[Video] Fake Sign Language Interpreter at Mandela Memorial

Have you guys heard this story yet? It's sending shockwaves throughout my professional community. I recieved a request today to perform a video analysis and do an on-air interview for major national network regarding complaints against the shoddy sign language interpretation provided during the Nelson Mandela memorial. I declined the request since my schedule didn't allow for it, but I can provide you a brief analysis here. The man was absolutely not doing sign language. It might as well have been the Macarena because he is just making random stuff up and repeating it over and over. I tried to watch with an open mind- hey, maybe he just has a unique style, maybe he's using the wrong sign language, maybe he is underqualified but at least trying. NOPE! The "interpreter" isn't even playing a game of charades here- at least not literally.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NpPvGP_GUXs&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNpPvGP_GUXs

I've seen my fair share of unqualified interpreters, and seen plenty of billing for services fraud, but THIS GUY is the most shockingly brazen scruple-free character I have ever seen. At such a high profile event. The internet will murder him; hopefully not literally.

 

Embedded for your convenience

[video=youtube;NpPvGP_GUXs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpPvGP_GUXs[/video]

 

Forgive me for misspelling Mandela twice. For some odd reason "Mandella" WAS in my phone's autocorrect library, but has now been vanquished.

Here's a CNN story Interpreter at Mandela memorial a fake, group says - CNN.com

One big red flag for me, which would have been evident well before the day began, is that there was only one person assigned to interpret the whole memorial. For long events, and big events, interpreters usually work in teams. I'd go so far as to say that it would be unethical to have a sole interpreter in that situation.

Other articles I've read mention that he has done some work for the SA government on occasion for at least the past year. I'm pretty floored, to be honest. Even if he started as a complete fraud, he could have at least TRIED to learn a LITTLE real sign language during the year.

In case you are wondering, no, it's not surprising to me that he did this for a year and didn't get caught. I've had plenty of events where I was paid to interpret but had no audience for the language I was interpreting into. Often times the target community for interpretation is never informed that accommodations will be provided in their language. Or they just don't care to come. Or, some bureaucratic inefficiency requires "access" or "accommodations" for events that are by exclusive invitation and it is known beforehand that nobody invited uses the language for which the interpreter was hired.

 

Oh. "Mandella" must have been in the autocorrect library because I accidentally clicked to add it in after I misspelled it the first time. I suck. Really.

 

"It begs the question"

I know, this is really obnoxious, but it's a pet peeve.

 

I have to say that schizophrenia didn't even cross my mind. I'm skeptical, but if this is true then it doesn't change how wrong the situation is. Your questions need to be answered regardless. Also, the "interpreter" himself is the one claiming to be schizophrenic which leads us to three ways to understand the situation:

1) He's lying.

2) He knows of his own schizophrenia.

3) He mistakenly believes that he is schizophrenic.

1 is clearly possible. 2 leads to an odd contradiction in that his mind is ordered enough for him to notice how disordered it is. It also means he knew himself to be a liability and went ahead anyway. 3 is also really, really odd. How do you diagnose THAT situation, which is an obvious sign of some form of mental illness even if not schizophrenia?