AD is supporting the current struggles faced by the Deaf Association in relation to the interpreting services provided by the same association. AD spokesperson on disability issues and sports, Dr. Claire Azzopardi Lane, said: “Deaf people rely strongly on interpreters to provide access to communication in all areas of life, including education. Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (UNCRPD), which Malta ratified in Oct 2012, asserts the right to professional interpreting services. Back in the year 2000 the Association received funding from the Government to employ a sign language interpreter, which eventually increased to 3 interpreters. The Association itself continued to make use of volunteers to organize the administration of the interpreting services.

“It is now requesting that the administration of the service is taken over by a dedicated administrator. The recent tender issued by the Ministry for Education for Interpreting Services was unacceptable to the Association’s current standards. Yet government investment is needed to ensure that interpreters can continue to deliver a professional service that provides access to the Deaf community and that Interpreters continue to enhance their skills through training.”

AD’s Chairperson Prof. Arnold Cassola said: “AD supports the need for the introduction of subtitles as well as for further training for interpreters to provide a professional service. Malta indeed requires a dedicated university-level course for professional sign language.”

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AD qed tappoġġa il-ġlidiet kurrenti tal-Assoċjazzjoni ta’ dawk neqsin mis-smiegħ dwar dak li għandu x’jaqsam mas-serivzzi ta’ interpretazzjoni pprovduti mill-istess assoċjazzjoni. Il-kelliema ta’ AD dwar dizabilita’ u sports, Dr. Claire Azzopardi Lane, qalet:” Persuni neqsin mis-smiegħ jiddependu ħafna minn interpreti biex ikollhom aċċess għall-komunikazzjoni f’hafna oqsma tal-ħajja, bħall-edukazzjoni. Artiklu 9 tal-Konvenzjoni tal-Ġnus Magħquda dwar id-drittijiet ta Persuni b’Diżabilita` (UNCRPD), li Malta irratifikat f’Ottubru 2012, jagħti dritt għal servizzi professjonali ta’ interpretazzjoni. Fis-sena 2000 l-Assoċjazzjoni irċeviet fondi mill-Gvern biex timpjega interpretu tal-lingwa tas-sinjali, li eventwalment żdiedu għal 3. L-Assoċjazzjoni nnifisha kompliet tagħmel użu minn voluntiera biex torganizza l-amministrazzjoni ta’ dawn is-servizzi.

Issa din qed titlob li l-amministrazzjoni tas-servizz titpoġġa f’idejn amministratur ieħor. It-tender li ħareġ ftit ilu mill-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni għas-servizzi ta’ interpretazzjoni ma kienx aċċettabbli għall-istandards eżistenti tal-Assoċjazzjoni. Jeħtieġ li jsir investiment mill-Gvern biex l-interpreti jkunu jistgħu ikomplu jagħtu servizz professjonali li jipprovdi aċċess lill-komunita` ta’ dawk neqsin mis-smiegħ u biex l-interpreti ikomplu jtejjbu l-ħiliet tagħhom permezz ta’ taħriġ.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ AD, Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal “AD tappoġġa l-ħtieġa li jiġu introdotti sottotitli kif ukoll li jingħata aktar taħriġ lill-interpreti biex ikunu jistgħu jagħtu servizz professjonali. Malta fil-fatt teħtieġ kors universitarju għall-interpreti professjonali tal-lingwa tas-sinjali.”