What's it like interpreting Jacinda Ardern's weekly press conference in sign language?

May 10, 2018

The new move which will give deaf people access to what the PM is saying started this week.

With New Zealand celebrating Sign Language Week a new initiative was launched that will see the Prime Minister's weekly post-cabinet press conference signed for the deaf community.

The job of signing the press conference fell to Alan Wendt who says tone and mannerism is all important when signing another's speech.

"You don't want to mimic the person or ape them in any way but you do want to as much as possible transmit how they're talking and sort of some of the implications behind what they're saying," Mr Wendt told TVNZ1's Seven Sharp.

This can be a tricky job when dealing with a political back and forth.

"The question and answer, the to and fro, it can be confrontational or it can be light-hearted.

"As an interpreter you need to be able to be flexible enough to move with wherever the conversation's going," the interpreter said.

The deaf community has been fighting for a long time for greater access to all areas of life.

Now they've got a front row seat in the political arena.

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