16 July 2018
1023 reads
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Elita TV channel produced six debates programmes, called ‘As It Is‘, and translated them into the sign language, thus becoming the first regional television channel to offer this type of services. Currently, the institution's administration is looking for funds to continue the project, while the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) cautions that not all channels comply with the obligation to ensure such translation of at least one news bulletin. The problem is that there are not enough sign language professionals.
The idea to translate debates programmes into the sign language came after Elita TV broadcasted the reportage about a boy from Criuleni district who was discriminated because of the hearing deficiency. ‘We decided to translate that reportage, and because it received positive feedback, we understood that there is public that needs this service. The president of the Deaf Association told us that Elita TV’s news is on the favorite channels list for people with hearing deficiency due to the fact that our news is synchronously translated’, said Angela Zaharov, the channel producer.
Thus, Elita TV requested support from the BCC to produce 12 debates programmes with sign language translation. The institution provided funding for six programmes. ‘There is also the possibility of inserting subtitles, but this is not very accessible because some people do not manage to read or do not read in Romanian’, explains Angela Zaharov.
At the same time, she mentions that there are not enough professionals on the labour market who can translate into the sign language. Elita TV hired an interpreter from Chisinau for translating the ‘As It Is’ programmes, and only on Saturdays, the day when that person was available.
As of 1 September 2017, television broadcasters are required to transmit a news bulletin between 17:00 and 23:00 doubled with sign language or simultaneous titration for people with hearing deficiencies, or with sound signals for visually impaired people. However, many channels do not meet this requirement, the BCC chairman Dragos Vicol told Media-azi.md ‘It is a tricky and complicated problem, especially because the approach is not right - many TV channels consider this being a minor element’.
The President of the BCC acknowledges that there is lack of sign language translators and believes that the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research should take note of this, while ‘the specialised universities should prepare sign language professionals’.
Media-azi.md tackled the TV services translation into the sign language within other programmes, also specifying the lack of professionals in the field. The Deaf Association’s interim president, Liliana Darii, mentioned at that time that only 17 professionals in the sign language were licensed by the Ministry of Justice. The only lecturer who teaches the sign language at the university, Tatiana Beschieru, explained that there are not enough people willing to study this subject, that is why no groups are formed.
The idea to translate debates programmes into the sign language came after Elita TV broadcasted the reportage about a boy from Criuleni district who was discriminated because of the hearing deficiency. ‘We decided to translate that reportage, and because it received positive feedback, we understood that there is public that needs this service. The president of the Deaf Association told us that Elita TV’s news is on the favorite channels list for people with hearing deficiency due to the fact that our news is synchronously translated’, said Angela Zaharov, the channel producer.
Thus, Elita TV requested support from the BCC to produce 12 debates programmes with sign language translation. The institution provided funding for six programmes. ‘There is also the possibility of inserting subtitles, but this is not very accessible because some people do not manage to read or do not read in Romanian’, explains Angela Zaharov.
At the same time, she mentions that there are not enough professionals on the labour market who can translate into the sign language. Elita TV hired an interpreter from Chisinau for translating the ‘As It Is’ programmes, and only on Saturdays, the day when that person was available.
As of 1 September 2017, television broadcasters are required to transmit a news bulletin between 17:00 and 23:00 doubled with sign language or simultaneous titration for people with hearing deficiencies, or with sound signals for visually impaired people. However, many channels do not meet this requirement, the BCC chairman Dragos Vicol told Media-azi.md ‘It is a tricky and complicated problem, especially because the approach is not right - many TV channels consider this being a minor element’.
The President of the BCC acknowledges that there is lack of sign language translators and believes that the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research should take note of this, while ‘the specialised universities should prepare sign language professionals’.
Media-azi.md tackled the TV services translation into the sign language within other programmes, also specifying the lack of professionals in the field. The Deaf Association’s interim president, Liliana Darii, mentioned at that time that only 17 professionals in the sign language were licensed by the Ministry of Justice. The only lecturer who teaches the sign language at the university, Tatiana Beschieru, explained that there are not enough people willing to study this subject, that is why no groups are formed.