There is a very serious issue affecting all the Deaf. Many interpreters are abused to the point where they are about to walk out..
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There is a very serious issue affecting all the Deaf. Many interpreters are abused to the point where they are about to walk out..
well said! thank you! and thanks to the interpreters. i cant๏ปฟ live without the interpreters.
thanks for sharing our concerns.. well said
I want to be a Interpreter when i grow up ๐
i have been learning asl for a while now, and im really enjoying it.
i have a hard of hearing friend, and he teaches me ALOT! Im 14, but i think thats what i want to do[:
I agree with that! I’m glad that u share with us ….
Great comment and agreed. If someone has a preference for a different sign then, what you said is perfect, apply it for that client. Seems like you know how to do it right. Good job, and for being humble to say you make mistakes.
Right. Interpreters who do this as a job, it shouldn’t be about “HELP”. *Support* yes, do a job, yes etc..
They should accept criticism and feed back when it’s done in an appropriate way.
AND why is that public schools have such low standards for interpreters, makes no sense at all.
Excellent point.
After 25+ years ASL Interp, Interp trainer, ASL instr., I say that it goes both ways. Many pretty stupid interps and some just ignorant Interps out there. Some have ISL. There are even more rude and unappreciative Deaf. One self appointed “leader” of the Deaf in her younger years made very undermining comments in publications about CODA’s who started this field, no appology from her yet. Still does it at RID on the sly. No I am not CODA. Deaf people, get educated, be responsible, pro-active
I was in the DC area for 8 years before moving to NC 14 years ago. It is a very tough environment. Many wonderful supportive deaf people, but also many mean abusive deaf people, too! same goes for interpreters there. many wonderful, some “not so much” ๐
Sadly, that would probably get a VRS interpreter written-up or fired!
Sadly in many metropolitan areas, the interpreting culture is more of a shark tank than a cooperative learning environement. Instead of jumping ship, perhaps a move to a different “pond” is needed ๐
This was very well said. An environment of cooperation between deaf people and interpreters is always a win-win situation. Sadly, this does not happen nearly enough! Too often there seems to be a Love-Hate relationship. Perhaps if more deaf people, like the gentleman on the video, took the inititive to interact with interpreters more often, a cooperative relationship would be more common.
More importantly, out of the 6,700 terps that are RID certified, i wonder how many actual terps are working in the States, and more particularly, the ones working in Sorenson’s 100 locations. Perhaps to make matters worse, i know that many interpreters are switching from their on site (person to person) jobs out of their agencies, to VRS and telephone relay companies (one said the environment and pay was better). You could imagine how stretched out they are, so don’t take it lightly!
From my understanding of this kind of situation, few Deaf people realize that there are different signs in different places, not just internationally, but sometimes in different regions of the United States. If one were to describe the discrepancies, you could call this a given accent. There re historical examples of this, since ASL was originally French Sign Language, merged with American home signs. Even spoken English borrows words fro other languages….
We point fingers at interpreters but like bethterp stated DEAF MUST STAND UP!!!
The agencies are taking over and telling DEAF what they need! If it were not for the DEAF there would be no AGENCY and they are sending a WARM BODY no matter the SKILL! Now this is where the interpreter comes in by accepting the JOB knowing THEY are not Qualified!!!!!!!! I am beside myself on this issue and we cannot do anything about it if the DEAF will not STAND FOR THEMSELVES!!!!!!!
Btw, I am a certified interpreter.. I am under a pseudonym due to privacy. I am leaving the field after many years due to problems with deaf, and agencies lack of understanding what a deaf consumer wants and needs! In CA, we’re 30 years behind the strides which have been made in D.C. I’m tired of fighting it out! DEAF, Rise up and demand your rights in CA! Let your signs be signed and heard! Don’t let agencies give you a cheaper interpreter. Demand Certified! WE support Code of Ethics!
Can someone please share this with Linda BOVE??? She is one of the worst offenders! I refuse to ever work with her again.
Having an interpreter in ASL, English and Madarin, Interpreters neeed to raise standards of practice. No terp should ever feel out of place in the setting they are interpreting within. If they do, they dont belong there. It is time to add some professionalism to ASL interpreters and strive for the high standards that interpreteers in other countries must meet.
Yes you are right in that, hopefully schools will start introducting ASL in preschool and continue all the way to high school. Then it is possible that many deaf people will be fluent in ASL this way.
Hearing, native English speakers have English class all through their elementary and high school years. As an interpreter, I have taken ASL classes, ASL grammar classes, linguistic classes and studied the history of ASL. Because a Deaf person is a native signer does not mean they know ASL better. It depends on education and background just like it does with hearing people. Many hearing people have horrible English! Don’t assume I know less because I’m a non-CODA hearing person.
I am certified. I make mistakes. Often times, though, the anger comes from someone who simply signs something different. Your way not be the only way to communicate something. I will take all kinds of constructive criticism and apply it as best I can. Sometimes, though, the criticism being offered is just wrong. In that instance I typically apply the change for that client and use what I know to be right elsewhere.
What’s important to note is that many Deaf people don’t use pure ASL. There is such a mix of language usage that a certified interpreter MUST be one who can be as flexible as the folks for whom they are interpreting.
I agree 10000000% that the lower skilled interpreters are placed in the school system. There is a big problem there because the people doing the hiring aren’t skilled in sign language enough to know what’s good and what’s not. Some terps view school as “easy” work – when it’s the hardest assignment they’ll ever have – and the one to be taken the most seriously because for most of the mainstreamed kids, the terp serves as the language model. It’s a shame.
This is why I advocate for certified deaf interpreters so the regular interpreter and deaf interpreter can work together as a team and support one another and vent if necessary. I am sorry to hear about the feeling of being isolated, that is important. to be able to share feelings with a trusted one. I hope one day there will be a team of this kind, this will really help a lot
Exactly many interpreters have problems with translating especially if a deaf person signs in pure ASL, they may translate exactly what the person is saying which makes the deaf person sound so idiotic which is not fair. I prefer to write to be safe often times.