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MEMBERS OF THE Deaf community have criticised RTÉ for its decision to transmit the Eurovision Song Contest without sign language.
The Austrian broadcaster ORF is transmitting the contest with an International Sign language (ISL) feed.
DeafHear has said nine European broadcasters have agreed to use this feed, but RTÉ has declined to do so.
Brendan Lennon, a spokesperson for DeafHear, said: “This was an ideal opportunity for our national broadcaster to include the Deaf community in the most watched television programme of the year.”
“What is particularly annoying is that there would have been no extra cost involved for RTÉ to have transmitted the programme with sign language on its internet streaming site.”
Speaking on behalf of the Irish Deaf Society, Susan Whelan said RTÉ’s decision was “disappointing”.
“The Deaf community are used to being left out and marginalised for many current and public events. The reasons offered usually include the issue of who pays for the sign language interpreter. On this occasion, RTÉ have been given an opportunity to include the Deaf community and they have chosen to refuse it.”
‘Not Free’
A spokesperson for RTÉ said the broadcaster is “committed to serving our hard-of-hearing and Deaf communities as demonstrated by our in-house subtitling team supplying subtitles on all three of the Eurovision Song Contest events this week”.
They added that the ISL feed referenced by DeafHear was “not entirely free as suggested and did involve costs for RTÉ”.
The spokesperson said RTÉ Access Services “selects programmes to ensure we continue to deliver the best value for our audiences, including the hard-of-hearing and Deaf communities”.
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I think members of most communities are angry because it’s being transmitted at all.
I’m totally deaf. Not hearing a song contest is not a bugbear
There’s no music in the Eurovision these days anyway.
I don’t know how can someone deaf can LISTEN to music…
Cop on its obviously the whole spectacle that entertains why shouldnt they enjoy it if they want
vvanker
dikhead
I’m deaf . Totally. His suing a song contest that I could not hear is not a priority.
The Eurovision is posted onto YouTube on their channel in sign…it makes for quite funny watching too
I’m unhappy I’m not deaf!
I’m unhappy AND I’m not deaf
Will we have another referendum now?
Isn’t each countrys sign language a bit different ? And is it no easier to read subtitles then watch a man dancing in the corner of the screen and trying to pick up the various hand gestures.
international sign language ( I.S.L. )
They never so why are they unhappy all of a sudden.
What benefit are hands over words on screen?
Looks like their complaints are falling on deaf ears…
The Eurovision gives me Helen Keller envy.
So they want the lyrics signed? Translated from all languages? It’s music FFS – you can’t sign music.
Good job yous are deaf. Listening to that crap
Oh come on. What next, every movement on stage transmitted in spoken word description for the blind and we must also fill the screen with six languages for those that don’t speak english.
When these guys played a gig to promote this album a lot of deaf people turned up expecting something quite different… https://youtu.be/rVV_3Z1mp_c
Them Irish deaf folks can read sign language in Hebrew and Latvian , who knew .
have your say