Jeremy 'the sign language guy' providing vital service
Jeremy 'the sign language guy' providing vital service - Story - National - 3 News
Jeremy “the sign language guy” Borland has been helping Deaf and hard of hearing Cantabrians access vital information about Tuesday’s earthquake.
The interpreter, who has nine years of experience, has won people’s hearts signing the words of Christchurch authorities such as Mayor Bob Parker and Superintendent Dave Cliff.
He first came onto our screens last Friday and now has a Facebook fan group
with more than 6500 fans.
It was his first television appearance.
‘I’m quite used to being the invisible interpreter in the background, never really making much of a profile for myself, so this is quite an unusual experience for me,” he told 3 News reporter Alistair Wilkinson.
“I think it is just an amazing thing that the media and officials have pushed to get the set up with interpreters for these media briefings, because of how important it is for the Deaf community to get the information at the same time as the rest of the country.”
Deaf Aotearoa chief executive Rachel Noble says both Jeremy and his colleague Evelyn – who share the press conference responsibilities – are fantastic ambassadors for the Deaf community.
“The response from the Deaf Community has been wonderful,” she says. “They are receiving so much information, they feel more connected and more involved – it gives them a lot of reassurance.”
Ms Noble says Jeremy and Evelyn are both using a dialect of sign language specific to Deaf Christchurch residents. “It’s beautiful to see,” she says.
He said it was invaluable for Deaf people to get information in their first language – New Zealand Sign Language.
“Those with power on would’ve been able to access the internet of course, in terms of media briefings and that sort of thing. But without having that interpreted into their first language, sign language, it would have been difficult in getting information up to date.”
Jeremy was modest about his new Facebook fame.
“I actually didn’t know what a ‘like’ was on Facebook until yesterday, so it’s a funny sort of offshoot to this whole thing because for me I am just so glad the access is provided to the Deaf community.
“I’m not used to being in the limelight at all, so I’m hoping this exposure can be a real public awareness thing for the deaf community, for sign language and for interpreters in the media in the future. So hopefully it will have a positive offshoot in that respect as well.”
Ms Noble says while seeing sign language available at earthquake press conference is encouraging, she would like to see interpreters available at Government announcements too.
She says there was no sign language available at the Government’s relief package announcement which frustrated some Deaf viewers.
“Our community needs access to that,” she says.
Hearing viewers may recognise stylistic differences between Jeremy and Evelyn; Ms Noble says in the same way that no two people sound the same in English; everyone speaks sign language in their own way.
“Both Jeremy and Evelyn have family members who are Deaf, both of them are very professional; they do have different styles but both are very clear and great to watch.”
