Why I can not mask at a press conference April 7 17:51
Press conferences are repeated daily to prevent the spread of infection. A manga explaining the reason for a sign language interpreter struggling without a mask beside it has been attracting attention online. What is needed is a transparent mask that does not separate people.
(Reporters from the Network Press Hiromi Akimoto and Shinsuke Ayuai)
Don't be dangerous!
The manga begins with a couple talking on television on a holiday afternoon watching a press conference on the new coronavirus.
Suddenly, I notice that I have a wife.
"Only sign language interpreters don't have masks on! Don't be afraid to prevent them!"
While everyone at the conference was masked, only the sign language interpreter was not. However, her husband who studied sign language at college knows why sign language interpreters do not wear masks. Then explain the reason to your wife.
For example, since the sign language that represents Hiragana “a” and the number “5” is the same, sign language interpreters say that they express “a” or “5” in the form of a mouth at the same time as the hand. You.
"He's a translator for his life."
The wife understands that sign language does not hold if a mask is put on.
Isn't he thinking narrowly?
The manga was released on April 5 and has received a great response. We talked to the creator of this manga, illustrator Pachi Mei (@puchimei_twi), who lives in Ibaraki Prefecture.
He learned sign language in his local classroom in high school and sign language circle in college.
Mr. Pachimei said, "The manga was actually based on the conversation between us and the couple. It seemed to me that what was commonplace was amazing for my wife. At the same time, I wrote this comic because my fellow students who were deaf in my school days seemed to be having trouble with their shoulders in their current situation. "
After posting, the parties have also said that "Thank you for conveying our worries in a simple and easy-to-understand manner."
Mr. Pachimei: "I hope this will help to eliminate prejudice against hearing-impaired people and deepen their understanding."
Who is the sign language interpreter?
I asked the parties. The person on the phone was the person in charge of the Tokyo Sign Language Interpreter Dispatch Center located in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
"There should be no precedent for a sign-language interpreter in the same place as the press conferencer to translate with his mask on."
It is said that the press conference is a one-way communication by sign language interpreters, and the person who is looking at the sign language cannot remove the meaning, so it is necessary to remove the mask.
However, with the spread of the new coronavirus, it is very important to be aware of how to reduce the risk of infection for sign language interpreters.
Tokyo sign language interpreter dispatch center person in charge "In order to reduce the risk of infection, the organizer of the press conference could place a sign language interpreter in a separate room and broadcast it simultaneously on TV. I'm in a position to follow the intentions of the people who hold the conference, not the protagonist of the conference, so it's difficult to make a request like "I want you to do this"
The world separated by a mask
The inconvenience that deaf people feel about masks is not limited to press conferences.
According to Shuji Nishimura, director of the Kochi Prefectural Information Center for the Hearing-Impaired, there were voices saying that if a person who could not sign language at a hospital reception or shopping was wearing a mask, they could not catch the movement of the mouth and were having trouble. Is that it is Originally, it would be nice to have the mask removed, but that is not possible given the prevention of the spread of infection.
Kochi Prefectural Information Center for the Hearing-Impaired, Shuji Nishimura "I understand that we must give priority to preventing the spread of infection. However, wearing a mask poses a major difficulty for the hearing-impaired. I want you to know what you are doing. ''
Transparent mask that does not hide the mouth
On Twitter, news from local media reported that a 21-year-old female college student in the United States has made a transparent mask that does not hide his mouth, and has received many comments.
Japanese manufacturers also "made"
When I looked it up, a Japanese manufacturer was making a similar mask.
“Look at me”, a transparent mask with fogging protection, launched in 2012 by a company that manufactures and sells health appliances and medical supplies in Sumida-ku, Tokyo. is. According to the company, the company initially produced 20,000 masks.
However, there was no increase in production, and the sale ended in June 2016, three and a half years later, when the stock was sold out. The reason is that "it was not profitable because there were elaborate processes such as processing to prevent fogging and it was difficult to set easy prices". By the way, the price was 2100 yen for 10 pieces per box.
I actually used it ...
It seems to be a different type from that of this manufacturer, but for a similar transparent mask, the person in charge of the aforementioned `` Tokyo Sign Language Interpreter Dispatch Center '' said, `` A pandemic influenza in Japan about 10 years ago When they did, they had been given transparent masks. "
However, the transparent part of the mask became cloudy or spicy, and the sign language interpreter and the sign language interpreter felt "uncomfortable", and the mask seemed to disappear.
A mask that does not separate the world
However, with the recent spread of the new coronavirus, manufacturers who were producing transparent masks are receiving more inquiries.
Company representative: "I'm sorry that we haven't been able to respond to requests because we have already finished production, but in this situation, I feel that the need for transparent masks is growing again."
The demand for transparent masks is spreading all over the world.
The World Deaf Federation and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters issued a joint statement on March 3. In this context, sign language interpreters should be assured of the same health and safety as healthcare professionals, and alternatives such as wearing transparent masks for surgery or interpreting through transparent screens are conceivable. It is said that it can be.
People around the world need masks. It seems that new wisdom and ingenuity are required so that the mask does not separate people.