No, not virtue signalling! But a real help to the deaf viewer, genius.

Worked at a blind institute and sometimes needed to communicate with folk totally blind and profoundly deaf. Needed hand on hand sign language to communicate.

Perhaps the Author would consider that possible virtue signalling also?

Can'timagine how this article got past the editor's desk?

Starting to excel in mediocrity, are we?
Alan B.

Bazz. Great idea mate and just so dam practical.
Alan B.

I was watching the media conferences on tv during COVID-19 when I saw my cousins wife standing next to the chief medical officer (not going to say which state) doing the sign language.
I don't know a lot about it, but I think she learned it because her parents might've been deaf.

Yes Alan B, court reporters are able to keep up with rapid speech as
happens in court as their special keyboards are designed for the job.
I find the sign language distracting as I try to detect the signs.
Still, speech to text convertors should be able to do a good job.

Always seemed to me the more socialisty governments use sign language people the most. So I've always seen it as a bit of a virtue signalling thing.
At least with captioning there's a transparency element.
You'd think speakers would want to know it's really their words being told.