How Germany’s fight against coronavirus excludes the deaf
Lena Finkbeiner is angry. Angry that the German government missed the boat and continues to remain largely inactive. Angry that not enough is being done to ensure deaf people have adequate access to information. But most of all she’s angry right now that an emergency has occurred, with a contagious virus spreading rapidly that requires precautions, information and treatment.
Deaf people have not had sufficient access to that information and treatment so far. This is dangerous not only for them but also for the rest of society — after all, preventing the spread of the new coronavirus is key.
“Seriously, Germany?” the deaf activist asks using sign language in a video she produced with 11 other advocates and which they published on YouTube [Finkbeiner appears at 1:19: Eds.].
Finkbeiner did not expect so many responses to her video, she tells DW. “Many deaf people have developed a kind of ‘allergy’ to the medical field because they have been always left feeling like there was something wrong with them that needed fixing.”
She was surprised when her mobile phone continually vibrated with people contacting her who wanted to participate in the video — a sign that this topic is on many people’s minds right now. The German Federation of the Deaf (Deutsche Gehörlosen-Bund) estimates around 83,000 deaf people currently live in Germany.
Language barriers for deaf people
“Does a deaf person have to die from the coronavirus as a result of barred accessibility and a lack of information before the government acts?” deaf interpreter Corinna Brenner signs.
The unprecedented situation the coronavirus has created underlines the numerous barriers deaf people encounter every day. It starts with access to information; government websites seldom have material available in sign language. Written text is often insufficient, as many deaf people find it difficult to read and write in German, since learning a written language involves phonetics. If this is not possible, learning becomes laborious, and the language becomes foreign.
This makes it vitally important for coronavirus information to be also made available in sign language, the 3D mother tongue of many deaf people. Brenner says this measure should also implemented at important press conferences.
Brenner (L) and Finkbeiner (R) are trying to get the German government to provide more deaf-accessible coronavirus information
Should a deaf person manifest any symptoms of the coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, they then face a further obstacle, Brenner explains; their only option is to call dedicated COVID-19 hotlines, which are not accessible for deaf people. Should a deaf person eventually need to go to a hospital with coronavirus, Brenner says it would be almost impossible to find an interpreter at short notice, let alone secure adequate medical care.
Germany’s health minister under pressure
According to Jürgen Dusel, the federal government’s commissioner for matters relating to persons with disabilities, responsibility lies with the German government and Health Minister Jens Spahn. During Thursday’s parliamentary question time, Corinna Rüffer, a member of the opposition Green party, brought the issue up with the minister, sharing it in a tweet:
“Information on the #coronavirus from [the German Health Ministry] and the Robert Koch Institute [Germany’s public health institute] is not yet accessible” for those with disabilities, Rüffer wrote. “[Spahn] has promised rectification. It’s about time!”
Spahn said he would consider the issue “with the vigor, with which it was rightfully here addressed.”
“That statement: ‘I will consider the issue.’ That’s a real insult to me,” Finkbeiner says. “I want to see a readiness to take action.”
Slow progress
In a statement to DW, a spokesperson from the ministry of health said readiness to address the issue exists. The ministry will work “at full speed” to improve access to communication. In addition, the ministry has set up a coronavirus telephone hotline for the deaf and hearing impaired, the spokesperson said.
The Federal Center for Health Education is also planning informative sign language video content. It is doing everything it can to guarantee access to important information as quickly as possible, a spokeswoman confirmed.
Read more: Are German hospitals unprepared for coronavirus outbreak?
Positive initiatives are also emerging in Germany’s individual states: Hamburg’s city-state government has published an explanatory sign-language video on the virus and in Baden-Württemberg, a COVID-19 press conference was simultaneously translated into sign language.
Deaf people have complained that the lack of accessible information hampers their access to information about the coronavirus
Germany lags behind other countries
And yet other countries seem to be much further along when it comes to providing deaf-accessible information. Be it in Italy, Finland or the US, government press conferences regarding the coronavirus are simultaneously translated into sign language. Since sign language, just like spoken language, is different in every country, this information is not available to people who understand only German sign language.
Germany signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities one decade ago. It declares access to information to be a human right for people with disabilities. So why is the country lagging behind?
“My impression is that accessibility, whether in the construction sector or in communications, is seen in Germany as either a ‘nice to have’ or as an additional burden. The fact that this is a basic human right is often ignored,” Dusel says.
Dusel is commissioner responsible for ensuring the rights of disabled individuals in Germany
Even if one sets aside the current coronavirus crisis, deaf people’s insufficient access to information and medical resources remains evident. Brenner says many deaf people normally have to wait four to six weeks before they can get an interpreter to accompany them to the doctors’ office or a hospital. Whether it is for medical care, information about a traffic situation, opinion polls or career advancement, deaf people are continually dealing with barriers.
Above all, Finkbeiner and Brenner wish for just one thing: That the responsible authorities work closer with the deaf community to create solutions. And in the case of the coronavirues — to stay healthy.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
Food donations drop
Panic-buying has left empty shelves in supermarkets — and food banks. With Germans snapping up canned goods and toilet paper to weather the outbreak, stores have fewer supplies left over to donate to the needy, said Jochen Brühl, head of Tafel Deutschland, which supports more than 1.5 million people with surplus groceries and other donations. Brühl encouraged those who had overreacted to donate.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
Bundesliga suspended
After playing one match behind closed doors, the Bundesliga has suspended its season until at least April 2. The Germany football league had considered playing matches behind closed doors until Paderborn’s coach Steffen Baumgart and defender Luca Kilian tested positive for COVID-19.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
Cultural cancellations
Cultural life has also taken a hit, with major fairs and trade shows canceled or postponed. Among the casualties were the Leipzig Book Fair and the Musikmesse Frankfurt, Europe’s biggest music trade fair. Numerous clubs, galleries and museums have closed across the country, and the gala award show for the annual German film and television award, the Goldene Kamera, has been moved to November.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
Not the ‘Wuhan flu’
The Chinese origin of the virus has led to an increase in xenophobic sentiment in the places worst hit by the outbreak. Asian restaurants and stores — not just Chinese — have reported empty tables in countries hard hit by the pandemic, and people with Asian features have experienced discrimination. At a recent Bundesliga game in Leipzig, a group of Japanese fans was ejected from the stadium.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
Flights grounded
German airline Lufthansa has massively reduced its flight capacity as business and personal travel is cut back. The flagship carrier is now seeking state aid, according to a report from Germany business newspaper Handelsblatt. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr will be attending a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to government sources.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
Car production crippled
Car plants in China have been shut down since January, and major German automakers like Volkswagen and Daimler have said both sales and production have been hit by the epidemic. And with many automakers sourcing electric car parts from China, work at plants in Germany has also hit a stumbling block. Berlin has said it plans to financially support companies suffering coronavirus losses.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
Fewer tourists
“The consequences for the German tourism sector are serious,” warned Guido Zöllick, head of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association. Already by the second week of March, 76.1% of members had reported a sharp decrease in bookings and a drop in revenue. The German parliament has banned tourists from visiting the glass dome of the Reichstag building until further notice.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
Border checks
In an effort to prevent further spread, Germany has closed its borders with France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark. Authorities in Poland and the Czech Republic had already begun spot checks, measuring the temperature of travelers crossing main road borders out of Germany.
-
How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?
School closures
Preschools and primary schools across Germany have shut. The closures have affected more than 2.2 million children up to age 16 countrywide, according to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office. German television stations have adjusted their programming in response to the school closures.
Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day’s news and features. Sign up here.
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/how-germany-s-fight-against-coronavirus-excludes-the-deaf/a-52787476?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf