Professor Bolanle Olawuyi, a former director of the University of Ilorin’s Centre for Supportive Services for the Deaf (CSSD), has argued in favour of the adoption of International Sign Language as the current interpreting trend in a globalised society.
In her keynote talk at an internal training for sign language interpreters at the CSSD in Ilorin on Wednesday, Olawuyi made the recommendation.
A professor of social sciences education, the expert, suggested, among other things, that Sign Language Interpretation be formalised to raise the calibre of practitioners.
In addition to executing the 15 percent special allowance that the Federal Government approved for interpreters, she advocated for the payment of sign language interpreters.
Due to the confusion caused by the various sign languages used around the world, which required deaf individuals to unlearn and relearn, many deaf people are unable to work abroad.
Whatever sign language one uses as an interpreter in a learning environment, according to Olawuyi, there are specific tasks and obligations that come with it.
She claims that the importance of the job of an interpreter cannot be overstated and that because they dedicate their lives to it, interpreters do incredible work.
The dean of the faculty of education, Prof. Mudasiru Yusuf, also emphasised the significance of fostering empathy for deaf people in society, particularly among university students.
He emphasised the value of education, stating that because society is constantly evolving, education and retraining are necessary for improvement.
The dean pushed the center’s personnel to cope with life with greater commitment since whatever impression they have on the pupils will stay with them forever.
The CSSD Director, Prof. Afusat Alabi, emphasised the importance of training and retraining in her welcome speech.
She added that new things always appear in every profession, making training crucial in order to stay current with trends and requirements for efficiency as well as to avoid becoming outdated.
Alabi, a professor of educational management, adding that the event’s main goal was to improve the interpreters’ abilities so they wouldn’t get left behind.
“What you know now may not be able to sustain you in years to come,” she said.
So that they could deliver effectively, she urged the participants to take the training seriously and to take advantage of the chance to learn new things and to get better at what they already know.
