28/03/2026
People often misunderstand accessibility.
Someone once asked:
“If a Deaf person’s favorite interpreter is not available, will they stop watching TV news?”
That's not the real issue.
Let’s think about a real situation.
A Deaf person goes for an interview.
The interpreter does not fully understand the interviewer.
The interpreter also does not fully understand the deaf person.
The Deaf person may give a very strong answer.
But it is interpreted wrongly.
So what happens?
The deaf person is judged unfairly
not because of their ability,
But because of poor interpretation.
This happens more often than people think.
Deaf people have ideas.
Deaf people have opinions.
But the question is:
Are they understood correctly?
Deaf people are told to keep eye contact with the person they are talking to.
But in real situations, their attention goes to the interpreter.
Why?
Because they are worried:
Will the interpreter understand me?
Will my message be delivered correctly?
This worry does not come from deaf people.
It comes from poor interpretation.
Let’s be clear:
If an interpreter only signs what is spoken,
but does not understand what the deaf person is signing,
That is not true communication.
That is discrimination.
Communication must go both ways.
Understanding must go both ways.
Deaf people have the right to:
Know the interpreter before any interview, event, or class
Have a qualified interpreter
Bring their own interpreter if needed
If this is not provided,
then true access has already failed.
Now back to the question:
If a qualified interpreter is present,
there is no problem.
But if the interpreter is not skilled,
The Deaf person may disconnect.
Not because they want to
but because they cannot rely on the communication.
Many deaf people cannot fully depend on captions.
They depend on interpreters.
And when interpretation is wrong,
they are often blamed.
Before blaming a deaf person,
ask this:
Was the interpretation clear and accurate?
Interpreters are important.
But interpreters exist to serve Deaf people.
It is time for organisations to understand that
accessibility is not just a formality
it is about real understanding.
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