Tribute to the Late Eunice Amolo Kasisi

 

"I started learning Sign Language to be able to share the Word of God and my testimony with my Deaf brethren." 

This past month of June the Kenyan Deaf community lost one of the founding members of the interpreter professions in Kenya. Eunice Amolo Kasisi passed on peacefully in her home the night of 14^th June 2014. Many tributes and messages of condolence poured in from the local and international community that worked with Eunice. Her body was laid to rest 28th June 2014 in her home town of Webuye, Kenya. 

 Here is a summary tribute from her family, colleagues and friends:

When Eunice was 19, she accepted Jesus as her Savior. The same year Eunice became a Christian, her hearing church started a Deaf congregation. She became friends with the wife of the minister of the Deaf congregation. The wife was a sign language interpreter. Eunice was so touched by the first Deaf church service she attended that she felt it was the right place for her to serve the Lord.

It took one year of hours and hours spent with Deaf people for her to learn Sign Language, and another year to be able to interpret during some services. In 1990 she started working for the Deaf Church in Nairobi. She stayed for eight years. In 1998 she went back to school to learn how to be an interpreter trainer a journey that took her to Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. She also visited Sweden and Australia as an interpreter.

During the earlier years of her interpreting career Eunice worked with various start up projects within the Deaf community in Kenya. Notably these included: Deaf Safaris, East Africa Deaf Connection later to re-brand to Global Deaf Connection – GDC that trained several deaf teachers in their cycle of success program. While working for the Peace Corps she became one of the 12 founding members of the Kenyan Sign Language Interpreters Association – KSLIA as the treasurer in the year 2000 – 2006. Eunice faithfully served the Deaf Kenyan community in various capacities as an interpreter at KSLRP, KNAD, WFD/RSESA, Deaf churches and numerous individuals - we will all miss and remember her zeal, passion and dedication.

In January of 2003, she started working at DOOR-Africa DCLTC (Deaf Christian Leadership Training Center) as the Office Manager. In 2007 she also began working as a "hearing facilitator" assisting the Deaf translation teams. In 2009 she started working full-time as a Translation Consultant-in-Training. She is very close to being the very first Kenyan Translation Consultant with a specialty in Sign Language. Eunice is survived by Charles: Husband (hearing) Children: Ian and Meagan (hearing)

2015 and beyond we will miss a friend, a colleague, an administrator, an interpreter, a trainer and a valuable member of the Deaf community in Eastern Africa. Fare thee well, Rest in Peace! 

Other tributes 

Kapansa Lizzie Kamukwamba i have known Eunice during the two years we spent in the RSRLPII. she was such a wonderful person to get along with. Eunice, u will forever live in our hearts. Rest in peace dear sister.

Christine Pillah It's was an honor to have met you personally, being part of my sister's life..it's trully sad but it's all God's doing Rest in Heaven Eunice

Leonida Tausi Kaula

June 15 at 8:34am

Eunice Kasisi, as one of the kenyan pioneer interpreters, you have served the deaf diligently and mentored many interpreters. R.I.P colleague R.I.P.

Marion Kemuposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 24

so sad your gone forevr rest in inernal peace

Johnson Dei-Kusiposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 20

May your soul rest in eternal and perfect peace. We will always remember you. At DOOR international you taught me to obey God's word.

Michie Sheen Nandamaposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 20

May your soul rest in eternal peace R.I.P

Michie Sheen Nandamaposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 20

May your soul rest in eternal peace R.I.P

Debby Iyuteposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 20

What a lovely woman u were, RIP Eunice

Mary Helen Howell Bush

June 17

It's always sad to lose a friend. My prayers of comfort go out to the family ofEunice Amollo Kasisi, someone with a heart of gold.

David Frederic Bush Eunice's heart was pure gold. She was willing to help the deaf in Nairobi no matter what the time, the cost or inconvenience. She truly had a servant's heart. Her loss will be felt by many.

Waithaka Kamauposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 16

R.I.P Eunice Amollo Kasisi l will always remember you as a friend, a good mother and a mentor. I pray that you are happy wherever you are. Gone too soon sister.

Nyabuti Evansposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 16

I knew you when the door had a seminar at sunset. Am so griefed that you are no longer with us. May the almight rest your soul in peace.

Lillie Aseweposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 15

R.I.P Eunice Amollo Kasisi! May the good Lord comfort your family at this time of grief.

Kenny Aseweposted to‎Eunice Amollo Kasisi

June 15

R.I.p dear Eunice Amollo Kasisi

Peace Corps Volunteers Create First-Ever Visual Record of Kenyan Sign Language to Improve Deaf Education

Peace Corps Volunteers Create First-Ever Visual Record of Kenyan Sign Language to Improve Deaf Education

How to Obtain Effective Feedback on Interpretation Assignments

We all agree that feedback from the end users is important in judging the quality of the finished product, but how does a company, an individual obtain effective feedback on the interpretation assignment?

Rarely do interpreters in Kenya go through a feedback session at least for the signed languages and mostly the freelancers. However those who are employed do go through appraisals - which are often general and are conducted annually. 

Recently, I stumbled upon a review on one of my numerous assignments and I was pleasantly surprised or was I? The criticism was about the person not the work. The criticizers tore on to my persona, even to the extent of sharing the feedback with a potential client....not that I had a problem with the sharing or the criticism - I was perturbed by the process...it was never inclusive or I was never given the feedback directly....It got me thinking about the best way to provide a productive feedback to an interpreter so as to build them and their career.... my reviewers as often in Kenya about job appraisals were out to tear, demolish, uproot and devour the interpreter and not the interpretation - bringing down the worker not criticizing the work (end product/service) 

I have gone through appraisals, job performance evaluations for at least twelve years and received a job improvement plan once....So I know from experience what a good feedback is from a shoddy one....In one of the organization that I worked for the appraisal process was used as a tool to fire employees or settle personal scores between contractors and their consultants. If used well feedback sessions are a great tool for building employees and a personal growth tool.

How do you give good feedback on interpreter performance? work or assignments?

Here are some questions to ask about interpretations

• Did the interpreter keep up with the speaker?
• Did the interpreter speak whenever the speaker spoke?
• Did the interpreter pause whenever the speaker paused or shortly after?
• Did you hear any hesitation in the interpreter's voice?
• Did the interpreter use any words or phrases that sounded strange to you?
• During slide presentations, were the interpreter's words well-timed?
• Did the interpreter miscue (mispronounce) any words/signs?
• Did the interpreter have a pleasant, well-modulated voice?
• Did the interpreter have a cultured voice and accent?

Remember that your end user is not a qualified interpreter and is not judging the interpretation, but only the finished product.  The fact is that the average end user of a interpreted work has no idea how to go about judging it, and usually gives an opinion based on politeness, orneriness, desire to please, or any number of other factors.

If you prefer a more systematic approach, the following questions will help you to obtain effective feedback from your end users:

Questions to ask about a interpretation:

1. Can you tell it is a interpretation? This is the most important question to ask, as a competent interpretation never reveals that it is a interpretation. 2. Does it read like an original? This question reinforces the previous one, as a competent interpretation reads like an original. 3. Are there any words or phrases that sound out of place? Proper usage is the mark of a good interpretation.  An incompetent interpreter will  look words up in a dictionary; a competent interpreter will know which is the right word to use. 4. Is there anything that does not make sense? Incompetent interpreter who do not know proper usage will often interpret a phrase word for word, which will make no sense. 5. Are there sentences that are hard to understand? Improper usage will make the text hard to understand. 6. Are there phrases that you understand but that you would never say that way? Again, this evaluates proper usage. 7. Are there sentences with words that seem out of order? Word order is extremely important, not only in conveying the correct meaning, but also in giving you a text that runs smoothly. 8. Are there any grammatical mistakes? This question is only significant when the answer is yes.  Acceptable grammar is much easier to produce than acceptable usage. 9. Are there any misspelled words?  Again, a question that is only significant when the answer is yes. Remember that all these will be of no use if the interpreter is not involved in this process. It is a 360 degrees - Contractor - Interpreter - Native Users form the three pronged members of the review panel with the aim of getting a good interpretation, build a better interpreter and provide quality interpretation for the consumers. Thanks to  Barinas for the content (edits are mine) My mentors local and diaspora your criticism builds me My clients - hearing and Deaf your feedback is valuable and necessary

What does the KSL in the KCPE Results mean?

KSL - Kenyan Sign Language

Our Constitution recognizes Kenyan Sign Language a national language at par with Kiswahili and English due to its national and cohesive attributes. Kenyan Sign Language is one of the languages of parliament and by extension the senate and county assemblies. The constitution is also very clear on the rights of Deaf Kenyans to use Kenyan Sign Language in every day life, to enjoy Deaf culture and to be free from discrimination as a linguistic minority. Articles 7 (3b); 27(4); 35 (1b); 44(1); 54 (1d); 56 (d); 120 (1)

Other references on Kenyan Sign Language

Kenyan Sign Language

Kenya National Association of the Deaf (KNAD) 

Learning Kenyan Sign Language 

Interactive KSL  

Kenyan Sign Language in pictures 

 

Engaging the Young Parliamentarians in Kenya Towards a more Inclusive Kenya

Memorandum

on

The Plight of Deaf Kenyans

and the opportunities to right the wrongs of Kenya's largest marginalized community

Population: Estimated 1 Million – WHO estimates 15% of the world population have disabilities. This estimates encompasses persons who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Hard of Hearing, a socio-linguistic cultural minority who use Kenyan Sign Language in their communications. Mostly these individuals are in urban areas but many remain hidden in their homes due to stigma and shame associated with this disability. Statistically, however there is still a large number of persons with hearing loss who go about life without identifying themselves with the larger Deaf community nor use Kenyan Sign Language in their every day life. There is a great need to have the correct number of persons who are Deaf for proper service delivery and national planning.

Historically, the Deaf people in Kenya have been left out of mainstream societal development due to their language and culture. This explains the marginalization of this minority group in the earlier history of Kenya. Missionaries, educationists and foreign volunteers saw this and working with the locals established the first schools for the Deaf in the late 1950's and early 1960's in Western, Central and Coastal regions of the country. Deaf Kenyans use Kenyan Sign Language which had it's 'formal' existence traced to the schools of the Deaf. Like elsewhere in the world, the hearing world (speaking communities) have held negative attitudes towards the deaf persons, deafness and hearing loss. Many people believed and still do that the Deaf cannot be taught, are dumb, retarded or incapable of carrying out daily activities such as reading, cooking, taking care of children or having a job or a family. Thus many of the parents on discovery that they have a Deaf child they will often go into denial, hide the child and seek medical intervention to correct the deafness or hearing loss. This often leads to frustration both for the parents and the child who will miss out on language acquisition that normally happens at this age, gets late admission into school etc Society also contributes to further marginalize the Deaf in Kenya through their lack of awareness on Deafness. Our schools are created to be Audist (hearing superior) in nature, when you look at the languages taught they emphasize on writing, listening (hearing), reading (speaking) which practically locks out the Deaf child from being part of the education system where not all teachers in the schools for the Deaf comprehending or having training in Kenyan Sign Language.

Looking forward how do we move on? There are strides we have made as a nation that puts us ahead of many nations in Sub Sahara Africa and indeed among the global community. Kenya ratified the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities in May 2005, followed by enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2005 and most recently the Constitution of Kenya 2010 have reaffirmed Kenyans commitment to form a government based on the essential values of human rights, equality, freedom, democracy, social justice and the rule of law.

With these adoptions and enactments are to naught if these laws are not implemented, enforced or exercised. This memorandum takes a look on how the Jubilee administration can and should move forward in empowering the Deaf community in Kenya to enjoy their rights, have a more productive quality life away from the shackles of oppression, stigma, discrimination and violations that have dominated their lives for hundreds of years.Here is how.....

Our Constitution recognizes Kenyan Sign Language a national language at par with Kiswahili and English due to its national and cohesive attributes. Kenyan Sign Language is one of the languages of parliament and by extension the senate and county assemblies. The constitution is also very clear on the rights of Deaf Kenyans to use Kenyan Sign Language in every day life, to enjoy Deaf culture and to be free from discrimination as a linguistic minority. Articles 7 (3b); 27(4); 35 (1b); 44(1); 54 (1d); 56 (d); 120 (1)

1. Enactment of a Kenyan Sign Language Act – a legislation that would define the issues of deafness covering the early intervention for children, care and treatment of hearing loss; establishing a Kenyan Sign Language Institute to research, document and provide guidance on Interpreters training, employment and regulation.
2. Recognize, promote, accept and facilitate the use of Kenyan Sign Language - the more the citizens see this happen, families and communities will follow the lead that the government has taken to use the language in public and thus liberate the Deaf Kenyans form the stigma they so often experience.
3. Facilitate the research, development and learning of Kenyan Sign Language and the promote the linguistic identity of the Deaf community – the language currently is under-researched, documentation has been scanty with little happening in higher institutions of learning. Establishment of a Kenyan Sign Language institute would facilitate the research and learning of the language, history and culture of the Deaf Kenyans. The institute would ensure that teachers for the Deaf, interpreters and linguists are trained and deployed to the various needy institutions that require their services.
4. Provide information intended for the general public in Kenyan Sign Language this will ensure all Deaf Kenyans can seek, receive and impart information on an equal basis with others. With the employment of professional interpreters this will be achieved.
5. Urging and encouraging the private entities that provide services to the general public to provide information and services in Kenyan Sign Language – hospitals, schools, universities, banks, parastatals, government agencies, the police, courts etc will have provision to provide services in the language by employing Deaf Kenyans or interpreters for accessibility of their services.
6. Encourage the mass media to make their services accessible in Kenyan Sign Language – a lot of communication and information from government is passed by the media to the general mostly in the national languages of Kenya. This should be the same for Kenyan Sign Language, have Interpreters work with the Presidential Press Office, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and Office responsible for National Events. The National Assembly through the Research office has done the same in collaboration with KBC.
7. Employment – affirmative action in the public service to employ qualified Deaf Kenyans to work within the public service sector.

Implementation of the above will result in the following:-

1. Kenyan people will change their attitudes towards Kenyan Sign Language and the Deaf community, Deaf culture and deafness.
2. Deaf people will have more or better access to information, education, political and socioeconomic activities or interactions.
3. Deaf people will gain more confidence in the learning process, self-expression, in communicating with hearing people and in enjoying their rights.
4. Improved quality of life for Deaf Kenyans through employment opportunities for Deaf individuals.

Fake Interpreter Lessons for Interpreters and their Clients

One Professor Graham Turner summarizes the lessons perfectly here and I would love for my Kenyan audience to read and learn some lessons that would help our own situations. I have added my own observations in italics for contextualization. 

As the world said goodbye to former South African president Nelson Mandela at the Dec. 9 memorial service, attention turned to the sign language interpreter, who was incoherently signing at the event. Immediately there was uproar from the South African Deaf and Interpreter community. Quickly the #FakeInterpreter was all over the internet with many making jokes about it, others criticizing, admonishing while other bowed in shame due to the embarrassment the episode stirred across the globe. 

It’s pretty clear that we haven’t seen the last of this story. But what is its real significance? Here are ten lessons for the world from The Tale of the Fake Interpreter.

1. Using a sign language fluently is not something one can do just by waving one’s hands around. Sign languages are grammatically-structured, rule-governed systems like all other natural human languages. You can’t produce meaningful signing off the cuff and – equally importantly – you can’t understand it spontaneously just by looking. To get the message across the signer has to be appropriately dress especially if they are on camera, the lighting, background and colors matter a lot to the recipients. The facial expressions, the body movements, hand formations (handforms, handshapes) do carry meaning too. 

2. If you can’t sign, but require interpreting, you need reliable processes to help you identify effective provision. Interpreting isn’t a game: it should be run on a professional basis. This time, we saw a spectacular insult to the world’s Deaf people: but no-one died. Worldwide, every day, the result of inadequate interpreting leads to poor schooling, imprisonment, unemployment and health disparities; inaccurate information. This has led to stereotyping in Kenya, recently I was shocked when a senior politician in reference to the Deaf said "...what will they bring to our party? they take long to express themselves.." The same can be said about the Kenyan schooling system that labels the Deaf as slow learners, under achievers thus relegating the Deaf to vocational training rather than empowering them to be the best that they can be.This must stop. 

3. Without proper training, screening and regulation, people can and will take advantage. Even in countries like the UK, where sign language interpreting has become increasingly professionalised since the 1980s, smooth operators (who can talk the talk but not sign the sign) are legion. If you can’t sign, they may appear wholly plausible and be wholly bogus. Don’t guess and you won’t be fooled. So far we in Kenya are lagging behind, we have several Sign Language trainers though it is done in a non professional coordinated way - this is despite the schooling system having Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) as a school subject and examined topic there exists a KSL curriculum, KSL exam for both primary school and O' level - these are good developments but there needs to be more efforts towards standardization of how KSL is taught and examined, a proper training system for interpreters - currently there is no proper training program for interpreters. Second to this there needs to be a screening and regulatory body for the interpreters. This development will bring about the desired professionalism so much required in this field.

4. This episode is just the high-visibility version of the con-men who pretend to be poor Deaf people in order to extort money by begging on the streets.It’s an age-old phenomenon in a new guise, taking advantage of public authorities’ need to present a politically correct face. They think they’ll get away with it because no-one who can do anything about it will notice or complain. The worst is as they say in Swahili "Asiye funzwa na mamake hufunzwa na ulimwengu"  - He who is not schooled by the mother will be schooled by the world - negative publicity not good for anyone's career.

5. They’re right: hearing people can’t tell they’re lying, and Deaf people’s complaints – about this and anything else – are too often ignored. This, too, must end. Here in Kenya we had Deaf people complain about the parliamentary proceedings interpreter. It took a while, several letters, face-to-face meetings and a collaborative effort between the KNAD, Interpreters, National broadcaster and parliament officials to resolve the issue. Today we have at least four fluent signers on the screen. As you read this there are murmurs and complaints about the KTN News interpretation. 

Hang on, though: that’s only five lessons?!

Here are five more: but beware – these are conclusions some will find easy to reach, but which should be resisted.

6. ‘Always trust Deaf people to tell you who is a good interpreter.’ Not so fast. Deaf people know fluent signing when they see it and they know who they respect and trust – and these are vital. But when it comes to recognising that someone is appropriately representing meaning, you have to be able to access both languages. You can’t tell whether output matches input unless both are available to you. 

7. ‘There’s too much to lose in booking the wrong interpreter, so let’s stop using them.’ For all the risks – and they’re very real – the life prospects of Deaf people have plainly been enhanced via good interpreting services. The Deaf Finnish leader, Liisa Kauppinen, received the 2013 United Nations Human Rights Award Prize on the day of Mandela’s memorial service: her achievements would have been impossible without top-notch interpreting. But crucially, quality counts – cosmetic interpreting that’s just for show is destructive.

8. ‘Sign language interpreters cannot be trusted’. Untrue: but not everyone who claims to be an interpreter should be taken seriously. What matters is having robust and reliable ways of distinguishing the real diamonds from the plastic forgeries.

9. ‘After this outcry, public awareness and recognition of sign languages is assured.’ Hang on! Don’t start getting complacent just yet. The sudden global focus presents a real opportunity to push home the demand for change, and to raise standards everywhere: but it won’t happen by itself. Here in Scotland, a British Sign Language Bill is due to go to Parliament in 2014 – all Scots who value signing should put their shoulders to the wheel and keep on pushing. The same is true worldwide. Here in Kenya we got our Kenyan Sign Language recognized by the new Constitution, we are yet to finalize the Language Policy...this outcry should be our stepping stone to even a stronger advocacy for greater involvement, greater participation of the Deaf Kenyans in their own affairs and those that improve the quality of life. 

10. ‘It could never happen here.’ Sadly, whilst out-and-out frauds like this may be rare, any Deaf person can tell you that there are hordes of ‘unconsciously incompetent’ signers out there making a living by accepting interpreting work that is way beyond their capability. It’s true all around the globe. What’s worse, it happens under the noses of the authorities, who pay the bills without caring enough to take responsibility for standards. We must make them care. As you may recall during the March 2013 elections the Deaf in Kenya complained of the interpreter at the election tally center however the Electoral Commission did not respond favorably, currently there are moments when Deaf people have stopped an interpreter in the middle of a session or meeting due to quality issues....my question to KTN and the rest do you care enough to stop the injustice?  

Thamsanqa Dyantyi happens to be South African, but the issues he has highlighted are global. Nelson Mandela’s death has lit an unexpected spark: and as Mandela himself said, “The time is always ripe to do right”.

My thanks and appreciation to Professor Graham Turner who is the Chair of Translation & Interpreting Studies at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He leads the team now running the first ever degree course in BSL in Scotland.

Read more: http://limpingchicken.com/2013/12/13/10-lessons-fake-terp/#comments
http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/saturday-night-live-nelson-mandela-memorial-sign-language-interpreter-watch-the-video-20131512#ixzz2ndidTubW
Follow us: @usweekly on Twitter | usweekly on Facebook

Moving towards quality interpretation in Kenya

Dear Practicing Interpreter in Kenya,

Here are resources that will help you improve your interpretation services

the Interpreters Friend

Terp Topics

To this end coming soon will be a course  for the Diploma, Degree and Masters program. See St. Paul University

"A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices

that constitutes a way of viewing reality

for the community that shares them."

                                                    - Yahoo Education  definition of PARADIGM

My two cents to KTN and Standard Media Group

My two cents to KTN and Standard Media Group

Feedback on the Sign Language News casting Initiative

First and foremost the initiative is commendable, it is a second time KTN has initiated an inclusive approach to its news programming. Signed News in the 1990s was a breath of fresh air for the Deaf community, in those days they had to wait for parliamentary debates and Joy Bringers on KBC to enjoy news in native Kenyan Sign Language. The past week has been a welcome relief, with news in Kenyan Sign Language at prime time; however there has been several issues come up over the week. According to both researchers and interpreters, interpreting for live TV broadcasts is almost unanimously regarded as more stressful than other forms of interpreting (Strolz 1997; Kurz 2002), the main reason being that interpreting for a mass audience entails a much bigger exposure in case of failure than the one felt in conventional conference settings.

This article will mention the issues and offer some steps to get us to the full accessibility cliché.

1. Now to the issue of KTN initiative, first the inner politics is that the interpreters stole the idea from some Deaf young people who wanted to approach the media houses including KTN. This is an ethical issue, it reflects on the conduct of the individual and taints the interpreters in and within the Deaf community. Interpreters are neutral non biase professional who serve as facilitators of communication between the hearing (speaking) and the Deaf. Interpreters do not work for, on behalf of the Deaf community, they work along side, with the Deaf – not helping or speaking for but as professionals. Be that as it may, the initiative is a bold step towards accessibility.
2. Selection and use of interpreters – it is a myth that there are few interpreters, qualified and ready to work on television. (here is a list of 100) There are interpreters all over Kenya, however they were trained, qualified – the key is to use the Deaf Kenyans themselves to validate, clarify and know who is best suited to interpret on television. There exists standards and criteria to select and eliminate those who can and can not offer the best services. The basic criteria would be judging individuals against Code of Ethics – this would eliminate at least half, then professional experience like number of hours worked under similar experiences, borrowing from other interpreters of Spanish or French and use those standards in the absence of signed language standards. (read how to work with interpreters)
3. The small box has reduced considerably in one week it has moved from a 6X6 to a mere 2X3 inches. If yu were to sit and look at that small box for an hour, your eyes will pain and you will be having a pounding headache. It is not standard to have the box that small – the argument as it has been over time even during the presidential debate was all for aesthetic reasons – too crowded, distraction or unclean just the graphics and producers not understanding the nature and characteristics of signed languages and the usage.
4. Continuation from the point above Signed Languages have a visual nature, it is often misunderstood that the Deaf are fully satisfied by seeing the hands only. The following are some features that make sign language different from the other languages.

• Facial Expression – frowns, lifted eye brows, puffed cheeks or slight grin or smile among other facial expressions are part of signed languages. They complete the sentences or add meaning to expressions. With a squeezed image on a caption or box all these attributes are lost. In turn you have a block of a human figure moving their hands yet their face is dark or hidden with lots and lots of meaningful expressions that the viewer is denied.
• Placement – the upper torso of the human form is the story board of any sign language user. It is the area where people, events and things are placed for sequence and easy locating or moving as the story unfolds. With a squeezed signing area it is difficult to place items of news in a logical and sequential order.
• Shoulder shifts – these are movements to differentiate speakers especially when you have multiple individuals talking or debating. Again with a squeezed screen space it is impossible to enjoy the flexibility and dynamism that signed languages have to offer.
• Movement – similar to placement, this feature of signed languages enable the users of signed languages the opportunity to showcase a story line and progression in a space that enable clarity.
• Handforms and Shapes – the foundation of all signed languages is the existence of forms and shapes these carry meaning much like the words that we speak. Proper lighting and color blend of background, clothes of the interpreters enable the viewers users of signed languages see the words and enjoy the news interpreted.

5. Worldwide there have been researches done to ascertain the interpreter burn out rates. These studies have shown that it is good to have interpreter change over after a 20 minute duration. This change over gives the interpreters. The human brain loses concentration after 15-20 minutes, this is true with interpreters too. The interpretation process takes a lot in the mind and body of an interpreter as they process, take in and give information relayed to them in a second or third language. These breaks allow the interpreter to give their best, allowing them to give a better more accurate, culturally and linguistically correct interpretation of the information they are receiving. Interpreters worldwide work in pairs and as teams this is for the issues above and for health purposes.
6. Quality control and assurance is a vital component. Most of the issues that come up about interpreters are issues of quality that could be addressed by training and capacity building. When a mechanism exists that offers checks and balances it develops the interpreter and increases their accuracy in service provision. A feedback platform would capture the same, but more importantly a way to deal with the feedback so that it is meaningful and beneficial first to the concerned interpreters and then to the Deaf community via a selected representation that has clear scope and engagement.
7. Continuous growth and development of interpreters. If any professional stops learning, they stop growing and they die professionally. Seek to engage institutions that would build interpreters comprehension of English, Kiswahili and their working language Kenyan Sign Language.
8. For greater integration and inclusion, a program by the Deaf for the Deaf would be a natural development as a follow up to the interpreted newscasts. This will empower the Deaf community especially young children learning sign language and also change the perception of the general public who view the Deaf as objects of initiatives rather than fellow human beings with gifts, skills and talents that can be shared.

Deaf consumers of interpreting services have become more informed and are demanding higher quality interpreting services that meet their individual needs. In considering the need for a new job profile, “media translators/interpreters”, Kurz (1990: 173) suggests, following Laine (1985: 212), that “the media require a new breed of interpreter: a hybrid – someone who is a successful translator, interpreter, and editor, all in one” and this profile should include “flexibility, speed, a wide general knowledge and a complete lack of fear or embarrassment”.