A new group of volunteers is helping more fans feel part of the crowd during athletic events at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
American Sign Language (ASL) students, under the guidance of experts from the Deaf and Native Hawaiian communities, are partnering with UH Mānoa Athletics to sign the national anthem, cheerleader chants, and the university’s fight song at games. The effort gives spectators who are Deaf and hard-of-hearing a way to experience moments many fans take for granted in a state where demand for ASL services far outpaces the number of available interpreters. This is the first known partnership of its kind between ASL students and the university’s athletics department.
ASL volunteer signer Pumehana Holmes, an English major who grew up with two Deaf parents, said the goal is simple: making sure Deaf fans feel included. “I hope that the Deaf community is able to see themselves being supported and that they’re not invisible in the crowd but are wanted in the crowd,” Holmes said.
The effort also reflects a broader need across the state. Hawaiʻi faces a critical shortage of ASL interpreters. According to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, there are approximately 2,800 ASL users in Hawaiʻi and an estimated 500 visitors each day who rely on interpreting services. There are currently about 30 ASL interpreters across all the Hawaiian Islands. Only 23 are credentialed by the State of Hawaiʻi, with a handful of others holding national credentials.
To help address this gap, UH Mānoa has already expanded ASL coursework and is also planning to expand interpreter training opportunities for students interested in the field.
For student volunteer Sabrina Gill, the experience also helps build awareness among hearing fans. “Having student interpreter volunteers and interpreters is really important for building more access into our UH Mānoa community,” Gill said. “But it’s also important for hearing people who might not know sign language just to have more visibility and awareness of sign language,” Gill said.
University of Hawaiʻi News (3/17/26)