Accessibility Needs for a Deaf-Friendly Show
For the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community, the theatre experience is not the same as it is for hearing audience. Theatre companies can improve and make their performances accessible to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing audiences by following these guidelines.
1) Engagement of Trained Sign Language interpreters
The engagement of Sign Language interpreters should be made during the production process so that interpreters can be included in some rehearsals. The number of interpreters to be deployed depends on the intensity of the show. Two to three trained and well-rehearsed interpreters are recommended to allow turn-taking to reduce mental and physical fatigue and thereby maintaining accuracy in interpretation.
2) Placement of Sign Language interpreters
Placement of interpreters come in various styles. The most common one is as pictured in illustration A. This is a conventional style that places interpreters on the far stage-right or far stage-left and could also be on a raised platform. Sufficient space should be provided for interpreters to work comfortably without being worried over space constraints that could raise unnecessary concerns such as fear of falling or accidentally bumping into co-interpreters. It is recommended that these accommodations are considered during the production process.
3) Good Lighting on Interpreters
Lighting on the interpreters should neither be too glaring nor too dim.
Ensure that when signing, there are no harsh and distracting hand shadows cast onto the body of the interpreters. Lights should preferably be of cool beam to enable interpreters to work in comfortable conditions.
Ensure that lights do not go off completely while interpreters are signing.
The Sign Language interpretation provided should include all house announcements and any dialogues prior to and after the show.
4) Full Closed Captions
Captions provided on wall-mounted screens at the sides of the stage or at an easy-to-read location, should include:
- house announcements,
- (background sounds instrumental to the plot of the show in brackets) and
- ♪ lyrics to songs ♪.
Ensure that full closed captions are readable from the seating areas reserved for the Deaf or Hard-of-hearing patrons.
5) Provision of Hearing / Induction Loop System
It is recommended to install Hearing / Induction loop systems on-premises. The system transmits an audio signal directly to patrons with hearing aids, which reduces distortion and background noises and thus, increases clarity of sound within the covered area. The availability of such a system would provide patrons with hearing aids the choice to toggle their hearing aids, enabling direct streaming of sounds into their ears throughout the show.
6) Deaf-friendly Staff
Staff members, especially frontline staff such as front-of-house or ushers should ideally be trained in Deaf Culture and know how to attend to the Deaf or Hard-of-hearing patrons using different modes of communication. Ideally, they should be able to converse directly with Deaf or Hard-of-hearing patrons in Sign Language.
* Do explore hiring of a Deaf or Hard-of-hearing staff member for this!
7) Arranging a Good Seating Position for Deaf Audience
Well-meaning show organisers might mistakenly reserve seats too close to the interpreters for Deaf or Hard-of Hearing patrons, ending up with the interpreters blocking our view of the actors and actresses. It would also result in a lot of back-and-forth eye movement for us. When attending a show, we do not look at only the interpreters. We also need a good view of your actual show and the captions you provide! We also prefer not to have any visual interferences caused by matters such as people frequently walking in the area between us and the interpreters as this would hinder our view of the sign language interpretation for us to thoroughly understand and enjoy the show.
If Deaf or Hard-of Hearing patrons are seated too far from the stage, we will neither be able to read the sign language interpretation nor appreciate the details of the show. The Deaf or Hard-of-hearing patrons who are literate in the language of your captions also need to be seated at a distance where captions are readable.
8) Engaging Deaf Talents. They come in many forms
Deaf or Hard-of-hearing talents can be engaged for your show or in your company directly in many ways. You can engage Deaf or Hard-of-hearing talents as Crew members, Show consultants, Ushers, Actor/Actress (minor or major roles), Costume and set designers, Make-up artists, Playwrights, Dancers, Musicians, Illustrators, Graphic designers, Signers in publicity and promotional videos, and so on. The possibilities are limitless!
Illustrations by: Chen Zi Yue, Angeline, Year 2020.
Commissioned by The Singapore Association for the Deaf.
Copyrights owned by The Singapore Association for the Deaf (2020).
Heroes Unmasked: Volunteers sew see-through masks for teachers of deaf students
The Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf) would like to thank all the volunteers who had responded to the call by SG Enable by producing masks to schools for teachers and staff members working with the Deaf community. A big ‘Thank You’ for spreading kindness and compassion during this difficult period.
Read more here
Facebook Live Chat with Minister Grace Fu
Join Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu and SportsSG at a Facebook live chat today on 30 May at 8pm to discuss how the government can better support the sports sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find out how the recent injection of $10 million, announced during the recent Fortitude Budget on 26 May, can help boost the sports sector.
SADeaf will be providing live sign language interpretation and notetaking for the live chat.
SADeaf Terp Sign Language Interpretation: https://www.facebook.com/livebetterthroughsport
SADeaf Notetaking Notetaking-only feed (ie. text-only feed for deafblind, blind-deaf and others) will be on a separate document here: https://tinyurl.com/30May8pm
Limited re-opening of SADeaf Office
With Singapore entering Phase 2 from 19 June 2020, SADeaf will continue our limited re-opening operations. In line with government guidelines, this will remain the same as in Phase 1.
SADeaf will be using SafeEntry for all visitors. At the entrance of our premises, you can either use your handphone to scan the SafeEntry QR code, or use your NRIC to be scanned by our staff.
The following services will be available in-person via appointment.
* Community Services (CS): Please text or call Zhi Hao at 9437 9565, or Kelvin at 9844 7919, or email cs_enquiry@sadeaf.org.sg.
* Hearing Care Centre (HCC): Please contact Siu Fai at 9843 5738 or email hcc@sadeaf.org.sg.
All our staff’s working days and hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm daily. All our other services will continue to be available online and via televideoing, teleconferencing and other means.
* For Itinerant Support Service (ISS), please contact Kala at 9795 6285, or Halim at 8481 6296, or email iss_enquiry@sadeaf.org.sg.
* For Deaf Access Service (DAS), interpretation and notetaking will be done remotely (except for cases which require the interpreter to be present). Clients must have Skype or WhatsApp installed on their phones and laptops. In all cases, we reserve the right to decline assignments which impact the health and well-being of clients and service providers.
For interpretation service, please email: terp-service@sadeaf.org.sg.
For notetaking service, please email: notetaking-service@sadeaf.org.sg.
* For donation, media and volunteering queries, please email ca@sadeaf.org.sg.
* For general queries and frequently asked questions, please go to: https://sadeaf.org.sg/contact-us/
You can also reach us through:
Email: info@sadeaf.org.sg (We will reply to emails within three working days.)
Skype ID for video call and messaging: hotline_442 (Available during working hours)
Whatsapp: 9226 7621 (Available during working hours)
* For updates, please go to:
Facebook: facebook.com/SADeafSG/
Website: http://sadeaf.org.sg
Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Stay safe!
– From all of us at SADeaf
Online Peer Tutoring
In collaboration with SADeaf, Project Hear Me Out – led by a group of students from Hwa Chong Institute, will be providing free online peer tutoring for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students from Primary 3 to Primary 6.
Please sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/peer-tutoring
The Fortitude Budget
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat will unveil the Fortitude Budget on 26 May at 3.30pm.
Mr Heng will speak about the Government’s plans to help businesses and individuals “adapt and build resilience, in our continuing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic”.
SADeaf will be providing live sign language interpretation and notetaking for the ministerial statement.
Sign language interpretation will be on ‘𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲’ broadcast on MediaCorp Channel 5.
Notetaking will be available on SADeaf Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SADeafSG/.
Notetaking-only feed (ie. text-only feed for deafblind, blind-deaf and others): https://tinyurl.com/FortitudeBudget
Executive Director’s Challenge
Help us Make A Difference to the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Deafblind Community
Warmest greetings from The Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), and I am excited to announce that SADeaf is 65 this year!
The COVID-19 pandemic is still raging around the world. In SADeaf, donations have dropped to an all-time low amid the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the cancellation of fundraising events and drastic drop in walk-in givings. Many activities seem to have come to a standstill, but SADeaf’s service to the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Deafblind community does not stop. Hence, I would like to kick-start a donation drive namely “ED’s Challenge – Give It Forward” to find 65 other like-minded people or corporations who will support SADeaf’s cause to give it forward by committing to donate a sum of $5,000 each to raise a total of $325,000 by the end of 2020.
Deafness is an invisible disability. Hearing loss may lead to language development delay, communication issues and social isolation. SADeaf currently serves more than 6,000 members from the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Deafblind community of all ages. We rely on the kindness and generosity of the society in order to continue providing essential services and running meaningful activities to empower the Deaf community.
The annual operating expenses of SADeaf is as high as S$5 million. I would like to appeal to you or your organisation to contribute generously in order to improve the quality of life of our Deaf community.
All donations to SADeaf entitles you or your organisation to a 2.5 times tax deduction. In addition, the government has extended the Bicentennial Community Fund to the end of 2020. This Fund offers dollar-for-dollar matching for your donations to Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs) such as SADeaf. Enclosed is a copy of our donation form (also available online). Please help us by donating now to stretch your donation dollar and enable us to raise more funds to better serve this community.
Please do not hesitate to contact Judy Lim at 98899042 or email judy@sadeaf.org.sg should you have further queries, or wish to discuss sponsorship collaborations with SADeaf at length.
Thank you, in advance, for your generosity and kind support. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Unite to overcome COVID
SADeaf salutes our medical professionals, cleaners and others serving on the frontlines in the midst of the COVID-19 situation in Singapore. Likewise, SADeaf staff – such as our learning support executives, sign language interpreters, notetakers, case managers and speech therapist – continue to serve our clients in schools, hospitals and at workplaces.
As the crisis has impacted on the economy and on our fundraising activities, we wish to appeal for donations from the general public. Help us by donating now so that we can stretch your donations to enable us to raise more funds to better serve our Deaf, hard-of-hearing and Deafblind community.
2.5 Times Tax Deduction
SADeaf is a registered charity and an Institutions of A Public Character (IPC); hence, all donations to SADeaf entitles you to a 2.5 times tax deduction. The more you donate, the greater your tax deduction.
Dollar-for-Dollar Bicentennial Community Fund (BCF) ending December 2020
To encourage giving during our fight against COVID-19, Donations to Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs), such as SADeaf, will continue to be matched dollar-for-dollar via the Bicentennial Community Fund until December 2020, (previously March 2020)
To qualify for this match, donations must be audited and submitted before the end of December 2020.
Thank you, in advance, for your kind donation.
Easing of Circuit Breaker Measures
The Circuit Breaker measures will be gradually eased from 5 May, paving the way for certain businesses to resume operations. Here’s a video on the business services that are permitted to operate on 5 May and what will be allowed after 12 May.
Measures may change, watch the news for updates.
(Video length: 3min 16s. In SgSL with English captions. To read the captions, click on “CC” icon on the bottom right of the frame)
May Day Message – Sign language interpretation ‘live’ broadcast on MediaCorp Channel 5.
30 April 2020 – Tonight’s May Day message is the first to have real-time sign language interpreters allowed on Channel 5 live broadcast!
Zach Tay, Staff interpreter from the Singapore Association for the Deaf appears in a small box beside Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the May Day 2020 Message.
Since the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on 30th November 2012, The Singapore Association for the Deaf has been advocating for the provision of Sign Language Interpreters and Subtitles in all national broadcast.
The promise to provide full access to the Deaf Community has been fulfilled progressively by states parties. According to a report from the Straits Times, National Rally 2012 was the first time Sign Language Interpreters were featured for a national broadcast. In 2012, sign language interpreters were being featured on webcast instead of the national broadcast and no subtitles were available. Looking back, SADeaf has come a long way.
SADeaf will continue with our advocacy efforts to make Singapore a more inclusive place for the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Deafblind community in Singapore.