CIB launch ‘Be Irish Sign Language Friendly Online’

Today the Citizens Information Board and the Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS), Trinity College Dublin launched ‘Be Irish Sign Language Friendly Online’ guidelines, a joint collaboration which highlights the importance of public sector bodies sharing information online using Irish Sign Language (ISL) videos translated by Deaf interpreters.

ISL is the State’s third official language and ‘Be Irish Sign Language Friendly Online’ calls on public sector bodies to translate important written content online into ISL to be more accessible to the Deaf community.

Deaf interpreters are professionals whose first and preferred language is ISL and bring specialist expertise in translating written languages into their native language.

In 2021, CIB and the Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS) funded the first Deaf Interpreter Training Programme at the Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin. The course aim was to train Deaf people to become professional sign language interpreters. Currently in Ireland, there are 24 qualified Deaf interpreters, registered with the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters (RISLI) and 94 hearing interpreters working all around the country in many different settings.

The ’Be Irish Sign Language Friendly Online’ Guidelines and video are available here:

https://www.citizensinformationboard.ie/en/publications/accessibility/