Written by Hani Fauzia Ramadhani | Read in Indonesian

Have you seen the viral video of a Sign Language Interpreter (SLI) interpreting the song "Ojo Dibandingke" performed by Farel Prayoga at the Indonesian State Palace? It was not the only SLI video that grabbed public attention. There was also another SLI on-duty video at the concert of Tipe-X – the legendary Indonesian ska band – which was no less popular. The public's response to the videos varied; ranging from praising the event organizers for providing accessibility for Deaf audiences to comments about the SLI's facial expressions and gestures which they deemed exaggerated.

The mixed responses showed that the public's understanding of Deaf culture, accessibility, and the SLI profession is still lacking. Accessibility for persons with disabilities including the Deaf at any kind of event should be a normal thing. In addition, a lot of stuff about SLI is not widely known by the public, such as the all-out facial expressions and hand gestures which are actually mandatory in interpreting spoken language into sign language.

What else do we need to know about the Deaf world and accessibility, especially in the realm of music performance? To find out, TFR chatted with Rezki Achyana, a content creator and SLI who is also the CEO of Parakerja, and Jennifer Natalie, a Deaf content creator and also a music lover.

Entertainment is everyone's right

We often encounter the term “music is a universal language” in various contexts. However, many are still surprised when they learn that the Deaf also enjoy music in a different way. Jennifer, for example, said that music is a form of entertainment that refreshes her mind and heart. “I and other Deaf friends can enjoy music through the bass vibrations, thumping beats, or music played at high volume. Some of the Deaf can still hear a little or wear hearing aids so they can still pick up sounds," she explained.

Therefore, it is no wonder that Deaf people also like to attend concerts or music festivals to watch their favourite musicians. Jennifer said that ideally, concerts, music festivals, or other entertainment events provide an SLI so that Deaf audiences can enjoy the event as well. "It would be even better if there’s a running text that displays the lyrics of the song on stage too," she added.

Rezki – who has become the SLI for several well-known musicians such as Tipe-X, Vierratale, Tulus and Yura Yunita – agreed to what Jennifer said. "In order for music events to be fully accessible for the Deaf, promoters or event organisers also need to ensure that the SLI can work well. It's best if the SLI is given information about the set list of each musician ahead of time, so we can first study the lyrics of the songs we will interpret. It will also be helpful to provide us a prompter to display the lyrics of the song, and make sure the lighting towards the SLI is bright enough so that the Deaf audience can see us clearly," he elaborated.

At the last festival he attended as an SLI in December 2022, Rezki explained that communication with the event organiser had been going on since three months before the event. This is an ideal time span that allowed him to communicate, discuss and even give suggestions so that the event runs smoothly and all accessibility needs can be met.

Actually, the provision of accessibility has been regulated in Law Number 8 of 2016 concerning Persons with Disabilities. Article 16 states that persons with disabilities have the right to equality and the opportunity to actively participate in arts and cultural activities. Even though this legal basis is not firm enough to implement, the awareness of event organisers regarding the inclusivity aspect has begun to rise. This surely is a positive trend that hopefully more and more musicians and show promoters will adopt.

Interpreting songs is not as easy as it seems

Rezki also shared that there are challenges in interpreting songs during concerts or festivals. “I am used to being an SLI for seminars, discussions, panels and press conferences. For events like that, I can translate the spoken language into Indonesian Sign Language (BISINDO) directly, and usually supported with talking points that have been informed to me beforehand. For music performances, I need to understand the lyrics of the songs, which are sometimes very poetic – using figurative language or parables,” he said.

He also talked about how sometimes the public focused on the wrong things when seeing an SLI on duty. "People think sign language is just hand gestures, but it's not just that. There are four other parameters; hand location, hand shape, orientation or direction and facial expressions. The latter is what often attracts people's attention; they think it’s funny or unique. But that's normal, because maybe the public is not used to seeing an SLI. It's just like when we hear someone speaking a language that is completely foreign to our ears, we are sure to be interested in listening to it."

Rezki explained that to get to the point where he is able to become an SLI who interprets songs well, his journey was quite lengthy. He started learning BISINDO directly from his Deaf friends back in 2019. "I really tried to be fluent in BISINDO, I maintained constant communication with the Deaf community, hanging out with them, making video calls when I'm free – talk about anything, really," he recalled.

Then, the Deaf community began to frequently ask him to become an SLI in various activities. "At first, I lacked confidence, but I was continuously encouraged by my Deaf friends. I was taught, given feedback, so that I could do better and be like who I am now," he continued. When he gained confidence, becoming fluent enough in BISINDO to translate the context of songs and was trusted by the Deaf community, Rezki did not hesitate to carry out his duties as an SLI for music performances.

BISINDO is not just a trend

As accessibility for the Deaf is now starting to become the concern of many, the desire of the general public to learn BISINDO has also increased. This can be seen from the growing number of social media content which shows hearing persons practising BISINDO, even doing a song cover with it. Both Jennifer and Rezki see this as a positive thing.

“But mind you, it's better to study BISINDO from the Deaf directly. When you get good at it and the BISINDO you use is correct for the lyrics, then you can make a song cover. Because translating song lyrics to BISINDO requires appropriate context and concepts,” said Jennifer. Rezki shared a similar opinion, "If you upload a cover video of a song using BISINDO, it means that the video is for Deaf friends, not just for show. Of course, it has to be correct so that the Deaf understands."

Both of them also advised those who want to learn BISINDO to never hesitate to find a Deaf teacher to teach them. Deaf BISINDO teachers are very easy to find through educational platforms, such as Parakerja and Silang, or the local Deaf communities. If one does not learn directly from the Deaf, the BISINDO concepts they understand might be incomplete and it will be difficult for them to actually communicate with the Deaf.

"It's like when we learn English, we can learn from fellow Indonesian teachers. But if the teacher is a native English speaker, it makes a difference; we come to understand how to communicate in English naturally, how to pronounce English words correctly and [understand] the terms or slang that are used in everyday conversation. It's the same with BISINDO, it would be better if you learn directly from the Deaf," Rezki explained. Apart from that, sign language is also useful for hearing people since it can be a solution for communicating in certain conditions, like in the middle of a noisy concert.

Now that you’ve got a little insight about accessibility for the Deaf, are you curious about how the world of entertainment can become an inclusive space for other persons with disabilities? TFR will address this issue through our “Entertainment for All” series that will be published in the coming weeks. Look forward to the next part!***

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