Imagine standing on a global stage. The world is watching. You are inches away from the most powerful leaders on the planet. You start moving your hands. To the millions of people watching at home, it looks like you’re translating. But to the millions of Deaf viewers relying on you for access, you’re just throwing "word salad" into the air.
It’s bizarre. It’s dangerous. And honestly, it keeps happening.
The phony sign language interpreter isn't just a meme from a decade ago; it is a recurring failure of vetting, security, and basic human rights. When we talk about these incidents, most people immediately think of Thamsanqa Jantjie at Nelson Mandela’s memorial in 2013. He stood next to Barack Obama and gestured aimlessly, later claiming he saw angels and was having a schizophrenic episode. It was a security nightmare. But more than that, it was a total blackout of information for the Deaf community during one of the most significant historical events of the century.
The Viral Chaos of High-Profile Frauds
You’ve probably seen the clips. They usually go viral because the "signs" look like someone trying to swat a fly in slow motion.
Take the 2017 case in Tampa, Florida. Derlyn Roberts showed up at a press conference regarding the arrest of a serial killer. As the police chief spoke about life-and-death details, Roberts stood there making signs that meant absolutely nothing. She had a string of arrests for fraud, yet somehow she walked right onto a secure police set and started "interpreting."
How does that happen?
Usually, it’s a mix of desperation and ignorance. An organizer realizes five minutes before the cameras roll that they forgot to book an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Someone says, "I know a guy," or a random person shows up claiming they’re from an agency. Because the hearing people in charge don't know ASL, they can’t tell the difference between a certified professional and a complete fraud. They see hands moving and think, Check, we’ve handled accessibility.
But for a Deaf person, it’s like watching a news broadcast where the anchor is just making gargling noises. It isn't just annoying; in emergency situations, like the infamous Hurricane Irma "pizza" interpreter in Manatee County, it’s life-threatening. In that specific 2017 disaster briefing, the "interpreter" used signs that translated to "pizza," "monster," and "bear." If you were trying to find out if you needed to evacuate, those signs didn't exactly help.
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Why the System Breaks Down
The core of the problem is a lack of understanding regarding what interpreting actually is. It’s not just "knowing signs." It’s a complex cognitive process of simultaneous translation.
In the United States, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) provides certifications. It’s a rigorous process. But legally? The landscape is a mess. Many states don't have strict licensure laws that carry criminal penalties for "impersonating" an interpreter.
- Vetting is non-existent. People often hire based on a "skills" section on a resume without calling for credentials.
- The "Hand-Waving" Fallacy. Hearing people often assume that if it looks like sign language, it must be sign language.
- Budget cuts. Professional interpreters are expensive. A phony sign language interpreter is often free or cheap.
I’ve talked to many in the Deaf community who feel this is a form of "accessibility theater." The organization wants to look inclusive, but they don't actually care if the information is transmitted. If they cared, they’d check the RID database. It takes thirty seconds.
The Dangerous Reality of Emergency Briefings
We have to look at the 2020-2022 era. During the height of global health briefings, the demand for interpreters skyrocketed. While many cities stepped up, others failed miserably.
In Hawaii, a woman was removed from a COVID-19 briefing after the Deaf community pointed out she was essentially making up her own language. These aren't victimless crimes. When you misinterpret medical advice or evacuation routes, people can die. Period.
The Deaf community refers to this as "language deprivation." When a government agency provides a fake, they are actively blocking a citizen's right to information. It’s a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but the consequences for the perpetrators are often just a "oops, sorry" and a deleted Twitter video.
Spotting the "Fake" vs. the "Bad"
There is a nuance here. Sometimes an interpreter is just bad. Maybe they’re a student who got over their head, or they know PSE (Pidgin Signed English) but are trying to do ASL. That’s a quality issue.
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A phony sign language interpreter, however, is someone with zero linguistic capability in the language they claim to speak. They are performers. They use repetitive motions, lack the "grammatical" facial expressions required in ASL, and never use the space around their body to set up "referents" (a key part of sign language grammar).
If the person's face is stone-cold still while their hands are flying, they’re probably not a pro. ASL is 50% facial grammar. Without it, you’re basically whispering in a monotone voice while omitting half the words.
The Legal and Social Aftermath
What happened to Jantjie after the Mandela memorial? Not much. He was reportedly admitted to a psychiatric facility. What about Derlyn Roberts in Tampa? She wasn't charged with a crime specifically for the "fake interpreting," because at the time, there wasn't a specific law against it. She was just a person standing in a room.
This is why the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and other advocacy groups are pushing so hard for legislative changes. We need "Title Protection." Just like you can’t call yourself a "Doctor" or a "Lawyer" without a license, you shouldn't be able to hold yourself out as a "Certified Sign Language Interpreter" without the receipts.
How to Stop This From Happening Again
If you are an event organizer, a business owner, or a government staffer, the responsibility is on you. You cannot rely on "the vibe."
- Demand Certification. In the US, look for NIC (National Interpreter Certification) or specialized state certifications like BEI.
- Use Reputable Agencies. Don't hire off Craigslist. Use agencies that specifically vet their staff and carry liability insurance.
- Ask the Deaf Community. If you're hosting an event for a specific community, ask them who they trust. They know who the professionals are.
- Monitor the Feed. During a live broadcast, have someone monitor social media. The Deaf community is extremely active online. If an interpreter is a fraud, the "Deaf-Blind-World" will know within sixty seconds. If the comments are blowing up saying "this makes no sense," pull the person off the stage immediately.
- Recordings Matter. Always have a recording of the interpreter. This allows for accountability and later review if the quality is questioned.
Real-World Impact
It’s easy to laugh at the "pizza" guy or the Mandela interpreter. The memes are funny. But the reality is a story of exclusion. Every time a phony sign language interpreter takes the stage, it sends a message to Deaf citizens: You don't matter enough for us to do our homework.
Accessibility isn't an "add-on" or a "nice-to-have." It’s a legal requirement and a basic human right. We have the tools to verify these professionals. We have the databases. There is no excuse for these "hand-waving" scandals to keep showing up in our news cycles.
To fix this, we need to move past the novelty of seeing sign language on TV and start seeing it for what it is—a sophisticated, vital language that requires years of training to master. When we respect the language, we respect the people who use it.
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The next time you see an interpreter on screen, look at their face. Look at the flow. And if you’re the one who hired them, make sure you checked their credentials before the red light went on.
Actionable Insights for Event Managers:
- Always verify credentials through the RID Member Search portal before signing a contract.
- Ensure the interpreter has "Prep" time—give them the speech or bullet points 24 hours in advance so they can research technical terms.
- If you're using a digital platform, ensure the interpreter is "pinned" or "spotlighted" so they don't disappear when the speaker changes.
- Treat the interpreter as a professional consultant, not a prop for the background.