In times of pandemic, access to information is crucial. For this reason, the Commission on Human Rights has continuously advocated for the better access to information for the deaf and those hard of hearing.

However, in advocating for this cause, it has come to our attention that several social media posts, memes, and comments have ridiculed Filipino Sign Language (FSL) interpreters, particularly those insets usually found in television news and public affairs programmes.

While visibility is one way to highlight an advocacy, turning FSL interpreters as objects of ridicule trivialises the struggles of the deaf and interpreting communities and downplays triumphs of the Filipino Deaf, such as the passage of the Filipino Sign Language Act, which, among others, makes FSL interpreter insets as mandatory in televised public affairs broadcasts.

We urge everyone to be as humane and inclusive in this time of a national health emergency. As we call for everyone’s participation in curbing the spread of COVID-19, let us truly ensure that no one gets left behind by guranteeing that the deaf, those hard of hearing, and other persons with disabilities have access to timely and relevant information, and they too have an opportunity for their concerns to be heard and seen. ###