Until a couple of weeks ago, Nigel Howard was just your normal everyday American Sign Language interpreter who teaches at several universities and travels the world educating people and working as a Deaf interpreter for the UN.
Then he turned up on B.C. TV screens as the Deaf interpreter for Dr. Bonnie Henry鈥檚 COVID-19 briefings. And suddenly he turned into a folk hero.
Henry has been widely acclaimed for her cool, calm demeanour as the provincial health officer, which has helped soothe the public angst in the continuing health crisis. She may be the most-beloved and respected person in B.C. at the moment.
Howard鈥檚 demeanour, on the other hand, is something else. Where she鈥檚 cool, he鈥檚 hot, interpreting with enthusiasm and expression. His eyes bulge, his brow furrows and his body twists as his hands flash signs at lightning speed to get out the message. It鈥檚 like modern dance.
鈥淚t鈥檚 part of the Signed Language to be expressive, as it shows the facial grammar, non-manual signals,鈥� he explained in a text message. 鈥淚n a way it is always part of me, as it is critical information that I intend to convey.鈥�
Howard now has so many fans somebody has set up a 鈥淣igel Howard ASL Interpreter Fan Club鈥� on Facebook, where you鈥檙e encouraged to send in comments and screenshots of your favourite Nigel moments.
鈥淣igel鈥檚 interpreting is an absolute ray of sunshine during this difficult time,鈥� wrote Becky Grimsrud. 鈥淜eep up the great work, Nigel!鈥�
鈥淚 no longer notice Dr. Henry or (Health) Minister Dix on screen,鈥� said Katrina Sunshine. 鈥淎ll I see is Nigel!鈥�
What makes this even more remarkable is that Howard is Deaf himself.
鈥淚 have a co-interpreter who is hearing,鈥� said Howard. 鈥淪he listens to the speaker and interprets into ASL, and then I do culturally appropriate ASL (native language user). Most hearing interpreters are L2 (language two), which may miss out certain nuances, facial grammar, non-manual signals and such to convey the language in native (natural) ASL.鈥�
There are several co-interpreters 鈥� Sara McFayden, Jessica Siegers and Tyler Churchman in 91原创, and Jenn Ferris and Nicole Pedneault in Victoria. They are placed directly in front of the podium, and Howard interprets their signs for people watching on TV. (A second Deaf interpreter, Scott Jeffrey, sometimes works instead of Howard.)
Howard says its 鈥渜uite an honour鈥� that some consider him a folk hero, but it鈥檚 鈥渦nintentional.鈥�
鈥淩eally is all (due) to Dr. Bonnie Henry and Adrian Dix,鈥� said Howard, who also does interpreting for Premier John Horgan. 鈥淚 just convey their message from English to ASL.鈥�
The 56-year-old 91原创 native attended 鈥渞egular鈥� elementary and high schools, then obtained degrees from the University of B.C. and the University of Bristol in England.
He now works as an instructor at Douglas College, the University of Victoria and UBC. Besides being a Deaf interpreter for the UN, he is also the treasurer for the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters.
His sister Ruth Mills isn鈥檛 at all surprised at the notoriety he鈥檚 receiving.
鈥淥ur family has always been aware of his accomplishments, so it鈥檚 not a surprise,鈥� she said from her home in Cumberland. 鈥淭he first text I got from my friend saying, 鈥榊our brother is doing great!鈥� I was like, 鈥榃ell yeah, of course, that鈥檚 what he does.鈥� He鈥檚 always been very accomplished, so I鈥檓 not surprised.
鈥淏ut I鈥檓 happy that he鈥檚 able to be a bright light in people鈥檚 lives right now, because it鈥檚 kind of a dark time.鈥�
Mills said her brother 鈥渋s proud to be Deaf.鈥�
鈥淗e is very dedicated to the Deaf culture and the Deaf community,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd society in general, but he鈥檚 made a life out of the Deaf culture, promoting it and helping Deaf people navigate their own culture.鈥�
She describes Howard as 鈥渧ery motivated.鈥�
鈥淗e grew up at a time when Deaf culture wasn鈥檛 recognized, and Deaf people were taught to assimilate, basically, and to become a part of the hearing world as best they can,鈥� said Mills. 鈥淲hich is why he鈥檚 so articulate. He went to the Deaf school, but he also was very much a part of the hearing world, because our whole family is hearing 鈥� he鈥檚 very able to navigate both worlds.鈥�
He may not be a household name to the public, but his work ethic and skill have made him very well-known in the Deaf community.
鈥淚f I meet people that are interpreters or deaf, they鈥檙e like, 鈥極h, Nigel Howard鈥檚 your brother? Oh my God, he鈥檚 so amazing!鈥� 鈥� said Mills. 鈥淪o this is nothing new. It鈥檚 just front and centre, and people are really seeing how good he is at what he does. But that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 travelling the world and works for all these places, the universities and the UN and things, is because he鈥檚 so good at what he does.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like he just got good at what he does, he鈥檚 always been recognized for being good at it. People are seeing it now, so it鈥檚 kind of cool.鈥�
