Sign language interpreter Toni Aiken questions exclusion from political debates

 

Jamaica's most prominent sign language interpreter, Antoinette Aiken, has broken her silence surrounding the absence of an interpreter at the first of three national political debates on Saturday.

 

Jamaica Debates Commission Chairman Brian Schmidt commented on the matter on Monday following outrage from advocacy groups representing the deaf and hearing impaired community.

 

Mr. Schmidt said the commission is moving to avoid a repeat of Saturday's incident. 

 

He explained that one of the parties opted out of the agreement in the final hours. 

 

Mr. Schmidt noted that given concerns raised about services provided during the 2024 local government debates, the commission was intent on securing competent interpretation for the national debates. 

 

But in a post on Instagram, Ms. Aiken said she was privy to communication between Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) and the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC), which she found unsavoury.

 

"Both organisations ready to sign and JAD got correspondence that said under no circumstance are they willing to work with Toni [Aiken]... I've left it because I saw the correspondence about, oh, you should have a backup interpreter, oh, you should provide quality, oh, you should have someone who can manage the situation. But the reality is it's been 20 years. October this year will be my 20th year interpreting for political audiences, government situations, COVID," she explained.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Schmidt said the JDC is working on securing a sign language interpreter for Tuesday night's debate.

 

"We're working on options and we're trying to pull this thing together," he said, adding: "I think it is unfortunate how this thing has been positioned in the public space because it is making the commission look as if it has not tried to fulfill the desire to serve the community."

 

Mr. Schmidt was speaking Monday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines with host Dionne Jackson Miller.

 

Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr. said the omission of an interpreter is unacceptable and runs counter to the fundamental principle of inclusive democracy.

 

"The absence of Toni Aiken, who is a veteran sign language interpreter and a trusted figure for the deaf community is not just regrettable in my view, it's disappointing. Particularly, I think politics must never stand in a way of inclusivity, especially when it involves the rights of persons with disabilities, for them to participate fully in our national discourse. So, the absence of clear, accessible communication during a defining democratic moment disenfranchises deaf and hearing impaired Jamaicans. So, as we advance Jamaica's support for the special needs community, I believe that it is essential that we communicate clearly and that we have accessibility to as many as possible so that we can ensure full inclusion in every aspect of national life," he asserted.

 

Tuesday night's debate will focus on the economy. 

 

Team JLP comprises Fayval Williams, Dr. Christopher Tufton and Dr. Dana Morris Dixon. Representing team PNP are Julian Robinson, Peter Bunting and Kisha Anderson.

 

The debate will be broadcast live on Radio Jamaica as well as sister stations, Power 106 FM, TVJ, TVJ International, TVJ's YouTube channel and JNN.