ASL interpreter who gained fame during COVID briefings raising profile of deaf community

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Things have changed since Marla Berkowitz became a daily fixture in the lives of Ohioans during Governor Mike DeWine's COVID-19 briefings. It made her a bit of a household name and face – drawing attention to more than the latest pandemic information, but the importance of making that information accessible to all.

During the briefings, back in 2020, the public received pandemic information from DeWine, then-Director of the Ohio Department of Health Dr. Amy Acton and interpreters relaying that information in American Sign Language (ASL). As the only deaf member of the team, Berkowitz stood out with her expressiveness, which is an important part of ASL.

“ASL is a full language with its own grammar and syntax and the facial expressions are part of that grammatical and syntax structure and denotes like intonation and you know if somebody is being serious,” Marla Berkowitz said through an ASL interpreter who joined ABC6 for the interview. “It has a variety of ways that depicts those kinds of things in the language just like spoken languages. It’s a really valuable, critical part of American Sign Language.”

That critical component raised the profile of her work as an interpreter – highlighting the importance of accessibility, especially during the pandemic. As more and more people took notice, a fan club developed on Facebook. Marla became a reluctant celebrity.

“I was getting recognized in a lot of different places and people were asking for my autograph and things like that,” she said. “I did try to hide myself somewhat when we would go places. I would maybe wear a hat, or you know be a little bit more inconspicuous. But I realize the more that people recognize me, I realized I had to appreciate this you know 15 minutes of fame or whatever you might call it and I think on the other end of it, I have a better appreciation of it and management of it for myself. But being somebody who’s a little bit shy, it took me awhile to get used to it.”

A company reached out and even asked to turn her into a bobblehead, with portions of the proceeds going to charity.

“Just really, I was excited,” Berkowitz said, remembering when she saw the bobblehead for the first time. “Maybe amused is a better word for that. I was amused when I saw it."

These days, you can find her on campus at The Ohio State University, where she serves as a senior lecturer.

“I do a variety of work as an interpreter when I’m not teaching. I also am an avid Pickleball player,” she said with a smile. “That’s an activity that I do enjoy, and I also try to keep up with my yoga, as well. Just trying to stay grounded. I guess that’s a little snapshot of my daily life.”

Moving forward, she has big plans of becoming Ohio’s first full-time deaf interpreter.

It’s another opportunity she sees as highlighting the importance of deaf people as interpreters and raising the profile of the deaf community.