Spreading the Word in Sign Language

UNDP helps the Georgian Government make COVID-19 information accessible for people with hearing impairments.

In a joint effort to ensure that guidance on the pandemic reaches everyone who needs it in Georgia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting the Government in providing sign language translation for all televised briefings on COVID-19.

Starting from 23 April 2020, professional sign language interpreters have been assigned by the Union of the Deaf of Georgia to provide real-time sign language translation of official briefings and make it available for the Georgian Public Broadcaster and other interested television stations.

“Since the first outbreak of the crisis, the Government of Georgia has been active in providing persons with disabilities and representatives of ethnic minorities with access to information about COVID-19,” said Lela Akiashvili, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Human Rights and Gender Equality. “Collaboration with people with disabilities is crucial for achieving results. As of today, all official briefings are being translated into sign language and their full transcript is being disseminated through the Government’s social media pages.”

“UNDP has been working with the Government and the organizations representing persons with disabilities since the news of the pandemic first reached Georgia,” said UNDP Head Louisa Vinton. “Our efforts are focused on listening to the community to understand its needs and providing support in addressing them in line with the principle ‘nothing about us without us’.”

In March and April, UNDP and the Administration of the Government of Georgia organized several online meetings with civil society and organizations of persons with disabilities in Georgia to discuss emerging needs during the pandemic. Access to information was identified as a priority during these discussions, especially by people with impaired hearing, who often feel excluded from daily news.

In addition to translating televised briefings into sign language, UNDP also supported the Government by preparing sign language translations of specialized educational videos about the coronavirus in Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijani languages.

This support is part of a new USD 2 million joint programs to improve social protection for persons with disabilities in Georgia that UNDP is implementing together with five other UN agencies. Launched at the start of the year before the crisis hit, the joint program is currently being adapted to address the specific challenges that COVID-19 poses for persons with disabilities.