Sign Language Interpreter, New Spokesperson of COVID-19 Press Conferences

SHANGHAI, February 23 (Xinhua) — A new spokesperson made her debut at a press conference concerning novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic control in Shanghai Saturday. Standing beside the podium and wearing a medical mask, Zhang Lijun elegantly made hand gestures according to the content.

This was the first time for Shanghai to arrange for a sign language interpreter to help convey information about the novel coronavirus.

"It's quite challenging to be such a special spokesperson at the press conference," Zhang said. Although she had been working as a sign language host of Shanghai Dragon TV for quite a long time, she still found it a demanding task to interpret all the released information with accuracy.

Besides Zhang, a total of six volunteer interpreters selected by the Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation now take turns to participate in the city's COVID-19 press conferences.

In the battle against the epidemic, China is striving to ensure the health of disabled people, with more sign language interpreters working as spokespersons across the country to help the special group get firsthand information accurately.

In cities and provinces, including Hubei, Shandong and Shanghai, volunteers use sign language to record video clips to remind people of the importance of disinfection, wearing masks and staying at home.

Measures have also been taken to serve the visually-impaired people. According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation, two audiobooks about the prevention of COVID-19 have been published on social media platforms such as Wechat, and have been shared in nearly 400 Wechat groups of visually disabled people to alert them of the epidemic.

Those without access to the Internet or a smartphone could also obtain the two audiobooks by dialing a China Braille Library's hotline, with the content recorded into voice mails, according to the federation.

(Source: Xinhua)