Legal Seat – Helsinki, FinlandWORLD FEDERATION OF THE DEAF
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS
An International Non-Governmental Organisation in official liaison with ECOSOC, UNESCO, ILO,
WHO and the Council of Europe. WFD was established in Rome in 1951.
PO Box 65, 00401 Helsinki, FINLAND
www.wfdeaf.org

Guidelines on Providing Access to Public Health Information inNational Sign Languages during the Coronavirus Pandemic
More than 70 million deaf people throughout the world have the right to access information in theirnational sign languages on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
18 March 2020 | Click here for International Sign version

Key points:•In all situations it is critical that professional sign language interpreters ortranslators with national-level qualifications are hired.

•Information should be available through all media channels and on all
platforms. If the sign language version is only available through some channels(i.e. narrowcast), or only through web-based platforms, there is a risk that deaf
people will miss out on crucial updates at critical times.

•An interpreter should be physically present and visible on camera alongsidewhomever is speaking in making new announcements. This will ensure deaf
people can access information through a variety of media outlets as othermembers of the public do.

In this document we outline best practices for providing sign language access indifferent contexts.
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National press conference or emergency information broadcast with interpreter present1:
1. The sign language interpreter should be physicallypresent (to the extent possible) and stand next to thespeaker facing the audience and in shot. This ensuresmultiplatform and multi-channel access to theinterpreter.
2. The interpreter should be displayed in the full screen
image at all times, with no text or graphics covering theinterpreter.
3. Broadcasts may be multiplatform but should always be
broadcast on the main public TV channels to ensure easy
access for a wide audience.

Live (Special) News broadcasts with interpreter in studio:
1. Positioning and size of the interpreter:a.

b.

Preferred: on screen placement of the interpreter(using chromakey / green screen), size of interpreter
inset should at least be half of the screen.
Alternative: interpreter is placed in a box filling 25%of the screen, separate from the actual image of thescreen.

2. Broadcasts should be multiplatform but should always atleast be provided on the main public TV channels toensure easy access for a wide audience.

Live Ministerial announcements
Sign language interpreters often cannot be present on the floor of parliamentary bodies when Ministers makeannouncements about updates. In that case the principles for live news broadcasts should be used, with theinterpreter live streamed simultaneously on-screen alongside the speaker. This is often broadcast through aparliamentary web-based platform.

1Image 1: South Korea. Image 2: Costa Rica. Image 3: UK. Image 4: Austria. Images 5 & 6: UK.
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Informational public safety videos2:
1. It is the responsibility of public authorities to ensure thatInformation on the Coronavirus is made available directly inthe national sign language(s) of the country, preferably
created in that sign language (rather than a translation froma written or spoken text).
2. National deaf associations should be contacted for theirexpertise and guidance in developing these videos.
3. Best practice is for a deaf presenter to present informationon the virus and safety measures, so that the information ispresented by a native user of the national sign language.
Deaf-specific health organisations can also provide advice on
this (follow wfdeaf.org/coronavirus for updated information
on videos in different countries).
4. These videos should be published on the national and publichealth websites alongside other public information on theCoronavirus.
5. Videos should also be subtitled in the country’s national language(s).
6. Visual images should be used wherever possible to support the information.
7. Add information on how deaf persons can access the national or local health authorities either directlyin sign language, or through emergency face-to-face or online interpreting services, in case of furtherquestions.
These Guidelines are also applicable to nongovernmental and international organisations disseminating
information on the Coronavirus Pandemic. National sign languages should be used as a first priority, withInternational Sign information for international organisations targeting a global audience.
Further information on Best Practices can be found here:• WFD position paper on Accessibility: Sign Language Interpreting and translation and technicaldevelopments• WASLI and WFD Guidelines Communication during natural disasters and other mass emergencies• WFD-WASLI Joint Statement on Access to Health Services & Interpreter Occupational Health During theCoronavirus (COVID 19) Containment Efforts
For ongoing updates, please see www.wfdeaf.org/coronavirus------------Acknowledgements. These Guidelines were compiled by Maya de Wit, Jemina Napier, and Joseph Murray with
input from Alexandre Bloxs and Christopher Stone. Thanks to Maya de Wit, Jemina Napier and Alda Batory forassistance with sourcing the images used in this document.

2Image 7: India. Image 8: Zimbabwe. Links to all image references can be found at www.wfdeaf.org/coronavirus
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