As Rihanna took the stage at the Super Bowl on Monday, one unlikely performer all but stole the pop superstar’s thunder – her sign language interpreter, Justina Miles .
Miles blew away viewers with her energetic and strenuously rehearsed interpretation of Rihanna’s 13-minute long set, making history as the first Deaf woman to provide American sign language interpretation during the world-famous sports show.
She is one of a multitude of interpreters who have gone viral in recent years for their role in making festivals and concerts more accessible to the Deaf community – their work is acknowledged and celebrated worldwide, so why don’t we see more of it in New Zealand’s music scene?
Although New Zealand Sign Language (almost every country has its own version of signing) has been an official language of Aotearoa since 2006, with an estimated 23,000 plus Kiwis – 4,600 of whom are Deaf – using NZSL, the Deaf community has historically been overlooked by much of society, struggling to secure funding and awareness for the number of unique hurdles they face .
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