Coronavirus update: BSL Zone announces live Q&A | BSL users campaign for Prime Minister to have BSL interpreter at daily media briefings

The coronavirus pandemic has become part of public consciousness gradually over the last few months and weeks. In the last few weeks, the situation has escalated, both internationally and in the UK.

Over the coming weeks and months, Limping Chicken will be offering regular news updates, blogs and useful information from a D/deaf perspective. This is intended to be useful and run alongside other sources of news and information.

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USEFUL INFORMATION

SignHealth BSL videos

Sign Health’s BSL videos with information about Coronavirus can be seen here.

If you think you may have coronavirus

If you think you may have Coronavirus, or you are worried that you have symptoms, you can read the latest advice from the NHS here.

NHS 111 and how to contact them

You can use the NHS 111 service in BSL (via InterpreterNow) by clicking here, or phone them using a textphone by calling 18001 111. Or you can use the 111 online service.

You should do this if:

• you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
• your condition gets worse
• your symptoms do not get better after 7 day

How to avoid coronavirus 

You can find out how to avoid coronavirus on the NHS website by clicking here, or if you’d prefer the information in BSL, go to the SignHealth page here.

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NEWS UPDATES

BSL Zone live Q&A about coronavirus

BSL Zone have announced that there will be a live stream about coronavirus tomorrow (Tuesday 17th March) on Facebook, presented by Fifi Garfield. More info below:

Prime Minister may have a BSL interpreter at daily media briefings

Over the weekend, D/deaf people have been campaigning for a BSL interpreter to be seen on screen during government media briefings, as often happens in other countries during emergency situations.

Over the weekend, many D/deaf people tweeted their local MPs asking the government to do this.

This looks like it may have led to some success. Deaf Twitter user Martine Anne has now tweeted that Boris Johnson  is seeking an interpreter to provide this. This has not been confirmed yet but let’s hope it happens.

Getting told that @BorisJohnson is seeking #BSL interpreters to work alongside him for his daily #coronavirus media briefings. Here’s hoping it is true – collective action from the deaf community makes a difference! #BSL #deaf

— Martine Anne (@martinemonks) March 16, 2020

Deaf hand washing video goes viral

A video from Brisbane’s Deaf Services organisation has gone viral, with over 100,000 views:

Article from Juliet England

You can read Juliet’s article for Limping Chicken last week about how Coronavirus advice should be clearer for deaf people here.