OTTAWA -- Amid the daily Coronavirus (COVID-19) briefings by multiple levels of government across Canada, a new public service figure is stepping into the spotlight - the American Sign Language Interpreter.
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Kenneth Searson has watched the profession grow across the country for years now. The Ottawa retiree, who is Deaf, recalled being left out of certain meetings because of a lack of interpreters during his 36 years working for the government.
Today, the 83-year-old feels proud to see so many interpreters conveying vital information daily - including his daughter Brenda Jenkins, regularly seen translating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's coronavirus briefings into American Sign Language (ASL).
The Accessible Canada Act,, new legislation enacted in 2019, states that "all persons must have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society." It also recognizes that ASL, Quebec Sign Language and Indigenous Sign Languages are primary languages of communication for Deaf Communities.
Thanks to the act, passed last June, "we are now seeing the presence of more and more sign language interpreters throughout Canada," said Jenkins, who was raised with sign language.
"I am a Child of Deaf Adults. This is my community. So I'm thrilled to see that there is finally parity and access for our community."
With so many Canadians tuning in to every COVID-19 press conference, the sign language interpreters alongside municipal, provincial and federal officials have become familiar faces in many households... Read The Full Story on CBC News.
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