Colombia. The Audiovisual Content Session of the CRC resolved that open television channels in Colombia, both public and private, regional and national, must implement in at least one news broadcast per day the interpretation of Colombian sign language for those notes related to the international and national evolution of Covid-19.
The news must communicate to the public any information that is transmitted by the authorities or that contains medical recommendations, or refers to measures to be implemented or implemented during the state of emergency, as well as the different channels of care provided, the benefits delivered and any information that is essential to keep the population informed. Measure that must be complied with until the cessation of the state of economic, social and ecological emergency declared by the National Government.
The foregoing, taking into account that, according to figures provided by the National Institute for the Deaf (INSOR), in the country there are more than 540,000 deaf people, of which approximately 50% are users of sign language as a mother tongue or first language, considering also that a high percentage of this population is in a condition of illiteracy, so Colombian sign language is for them the only means of communication, of receiving information and, finally, of relating to the rest of society.
"For the Commission it is vital that, during the State of Economic, Social and Ecological Emergency, all citizens receive information regarding the evolution, measures and care that we must have in the face of Covid19, in a timely manner and without any restriction, for this reason we decided to implement this transitory obligation that guarantees the rights of the deaf and hard of hearing population", explained Ernesto Orozco, Commissioner of the Audiovisual Content Session of the CRC.
In the second instance, in order to avoid the displacement and physical contact of the people who work in the production of the Spaces of the Ombudsman of the Viewer, the Commission partially suspended the effects of paragraph 3 of article 36 of the CNTV 2 agreement of 2011, with which the public and private open television channels may repeat the programs and that they are accounted for to comply with the provisions of the law giving guarantees to both the audiences such as television operators.
Finally, it suspends the terms in the sanctioning administrative actions of a particular nature processed before the Audiovisual Content Session, which seeks to guarantee the rights -including the right to due process and defense of the people who are parties or interveners- within the aforementioned actions and contribute so that people comply with the isolation measures established in Decree 457 of 2020.
