Live Sign Language Translation of House Meeting Begins

This week was observed as Disability Week and what better way for the House of Representatives to acknowledge persons living with disabilities than with the start of a live sign language translation of the House proceedings. As part of the upgrade that the House is undergoing, offering live sign language translations will now be a part of the coverage. The live translation will be available from ten in the morning to two in the afternoon at the House sessions. Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia updated the media on what steps are being made to better facilitate persons with disabilities in public spaces.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“The legislation is almost ready, but Cabinet did ask us to go and consult with the Central Building Authority and the engineers of the Ministry of Infrastructure to see what amount of time we would give to public buildings to make, say, wheelchair accessible. I was told that an elevator is a hugely expensive item, so not everybody might be able to put in an elevator, but if you could have a lift, or a little ramp, or just a, a way of getting into the public space or building, and you know that I had my personal experience when I had my knee surgeries. I was not able to make the stairs whatsoever, you know, so it is very important. And to mention that through the efforts of Miss Christy Almeida and others, we got persons from the Deaf Institute to do the signing of the proceedings in the National Assembly. I think they’re going up until 2 o’clock but I think that’s a significant bit of progress because although we are six ting there and we don’t know what all the, the hand movements are, if somebody is watching on the television, and usually on the screen you have the person who is signing at the side of the screen, so that that deaf person would be able to say, oh, that’s what they’re saying. And to me that is a significant bit of progress because the Belizean people know what, need to know. What is happening in the House of Assembly in the in the House of Representatives and also the Senate.”