Gallaudet researchers recognized for work on sign language interpretation in Japanese healthcare settings

Ai Minakawa, G-’21, a research support specialist for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Child Resilience Center, and Dr. Kota Takayama, G-’09, an Associate Professor in Gallaudet’s Master of Social Work program, were part of the research team recently honored with the Academic Encouragement Award by the Japanese Association of Health Communication.

They were recognized for their paper, “Challenges of Sign Language Interpretation in Healthcare Settings in Japan: A Qualitative Analysis of Interviews with Sign Language Interpreters,” published in 2022 in the Journal of Health Communication. Based on interviews with 16 sign language interpreters, it provides a detailed look at common concerns, such as building relationships between healthcare providers and sign language interpreters.

The award, which honors contributions to health communication-related fields, was presented at the Japanese Association of Health Communication’s recent conference. Two of their co-authors — Eij Taira, from Kwansei Gakuin University’s Sign Language Research Center, and Dr. Chikako Yamaki, from Japan’s National Cancer Center — accepted it on behalf of the team.

The award-winning paper and the names of the recipients will be published in Simania, the Japanese Association of Health Communication’s seasonal newsletter.