Sign Language Interpreting in Cameroon: Challenges and Pathways Toward Professionalisation

Sign language interpreting plays a pivotal role in ensuring communication accessibility and promoting the social inclusion of persons with hearing impairment. Although the demand for interpreting services in Cameroon has increased considerably due to the expansion of inclusive education, disability rights advocacy, and greater participation of Deaf persons in public life, the profession remains at an emerging stage of development. This study examines the current state of sign language interpreting in Cameroon and analyses ongoing efforts toward its professionalization. Guided by Greenwood’s Professionalization Theory and Social Inclusion Theory, the study adopted a qualitative research design based on documentary research and contextual analysis. Data were obtained from peer-reviewed literature, books, government policy documents, legal instruments, international conventions, institutional reports, and publications on Deaf studies and interpreter education. Thematic content analysis generated three major themes, namely barriers to professionalization, emerging professionalization initiatives, and professionalization as a strategy for inclusive communication and disability inclusion. The findings reveal that although Cameroon has made significant progress through disability legislation, advocacy initiatives, and increasing public awareness, sign language interpreting continues to face challenges including inadequate interpreter-training programmes, absence of national certification and licensing systems, weak professional regulation, shortage of qualified interpreters, limited institutional recognition, and poor working conditions. The study argues that professionalizing sign language interpreting requires structured university programmes, nationally recognized competency standards, certification mechanisms, professional associations, ethical regulation, continuous professional development, and stronger governmental commitment. Consequently, a strategic roadmap for institutionalizing sign language interpreting as a certified university programme in Cameroon is proposed. The study concludes that strengthening interpreter education and professional recognition is fundamental to improving communication accessibility, protecting the linguistic rights of the Deaf community, and advancing inclusive education, social justice, and sustainable national development.