Sign language interpreting in hospitals is not the same as in conferences or meetings. There are no slides, no prepared scripts – just people, symptoms and unfamiliar words. It’s a task that requires proper training – one that Jonah Ong, an interpreter from the Interpreters and Translators Association for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Deaf Community (JUPEBIM), is now better equipped to handle, thanks to a course he completed earlier this year. Designed by IMU Cares – the Community Engagement and Sustainability office at IMU University – together with JUPEBIM, the Medical Basics for Sign Language Interpreters course aims to bridge communication gaps between doctors and Deaf patients. This is part of the varsity’s ongoing Deaf Aware and Ready (DeAR) initiative.

Find out more about this initiative at:
Newspaper version: When every sign matters (The Star, 15 June 2025).
Online version: When every sign matters (The Star Online, 15 June 2025).