PANJIM: The State government appears to have gone blank following an advertisement for sign language interpreter as Goa has no institute providing formal training in the field and neither it has sufficient number of certified persons to translate between a spoken and signed language.
With high hopes, the government has released an advertisement seeking candidates from Goa or residents of Goa after Social Welfare Department’s search for an expertise has hitherto not yielded positive results.
“The Government desires to have Empanel Indian Sign Language Interpreter who has completed Diploma in Sign Language Interpreter from recognised institute. All those who are trained as an Indian Sign Language Interpreter to submit their details such as an Name, Address, Contact No, E-mail the course completed along with the Institute from which it has been completed to the Directorate of Social Welfare, 18th June road, Panaji by March 10, 2019 or mailsocialwelfaregoa@rediffmail.com,” the ad states.
Since no institute in Goa provides courses in this subject, a senior officer in the department said, they are open to candidates, who have pursued sign language degree or diploma from any part of the country.
“This challenging job has a good future in the State. We also intend to have an interpreter during government functions in near future, but for that we need qualified candidates no matter whether they have taken education in Mumbai or Delhi’s recognised institutes in this subject,” he added.
Avelino de Sa, president of Disability Rights Association of Goa conceded that very few sign language interpreters are available in Goa many of whom are not certified. “Only 2-3 are certified to be sign language interpreters,” he said adding that 600 people in Goa lack the sense of hearing and the ability to speak.
He lamented that no government department has a sign language interpreter making it very difficult for them to communicate with those deaf and mute. “Sign language interpreter in every government department and at every public function is mandatory under the new Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016. There should be a sign language institute in Goa,” he demanded.
Goa Association of the Deaf had last year sought that those conducting interviews for government posts reserved for disabled should have a sign language interpreter in order to assist the hearing impaired candidates during the interview process.
