Breaking the Silence

Rethinking Climate Reporting for the Deaf and Disabled with Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi

Photo courtesy May E- Wong.

How do you talk about something for which no words yet exist? Four in ten Americans live in climate disaster zones, yet deaf, blind, and disabled communities have been consistently excluded from essential emergency preparedness resources. Efforts are underway to develop climate change terminology in sign languages like British Sign Language (BSL) and American Sign Language (ASL), despite the complex process involved. Photojournalist Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, who has experiences with both BSL and ASL but primarily focuses on ASL, works to address gaps in climate reporting for deaf communities.

Originally from Zambia, Mukwazhi has reported on issues ranging from Mugabe’s deposition in Zimbabwe to human-wildlife conflict and the impact of environmental disasters like severe drought on communities as a journalist with the Associated Press. “I loved to read and connect with stories and their pictures,” he recalls of the local newspapers his father would bring home. Now, as an MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow, he brings together linguists, technology experts, and educators to rethink how mainstream media companies could report on climate change, science, and innovation. His work has never been more crucial as extreme weather events and climate effects continue to intensify—compounded by the Trump administration’s dismissal of NOAA employees, including those working at centers that report on climate emergencies.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Amelia Macapia (AM): How did you become interested in creating sign language adaptations for climate change discourse?

Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi (TM): I went to high school and university with people who are deaf and blind and have various disabilities. When I became a photojournalist full time with the Associated Press, we would have webinars and training sessions, with one on how to report and cover various climate change issues. We were being exposed to new terms that I was trying to break down in sign language. It was incredibly difficult to describe terms like ‘carbon sink’ or ‘bomb cyclone.’ It just broke up my mind, this question of how to explain or educate these communities on climate change, especially as someone who has always advocated for sign language inclusion. Climate change terms are always evolving, we are able to adapt, but it creates a whole challenge that needs to be addressed for deaf communities.

AM: You’re so right about the rapid evolution of these terms. One of the things that first came to mind is how think tanks rebranded ‘global warming’ as ‘climate change’ to emphasize the idea that the climate is always in flux. If we look at the broader context climate change first emerged as a scientific and technical discourse, and then a governmental and economic one, what do you believe the next discursive shift regarding climate change, awareness, and action should be?

TM: We need to shift how we communicate about climate change. In a world filled with digital audiences where people’s attention spans are very limited, technology will play a critical role in communicating issues to the deaf. Artificial Intelligence is one part of this, but it is not the ultimate solution—sign language includes expressions, variations, and body language—that AI cannot execute in its way of communicating.

I always have this vision of 3D technology, I would love to see a hologram pop up in people’s presentations. The challenge is on us to come up with universal, engaging ways of communicating in a diverse, multicultural manner. That is where I see the world going and how we will package the news.

AM: You’ve reported on a lot of disasters and hurricanes, including Cyclone Idai which was one of the worst tropical cyclones to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. How has that reporting shaped how you want to tell stories about climate change going forward?

TM: Through reporting on climate disasters, I learned about the needs of disabled people. Communication efforts are often inadequate in addressing access to information and resources during emergencies. Disabled people are the last to have their needs met in climate disasters, whether in the Los Angeles wildfires or hurricanes.

In one wildfire, a father could not evacuate because his son was disabled, there was no guidance on how to escape. This just shows the lack of awareness and preparedness for documenting emergency procedures for the deaf and disabled.

First responders must integrate disability data into their systems to identify and assist those in need. That lack of access to information and emergency programs for disabled people is a global issue. I saw it in Africa, in the U.S., across the globe, it's devastating and tragic. More needs to be done. We need databases for these emergency situations for people who are disabled.

AM: Earlier, you mentioned that only a fraction of what is communicated in the news is conveyed and translated in sign language. Can you share what reporting in sign often fails to capture?

TM: In emergency situations, deaf people need to know where to go for rescue, what numbers to call, and what platforms they can access for help. These are critical elements that we need to implement into mainstream media.

It is a very critical issue to figure out what help is available in environmental and climate disasters. Those critical elements need to be implemented in the mainstream media. How do we communicate? How do we provide platforms and information? So much needs to be done with, not just in times of crises, but in emergency preparedness overall.

AM: Can you tell us more about some of the avenues you’re exploring with linguists, technology experts, and educators to form these new junctions?

TM: I am working on partnerships that lead to information dissemination across mainstream media companies. I bring my journalism experience—my visual, writing, and presentation skills—to help tell science and climate change stories to the mainstream media in ways that are accessible. I am trying to create new possibilities for sign language communication that exceed any particular NGO or individual and create lasting partnerships. My dream is for all media outlets to have a dedicated sign language desk and a product that offers news roundups in sign.

While following the Los Angeles wildfires, I saw a high-profile person call a sign language interpreter on television a distraction. That was totally unacceptable. In an emergency when you have a television media organization, we need to appreciate having a sign language interpreter and ensure that they share the screen to translate to the deaf and other vulnerable communities. Sign language in the media needs to be embraced.

One day, I hope to see sign language reporters covering climate disaster zones live. I also want to see dedicated coverage featuring and interviewing disabled and deaf individuals in sign language. True diversity in media means including deaf voices and perspectives.

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Importantly, Mukwazhi reminds us that communication is a fundamental human right. Advancing accessibility requires more than technological innovation—it demands systemic change to ensure that every individual has meaningful access to critical knowledge and resources. With his work, climate and sign language developments continue under new ambitious goals. His efforts to integrate sign language translation in emergency broadcasts, establish media desks for sign language reporting, and conceptualize technologies like 3D holograms offer a glimpse into a more inclusive media landscape that strengthens our collective response to the climate crisis.