Comments on: FlashForward @ MacWorld provides Sign language interpreter

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:27:42 +0000

I used to teach at a university with a high proportion of students who are Deaf, so my lectures were routinely signed. One of the initiatives there was to compile a BSL/English Glossary for Art and Design terminology, which one aim of was to make a signed technical session run more smoothly for students and interpreters. There are almost 2000 signs, and you'll find it here: http://www.artsigns.ac.uk Hope you find it useful. - Pete

By: Niqui Merret

Niqui Merret — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:30:47 +0000

Hi Phillip

You are right – it is a legal requirement. I mentioned it because often people ignore legal requirements like this – sad but true. Glad to hear they do the same at Max. I was chatting to some people in the UK and they have never actually had a request before.

I can imagine how tiring it must be to sign a technical presentation – we had a deaf class at the collage where I used to teach. We had to extend the course duration as our interpreter did not understand the content. We ended up having to teach most of the course without a sign language interpreter. Thankfully it was a small group of students.

Hi Homer

Great to hear they were supporting visual impaired people at the conference & expo as well.

By: Homer

Homer — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:48:58 +0000

Good point, that was really cool. I noticed in several of the seminars that I attended and throughout the exhibition hall, there were many people signing. There was actually a booth near the “Information” booth where those who required interpreters could sign up.

In the Keynote, I sat next to a man who was legally blind without his glasses. His Mac was monochrome with enlarged text….it was his blog. In the same light I saw 2 people in the exhibition hall who needed seeing eye dogs and a tour guide to make their way around.

I was really impressed with the services provided for those who needed the assistance. My hat goes off to the planning teams @ MacWorld

By: Phillip Kerman

Phillip Kerman — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:06:16 +0000

Not super surprising… I think it may even be a legal requirement. Even way back in the dark ages when I went to college (at Rochester Institute of Technology) they had interpeters in almost every class–mainly because there was another school connected (The National Technical Institute for the Deaf). I did notice at MAX this year a bunch of interpreters… and they took turns too. One told me that both the technical aspect and the speed at which most speakers talk made it really necessary.