BERLIN.- Germany’s parliament welcomed its first deaf legislator on Thursday in a moment that the president of the Bundestag described as historic.
Heike Heubach, 44, was on the verge of winning a seat in the German lower house in the 2021 elections. But this week she entered parliament to replace Uli Grötsch, who like her is part of the center-left Social Democrats of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after he took up a newly created position as independent commissioner for police affairs.
Heubach, who has experience as an industrial manager, was greeted by lawmakers with loud applause and sign language — waving her hands in the air.
“Today we are making history, if I may say so,” said chamber president Bärbel Bas. “We have the first deaf legislator who will work here for her constituency.”
A sign language interpreter stood next to the stand to convey what was said to Heubach, who initially sat in the front row, the German news agency dpa reported. She later moved one row back, with two interpreters sitting in front of her to follow the speeches.
Unlike most deputies, Heubach will have a seat in the plenary chamber, the Bundestag administration explained, and interpreters will be placed near her to translate the speeches of the other parliamentarians and the answers to their questions. In their turn to speak, an interpreter with a microphone will stand next to the stenographers to transmit their words to the other deputies.
Source: With information from AP
