Proof

The last televised presidential debates included a box with an interpreter inset at the lower right-hand corner of the screen. However, this box was too small for the members of the deaf community who watched the debate from their homes. It is possible to add subtitles, or closed captions (cc), but most deaf people cannot read. Moreover, there are websites that offer a larger picture with MSL interpreters, but not all deaf people have Internet access.

Gerardo Monsivais, the deaf co-founder of Dilo en Señas (Say it in Sign Language), acknowledges that he is concerned about this issue because it formed part of the voting process. "In the first debate, the interpreter couldn’t be seen; the interpreter was good, but the picture was small. I was hoping that there would be a bigger inset in the second debate, since Margarita Zavala had resigned her candidature and her space could have been used to make the inset bigger."

Oscar Tadeo Tavitas, a deaf professional with a Bachelor’s in Industrial Design from Tecnológico de Monterrey, agrees that the interpreters in the presidential debate are good in general terms, and comments that "sometimes we criticize them because the television format is bad, with a very small, difficult-to-see inserted picture.” He also says that the lack of sign language interpreters in government institutions “is a lack of respect for our culture and a violation of our human rights."

Daniel Maya, president of the Mexican National Association of Sign Language Interpreters and Translators (AIT), admits that "in the first debate, there were interpreters who were certified and accredited by the national associations of interpreters. They also took courses at the Federal Electoral Tribunal to understand the issues involved in the electoral process and were trained to be able to interpret the debate. Not all interpreters have the knowledge in electoral matters to be able to interpret the debates."

The president of AIT states that the interpreters in the first debate were people who could hear, but with the skills and abilities to interpret. Something that few people know is that in the second debate there were deaf interpreters, who also have interpreting skills and were prepared by the AIT to be interpreters. However, Maya explains that not all deaf people can be interpreters, since special knowledge and skills are needed, as well as a great deal of training.

From bilingual speaker to deaf interpreter

There are few associations in Mexico with experience in training interpreters. However, the Mexican National Association of Sign Language Interpreters and Translators is collaborating with the Mexican National Union of the Deaf to prepare a teaching program for interpreters, as well as an evaluation that CONADIS (Mexican National Council for the Inclusion and Development of People with Disabilities) wants to present for interpreter training and evaluation. Daniel says: "Nothing new needs to be invented. There are already international standards on the evaluation of interpreters in oral languages and these can also be applied to sign language interpreters."

Being an interpreter is a profession, not an occupation. Not every person who can sign can automatically be an interpreter. Professional training is required. "Being a bilingual speaker does not convert anyone into an interpreter; professional training is required for anyone to be called an interpreter," says Daniel.

Olinda Perla Treviño González, founder and former President of the Association of Deaf People of Nuevo León, Member of the Advisory Council of Persons with Disabilities of Monterrey, and current Vice President of the UNSM (Unión Nacional de Sordos de México, A.C. (National Union of the Deaf of Mexico)), was the first deaf director in Mexico. Perla considers it "extremely important that there be interpretations in the mass media."

Regarding the interpretation of the presidential debates, Perla believes that: "It is really good that competent people were selected. For the first time in history, we have seen the figure of the deaf interpreter. Mexican Sign Language Interpreters (IMSL) were trained for this activity. I feel proud because it empowers deaf people and places us as professionals in public events, with the public eye focused on our abilities and recognizing us as subjects with rights."

There are some associations that are dedicated to training IMSLs. There are also "competent self-taught people who have carried out studies on interpretation, who share work experiences, attend congresses, symposia, seminars and permanent courses, and remain in permanent contact with the deaf community," affirms Treviño. She assures us that "the recognition of IMSLs is the result of their local deaf communities accepting their work."

Inclusion in companies

Regarding companies, Daniel Maya proposes that "at least a part of the Human Resources Department should learn the basics of sign language and there should be videotaped instructions, regulations, manuals and contracts in sign language."

Oscar believes it is important "first, to sensitize the human resources staff and then the personnel in general about the treatment of the deaf community and, if possible, have at least one person who can communicate in MSL."

To be more inclusive, Perla believes that companies should change their paradigm with regard to the deaf, and "stop seeing deaf people as people with a deficiency, rather looking at them as people who are different from the listener, with a culture and language of their own. This makes room for a more inclusive language and the creation of working contexts with accessibility."

Treviño believes that companies should have training to create bilingual contexts where Sign Language is included and an IMSL is incorporated.

In financial institutions, for example, "employees should be trained on how to deal with deaf people, since sometimes the procedures to apply for a loan or cancel a bank account are carried out by phone, making it difficult for a deaf person to complete the process personally. It is usually unacceptable for a person who can hear to conduct such processes on behalf of the deaf person, since the voice of the process owner must be recorded to initiate and conclude instructions. Some of my friends have had to go to the Bank Manager as witnesses to the process to open an account or cancel the service," concludes Perla.

We constantly take our access to information for granted. In fact, we very often unintentionally absorb information, by listening to something on the street, on the radio, on the way to work, or reading on social networks by chance. However, in reality, millions of Mexicans cannot communicate orally. Moreover, the overwhelming majority cannot read or write, because our school system is not sufficiently inclusive and, unfortunately, our society is not yet inclusive either.

However, we know that partnering with groups that tend to be excluded is key. We must do nothing for them without them. In addition, in general terms, we are seeing that younger generations have a vision of social justice and wider inclusion than we had ever seen before. Also, although there is still a long way to go, there are many people striving to achieve a more inclusive country. There are things we can do from our own standpoint: talk to our company/organization to see what they are doing to be more inclusive; take a Mexican Sign Language Class; sign petitions; support inclusion projects; discuss the topic of inclusion at the dinner table; and many more. It is up to us to implement this change.

Thousands of companies, all over the world, are in need of increasing the information offered to their stakeholders due to new legislation related to sustainability, such as for example, the European Directive on the Disclosure of Non-Financial and Diversity Information, which is now obligatory for the 2017 fiscal year.     

Nevertheless, in Latin America, according to a global study by KPMG, 81% of the 100 largest companies are already reporting social and environmental impacts in its sustainability reports, an increase from 74% in 2015. This advance, which has primarily been led by stock market investors in many countries, looks for businesses to communicate transparency in their operations. However, how can we tackle the sustainability puzzle in our own business? How can we measure it, and essentially, communicate it to our stakeholders?

Nowadays, sustainability is understood as the capacity of a company to create value for its stakeholders, proactively managing risks and strategic opportunities in environmental, social and economic dimensions. This definition transcends from the more traditional concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and includes a wider spectrum of environmental issues (such as water, energy, and emissions), economic issues (such as innovation, corporate governance, and antitrust policy), and social issues (such as occupational health and safety, personal development, and Human Rights), all depending on the specific type of business.    

Many companies have spent years developing initiatives for these issues, but how can we ensure that these actions are really contributing to a sustainable business? The answer, as with any management system, is the establishment and measurement of objectives.

Why do we need reporting standards?

Although the business sector has not typically been a pioneer in sustainability, in recent years more companies have joined the efforts of the United Nations and other players, such as governments, NGOs, and Civil Societies, to develop the Millennium Development Goals (2000) and Sustainable Development Goals (2015). These initiatives establish clear goals to achieve sustainable development. The UN also created the UN Global Compact (2000) for companies to commit to working toward responsible and sustainable businesses.  

When companies comply with initiatives such as the Global Compact, one of the main requirements is the reporting of its operations. This stems from the need for companies to be more transparent with their stakeholders, to be open about the disclosure of clear information, regulations, plans, processes, and operations. Furthermore,  their top management must act visibly, predictably and understandably to promote participation and accountability, and allow third parties to easily perceive what actions are being performed.

While there are numerous measurement standards and guides to report sustainability information, one of the most used and updated is the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The GRI proposes a common framework which helps companies to generate their sustainability reports with an integrated view of their impacts. Under these standards, companies can communicate their performance, as well as propose and follow up on the objectives they have set. Finally, they are used to guarantee the comparability, quality and pertinence of the information.   

Recommendations for a good report

If you, or your company are about to start or are in the process or generating a report, the following recommendations will help you on your path to sustainability:

1. The report is a consequence of strategy: It may sound obvious, but reality usually shows that a company’s sudden interest in sustainability starts with the report. First we need to take a step back and analyze the company’s current strategy, then take a look at it from the point of view of sustainability, which means mapping out the risks and opportunities of the business model all along the value chain, in its social, economic and environmental dimensions.
2. Include top management: The process of the report, and in general of the sustainability strategy, works better when there is visible conviction from the head of the organization. This does not mean that the CEO needs to be involved in every step of the process, but they and their executive team should be one of the last filters of the information disclosed to the stakeholders, as it will also become public information.  
3. Prioritize what you are going to disclose: A Materiality Analysis process is key to select the content that is most aligned with the stakeholders’ expectations, the sector trends and the company strategy. This process is normally carried out by a third party to avoid any bias.
4. Limit yourself to what is relevant for your company: There are many standards, indicators and indexes used to measure corporate sustainability, but here also less is more. Ask yourself: What standards are the most critical for my company? Do they generate value? Which ones can I manage, or am I able to use? Start off little by little, but well done, making sure about the contributions to improving the company’s performance.
5. Reporting is a process of continual improvement: At first some companies tend to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information demanded from them, but just like any process, it is based on learning and constant improvement. If the company does not have all the relevant information, that just means that it needs to adjust its information collection process.
6. Sustainability Culture: It is about adopting sustainability habits, attitudes and behaviors in the day-to-day management of the organization. Once people understand the concept, its benefits and the contribution it makes to company performance, the reporting process will become much easier. Invest in training and communicate the sustainability strategy in simple terms to the rest of your company.  
7. A Positive/Negative Balance: Reporting is an exercise focused specifically on transparency and accountability in front of stakeholders. Thus, you must present the positive and negative aspects of the value chain in a clear and balanced manner. Avoid just showing the good parts, as this defeats the main objective of the process. Stakeholders do not generally focus on what the company did or is doing wrong, they want to know how it was resolved or will be handled going forward.
8. Match individual performance to corporate performance: Many companies are now relating their sustainability objectives with their variable employee compensation systems. This undoubtedly facilitates the management and reporting of sustainability. Working closely with Human Resources is key for this type of implementation.       
9. Sustainable Development Goals: Once the main material impacts and issues have been identified within a company, indicators and goals will be integrated in relation to the SDG. This fundamentally contributes to the overall strengthening of the company’s relationships with its stakeholders and its contribution to the sustainable development of the region in which it operates.
10. Focus on the value chain as a whole:  Although sustainability reporting is a process of continuous improvement, the entire value chain of the business model must be taken into consideration. This basically means that it is not enough to just manage issues within the company. You need to go further and manage the risks associated to customers, suppliers, contractors, communities, and any other stakeholders that may be affected by the activities of the business.

Corporate sustainability is a response to a new economic world. Sustainability Reporting is advancing rapidly and is becoming a vital tool in management and transparency with stakeholders, and particularly with investors. Initiatives such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI), Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), CDP and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) are clear examples of how investors are becoming increasingly interested in sustainability issues and how these issues are being translated into financial language. Therefore, companies are now being challenged to take a step backward, to analyze their Business Model, their risks and opportunities in relation to social, environmental and economic issues, as well as to communicate their management of these issues in a proactive and transparent manner.