‘It’s Unfathomable’ Trump’s COVID-19 Briefings Lack Sign Language Interpreters, Marlee Matlin Says

Since President Donald Trump began holding televised novel coronavirus (COVID-19) briefings in March, the White House has received requests from lawmakers, a federal disability agency and the nation’s oldest civil rights organization asking that sign language interpreters be provided on screen.

But the government has yet to agree and allow the nation’s approximately 11.5 million people with hearing disabilities to receive information about the pandemic via interpreters.

By contrast, many state and local leaders have been giving coronavirus updates with interpreters. The administration has not publicly responded to the requests to add interpreters to the president’s briefings.

Read the rest of the story at https://people.com/politics/marlee-matlin-donald-trump-covid-19-briefings-lack-sign-language-interpreters.

 


Note: This relates to NAD’s lawsuit found at https://www.nad.org/2020/08/03/nad-sues-white-house.