KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s primary sign language interpreter, Antoinette Aiken, has made claims that she is being blacklisted by the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC), after the first of three debates between the country’s top two political parties took place on Saturday without interpretation for the deaf community.

“The JDC told both the Jamaica Association for the Deaf and Ready to Sign that they are not under any circumstances going to work with Toni Aikens,” Aiken revealed via videos shared to her Instagram page.

She noted that her exclusion is particularly concerning given her experience.

“The reality is when it comes to political debates, I am the only one qualified. There is nobody in Jamaica that can manage. When it comes to policies and programmes, you have to be able to explain that in a split second,” she shared.

According to Aiken, she was told that to participate in the debates, she would have to “be in the background” and “feed signs” to another interpreter, an arrangement she says she was advised legally not to accept.

The interpreter shared that she has worked for 20 years, and it would be an insult to the work that she has done.

“This has to do with a choice and personal decision the Jamaica Debates Commission made. They decided that they don’t want to work with me for reasons they can’t say,” she claimed.

Aiken insisted that the issue is not about her availability or competence, but about being deliberately excluded.

“It’s not about not [being] available, it’s not about not being able to provide access, it’s about being blacklisted,” she said.

She acknowledged that she has heard criticisms about her approach, but said, “The only thing you can say is that I have stood and advocated for the deaf community and a my community dat, unnuh a nuh my community, deaf people a my people.”

The second debate takes place Tuesday night and will focus on the economy.