How Malaysian Sign Language interpreters handled COVID-19 press briefings
What is it about?
This article looks at what it was like to interpret live COVID-19 press conferences and government briefings into Malaysian Sign Language (BIM) during the pandemic. It explains the pressures interpreters faced when working alone for long periods, often without preparation, while trying to make fast-changing medical and policy information accessible to Deaf viewers. Drawing on interviews and personal reflection, the article shows the practical, linguistic, emotional, and ethical challenges of sign language interpreting during a national crisis.
Why is it important?
This publication is important because it documents a part of pandemic communication that is often overlooked: how Deaf communities received urgent public information, and what it took for interpreters to make that access possible. It also challenges common misunderstandings about sign language, interpreter visibility, and the idea that accessibility is simply a matter of placing an interpreter on screen. By showing the limits of existing systems and the resilience of interpreters working under extreme conditions, the article highlights the need for better training, preparation, and institutional support for accessible emergency communication.