSD and their schedules are always packed.

Demand for sign language interpretation services in Hong Kong is quite high. In 2023 between 2024, the HKSD alone provided over 82,000 sign language interpretation services.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Cantonese): WANZY LO, Sign language interpreter
"In fact, our assistance with sign language for hearing-impaired people covers many aspects of life, including sickness and death. The happiest thing is truly witnessing the process of two people falling in love, then getting married and having children, and now their children already studying in middle school."

According to the "List of Sign Language Interpreters in Hong Kong" set up by local welfare organizations, at present, there are more than 50 sign language interpreters in Hong Kong who meet basic requirements.

Timmy Chan, head of Sign Language Center of the HKSD, said, although people with hearing impairments can communicate through writing or mobile phone messaging apps, face-to-face sign language remains the ideal method for them.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Cantonese): TIMMY CHAN, Head of Sign Language Center of the HKSD
"We can help them. Our assistance with sign language interpreters serves as an important bridge between hearing-impaired people and the outside world. We feel truly happy to be able to support hearing-impaired individuals."

Chan hopes that more people will join the ranks of sign language interpretation, so that more people with hearing impairments can benefit.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong, China.
(XHTV)