Contributors
Aaron Brace
Aaron Brace has been interpreting for over 30 years, primarily as a community and conference interpreter and also for six years as a designated interpreter for a university professor. He credits Patrick Graybill, Ted Supalla, and the Deaf communities of Rochester, NY and the San Francisco Bay Area for making him the interpreter he is today. While its debatable whether he deserves his reputation, it's absolutely true that he hasn't always.
Latest Post: The Duality of the Sign Language Interpreter
Antonio Goodwin
Antonio Goodwin is the president of the National Alliance of Black Interpreters, Inc. (NAOBI, Inc.). 2012 is the last year of his second term. He also serves on the RID Diversity Council. His interpreting life involves coordinating and providing interpreting services across the nation, namely in Los Angeles and Pasadena, Washington, DC, New York City, and Boston. He holds national certification (RID CI and CT), and his degrees are JD, MDiv, and MA. Antonio's life is about empowerment; either being around people who are empowered or encouraging others to be empowered.
Latest Post: Should Sign Language Interpreters Unionize?
Alex Jackson Nelson
Alex Jackson Nelson is a certified interpreter. He has spent most of his career working in and for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and/or Intersex (LGBTQI) community. He is currently a student at Gallaudet University pursing his master’s degree in social work. Alex enjoys his work as a trainer and consultant through ConsiderIt Communications. He believes that we can all create positive change in this world, one conversation at a time.
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Latest Post: Sign Language Interpreters: Recognizing & Analyzing Our Power & Privilege
Anna Mindess
Anna Mindess, MA, CSC, SC:L, has been a certified interpreter for over 25 years. She currently specializes in legal interpreting. Anna is the author of Reading Between the Signs, which is used in interpreter training programs around the world. She lectures and presents widely on topics related to intercultural communication. Her collaborations with Dr. Thomas K. Holcomb include several DVDs and a new website, Deaf Culture THAT.
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Latest Post: Self-Talk: A Sign Language Interpreter’s Inner Warning System?
Amy Seiberlich
Amy Seiberlich is a nationally certified interpreter and life-long student of communication and interpersonal dynamics. Her work demonstrates a creative way of combining her formal education and real world experience in the fields of interpreting and leadership. To that end, Amy established the Leadership Institute – a company dedicated to supporting interpreters. Amy has served on the RID National Board as the Region IV Representative and holds a Master's degree in Communication from the University of Denver.
Latest Post: Leadership in Sign Language Interpreting: Where are We?
Amy Williamson
A displaced southerner. A bilingual child of Deaf parents. A lover of the desert southwest. A former foster parent. A traveler...5 continents down, 2 to go. Amy Williamson landed in Vermont 12 years ago after living in NC, DC, AZ, Micronesia, VA, and Alaska. She is the mama of 2 sweet boys who are filled with mischief and magic, vim and vigor. They are Otis, 8 and Ben Sky, 6. Amy also has a 20 year old daughter, Mika, who is a 2nd year student at RIT. Amy is the daughter of Mary Ella Scarboro Williamson and Barney Williamson, both teachers for almost 30 years at the Eastern NC School for the Deaf. She has worked as a sign language interpreter since graduating from high school and actually LOVES the work she does. She is an interpreter by choice, not by birth.
Latest Post: The Cost of Invisibility: Codas and the Sign Language Interpreting Profession
Anna Witter-Merithew
Anna Witter-Merithew is a nationally certified interpreter specializing in legal and community interpreting. She has served in a variety of local, state and national leadership positions, including President and Vice President of the RID and co-founder and Vice President of the CIT. Anna, a Coda, has taught in and administered interpreter education programs for over 35 years and currently serves as the Director of the UNC MARIE Center. MARIE is one of six centers forming the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers. She has also published a variety of articles and resources relating to interpreting and interpreter education—many of which are collaborated works with valued colleagues.
Latest Post: ANNA WITTER-MERITHEW
Betty Colonomos
Betty M. Colonomos, currently serving as Director of the Bilingual Mediation Center, is a fluent ASL/English bilingual. Her academic background is in Deaf Education/Speech Pathology (B.S.), Counseling (M.A.) Linguistics (Doctoral program). Betty holds the Masters Comprehensive Skills Certificate (MCSC) from RID. She was the second recipient of the Mary Stotler Award for excellence in Interpreter Education from CIT. Betty has chaired and served on many national committees on standards and evaluation of interpreters and served as President of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT). Ms. Colonomos has authored and appeared in video materials on interpreting and she co-authored (with MJ Bienvenu) videos on Deaf Culture, ASL Facial Grammar, and ASL Numbers. She worked as an International Sign interpreter for numerous conferences worldwide. Betty also consults with schools and the legal system as an expert on linguistic and cultural issues impacting the Deaf Community. Betty is the developer of the Integrated Model of Interpreting (IMI), which is the most widely used model in the U.S. for teaching cognitive processes in interpreting. She teaches the Foundations of Interpreting Series for hearing, coda and Deaf interpreters that combines the IMI with a Vygotskyan approach to learning. Betty is the creator of the Etna Project (2002 – present) held in New Hampshire and Maryland. The project is a series of retreats supporting a Community of Reflective Practitioners who are interpreters committed to their own growth as they seek to become change agents in the field of interpreting.
Latest Post: BETTY COLONOMOS
Brandon Arthur
Brandon is a nationally certified sign language interpreter and passionate industry entrepreneur. He has worked on both the practicing and business sides of the industry for the past 15 years. He is a devoted father and husband and enjoys the sport of triathlon.
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Latest Post: Sign Language Interpreters: Embody the Change You Want to See
Carolyn Ball
Carolyn Ball, Ph.D., is The Executive Director of the VRS Interpreting Institute (VRSII) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Before this position, Carolyn was as an Associate Professor of Interpreting and Director of the American Sign Language & Interpreting Program at William Woods University in Fulton, MO. Additionally, she was the Coordinator of the Interpreter Training Program at Salt Lake Community College. She received her B.S., and her M.A. in from Brigham Young University—then earned her Ph.D. in 2007 in Adult Education from Capella University. Carolyn’s research passion is the history of interpreter educators. She has served on the Conference of Interpreters Board for twelve years. Carolyn is the proud aunt of 17 nieces and nephews and spends her free time riding her Trek Madone road bike.
Latest Post: What Role Does Civility Play in the Sign Language Interpreting Profession?
Carla Mathers
Carla Mathers is an attorney who serves as Corporate Counsel to TCS Associates, a vibrant and growing interpreting firm in Maryland. She is a faculty member of the University of Northern Colorado and currently serves as Vice President of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers. Carla’s passion is legal interpreting, as those of you who know her already know. Less well known, however, is that she is a fair cook and a stellar gardener.
Latest Post: Sign Language Interpreters: 5 Helpful Tips in Selecting an Attorney
Doug Bowen-Bailey
Doug Bowen-Bailey is a practitioner, mentor, resource developer and interpreter educator. He also works as an Interpreter Training Consultant with the Region III Low-Incidence Project in NE Minnesota serving interpreters who work in K-12 settings. With Patty Gordon, he was co-developer of the Teaching Interpreters in Public Schools (TIPS), an online process to support educational interpreters in raising the quality of service in the classroom as well as meeting the licensure standards of their state. In addition to working for change in the profession of interpreting, Doug is also an community advocate and organizer. He was part of a task force that led to the creation of a Citizen Review Board for his local police department and currently serves as one of the members on that board. Doug lives in Duluth, Minnesota with his partner, Holly, their two children, Sylvie and Frost, and three chickens.
Latest Post: Ethical Choices: Educational Sign Language Interpreters as Change Agents
Dave Coyne
Dave J. Coyne received a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati in 2012 in Urban Education Leadership, focusing on social justice issues surrounding the effects of sign language interpreters’ practices. He is also a nationally certified sign language interpreter and interpreter educator. For the past five years, he has delivered numerous lectures and workshops, and led discussions on leadership topics, centered mainly on the transformational type.
Latest Post: Sign Language Interpreters: Purposeful Change for Power Holders
Dennis Cokely
Dennis Cokely is a nationally certified interpreter and has been interpreting for over four decades. He also served two terms as president of RID. After teaching at Gallaudet for 15 years, he worked full-time at the company he co-founded — Sign Media, Inc. Dennis has published widely on various aspects of interpreting and has directed the IEP at Northeastern since 1996. He almost always thanks Patrick Graybill who was his first guide into the DEAF-WORLD, but there are those days.
Latest Post: DENNIS COKELY
Diana MacDougall
Diana E. MacDougall is a nationally certified interpreter through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), and has been working as a professional interpreter for over 30 years. She holds a Certificate of Interpretation (CI) and a Certificate of Transliteration (CT). She has a BA in Anthropology and Women’s Studies, and an MA in Sociology, both from the University of California at Riverside. She is an Associate Professor at Riverside City College, Coordinator of the ASL/Interpreter Education Program, and currently the Department Chair of World Languages. Her experience as a Performing Arts interpreter spans almost 20 years, interpreting in settings such as live plays (Shakespeare, drama, comedy), stand-up comedy, concerts (pop, county, heavy metal, alternative, music and comedy festivals), film and television (interpreting for Deaf actors), and live performances for Disney Productions. Her experience as a freelance interpreter spans over 30 years, interpreting in settings, including but not limited to, medical appoints, educational settings (K-12 and post-secondary), employment settings, Department of Social Services, Department of Rehabilitation, religious, platform/conference interpreting at the national and international levels, and for 7 years as a legal interpreter.
Latest Post: Sign Language Interpreting: Can Self-Interest Lead to Disregard of Industry Stakeholders?
Debra Russell
Debra Russell is an ASL-English interpreter and interpreter educator from Canada. Her interpreting practice spans thirty years, and continues to be community based in a range of medical, legal, mental health and employment settings. She currently holds the David Peikoff Chair of Deaf Studies at the University of Alberta, where she teaches pre-service teachers as well as teaching as for Lakeland College’s Program of Sign Language Interpreting. Her teaching has also taken her to locations in the United States, Europe, Ukraine, Australia, Colombia, and Southeast Asia. In addition to her teaching practice, she maintains an active research program, with current projects that focus on Deaf Interpreters, legal interpreting and mediated education settings for Deaf children. She is the current President of WASLI. She is also a dedicated student of yoga, who loves to travel.
Latest Post: DEBRA RUSSELL
Gina Oliva
Gina Oliva is a retired academic who grew up as the only hard of hearing child in all of her K-12 classrooms in the public schools in a wealthy Connecticut town. She attended a prestigious small college for her bachelor's degree and Gallaudet for her masters, and she has a doctorate from the University of Maryland. Her first language is English, she has used a hearing aid since age 5, and began learning American Sign Language as a young adult at Gallaudet University, where she spent her long, productive, and rewarding career. She is best known for her earlier work bringing group exercise classes to the Deaf Community with the development of Visual Cues, and her more recent advocacy work for those who have been or still are "alone in the mainstream."
Latest Post: Sign Language Interpreters in Mainstream Classrooms: Heartbroken and Gagged
Howard Rosenblum
Howard A. Rosenblum is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of the Deaf. He has been a disability rights attorney for nineteen years: nine years as a Senior Attorney at Equip for Equality, a nonprofit organization designated as Illinois’ Protection and Advocacy entity; and ten years before that with a private law firm. His legal practice has been in the areas of disability rights and special education. He has provided numerous workshops nationally and internationally on the Americans with Disability Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In 2010, he was appointed by President Obama to serve on the U.S. Access Board. Mr. Rosenblum received his law degree from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law (1992), and his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Arizona (1988).
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Latest Post: Outwitting the Devil: NAD Calls on Sign Language Interpreters to Partner
Jennifer Kaika
Jennifer Kaika, MA, CI/CT, NIC: Master, is a coda interpreter native to the DC/MD area. She has been interpreting since 1997, and loves all of the challenges it continually presents. Since 2005, she has mentored interpreters and has taught in Gallaudet’s Department of Interpretation as an adjunct instructor. Most recently, Ms. Kaika has expanded the scope of her career to include organizational service: she is serving as PCRID’s Second Vice-President from 2013-2015.
Latest Post: Deaf Interpreters: In the Blind Spot of the Sign Language Interpreting Profession?
Karen Kozlowski Graham
Karen Graham, Management Consultant and Psychotherapist, has worked in the fields of sign language interpreting, social work and leadership with Deaf and hard of hearing people for over 30 years. She is one of the founders and was the CEO of SignOn: A Sign Language Interpreter Services in Seattle. She also started and ran a psychiatric rehabilitation program for Deaf people in Chicago. She is published and has presented in the areas of interpreting, mental health, hearing loss, substance abuse and human service program development. She has a BS from Northwestern University in the field of Communicative Disorders and an MSW from the University of Chicago in Social Service Administration. Karen is a former Certified Sign Language Interpreter and is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Latest Post: Sign Language Interpreters: The Unintended Victims of VRS Regulation Change
Kendra Keller
Kendra Keller is a freelance interpreter from Santa Cruz, California. Certified in 1994, she has served as adjunct faculty at Ohlone College’s Interpreter Preparation Program, the American Conservatory Theater’s Studio A.C.T., and colleges throughout the San Francisco bay area. She has presented at the Supporting Deaf People international online conference, February 2008, at Deaf Studies Today, April 2008 and at the Conference of Interpreter Trainers, October 2008. She has received training in the Demand Control Schema via the Mental Health Interpreter Training Institute in Montgomery, AL and as faculty of Ohlone College. Kendra is an instructor, consultant and facilitator of interpreter supervision and case discussion groups. She is the founder of Heart of Interpreting.
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Latest Post: Case Discussion: Sign Language Interpreters Contain Their Inner “What the…!!!?”
Lynnette Taylor
Lynnette Taylor, CSC, is a native signer who grew up in the vibrant Deaf community in Danville, KY. She was certified in 1978. In her 30 plus years of professional experience, she has been an educator, workshop presenter, consultant, facilitator, interpreter, director and producer. For 11 years she was one of the developers and instructors of the national Interpreting for the Theatre seminar held at the Juilliard School and has interpreted over 100 Broadway plays.
Latest Post: Modern Questor: Connecting the Past to the Future of the Field
Nancy Bloch
Nancy J. Bloch is Executive Director of Communications and Public Relations at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB). She is also President of Touchpoint Group, LLC, a management, technology and accessibility consulting enterprise. With over 25 years of organizational management and leadership experience with nonprofit, higher education and business entities, she served as CEO of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) for close to 19 years. Long involved in the field of interpreting, Bloch has worked as a collaborator, trainer and consultant. She resides in St. Augustine, Florida with her husband, Gerald "Jerry" Nelson.
Latest Post: NANCY BLOCH
Nigel Howard
Nigel Howard works as an instructor at Douglas College in the Program of Sign Language Interpretation, and Child, Family and Community Studies (CFCS), and University of Victoria in the Department of Linguistics. He is on the Board of Editors for International Journal of Interpreter Education (IJIE) and is the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters’ (WASLI) North America Representative. Nigel provides presentations, workshops and training on varying topics/subjects around the world such as Interpreting in Medical Settings, Deaf Interpreter, Deafhood and Global Communities, interpreter professional development and so forth. Nigel has worked as a Deaf Interpreter for over 20 years, often in medical, mental health, legal, theatre, community, and conference settings – locally, nationally and internationally.
Latest Post: Nigel Howard: Deaf Interpreters: The State of Inclusion
Robyn Dean
Robyn Dean, CI/CT, MA, was appointed to the faculty of the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1999, in recognition of her scholarship in the interpreting field and leadership in the education of interpreters, medical students, and other health care professionals. She has been an interpreter for over 20 years, with particular service experience in healthcare and mental health settings. Ms. Dean holds a BA in ASL Interpreting and an MA in Theology. Her demand control schema (DC-S) has been the topic of numerous workshops, publications, and grant projects nationally and internationally. Ms. Dean was the recipient of the 2008 Mary Stotler Award. Ms. Dean is currently a PhD Candidate at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Latest Post: Ethical Development: A Sign of the Times for Sign Language Interpreters?
Rico Peterson
Rico Peterson is the Assistant Dean and Director of the Department of Access Services at RIT/NTID in Rochester, New York. He earned his CSC in 1979 and holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of California Riverside. Rico joined the National Theater of the Deaf in 1973, and played the lead role in both the National and the International touring companies of Children of a Lesser God. He has worked professionally as an actor, writer, DJ, interpreter, professor, and curriculum consultant. Rico is the author of The Unlearning Curve: Learning to Learn American Sign Language and a co-author of ASL at Work.
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Latest Post: New Lamps for Old: Apprenticeship in Sign Language Interpreting
Shane Feldman
Shane Feldman serves as Executive Director of RID. Previously, he worked as COO of the NAD. Feldman has a distinguished history of civic advocacy for accessibility rights especially those related to closed-captioning, although he serves the community in several other areas including his work with VRS and the FCC, the Maryland Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Maryland School for the Deaf.
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Latest Post: Shane Feldman | Where Does Advocacy Fit in the Sign Language Interpreting Profession?
Stephanie Feyne
Stephanie Feyne has been a certified member of RID since 1978. She interpreters in community, conference, educational and theatre venues. She teaches workshops in New York as well as around the country and is affiliated with the LaGuardia Community College Interpreter Education Projects. She was one of the four interpreting instructors for the annual TDF "Interpreting for the Theatre" Seminar housed at the Juilliard School. She is currently pursuing her MA in linguistic anthropology at Hunter College in New York City.
Latest Post: STEPHANIE FEYNE
Shelly Hansen
Shelly Hansen is a nationally certified freelance interpreter in Washington state. She has a passion for interpreting in community and legal settings and is an active vlogger on YouTube. Shelly supports the direct hire model of contracting qualified interpreters. Dream project: to have the Driver's licensing guides in ASL in all 50 states. She has been happily married for 23 years and has 3 teenagers.
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Latest Post: Educational Interpreters: Buck the Low Wage, No Credential Status Quo
Sherry Smith
Sherry I. Smith is a nationally certified sign language interpreter. Since 1993 she has also devoted over 800 hours a year in volunteer ministry work. Sherry’s volunteer work opened the door to her learning ASL. She decided to become a professional sign language interpreter and became nationally certified in 2010. She now works as a freelance interpreter and her volunteer work is still very close to her heart.
Latest Post: Overcoming Challenges as a Sign Language Interpreter of Color
Stacey Webb
Stacey Webb is a nationally certified interpreter currently residing in Nashville, TN. Originally from San Diego California, she has been interpreting professionally since 2004. She received her interpreter training at Palomar College and California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In addition to her interpreting experience, Stacey is an instructor in an American Sign Language Interpreter Training Program at a local community college and has recently accepted an adjunct teaching position with Western Kentucky University’s American Sign Language Studies Program. She looks forward to completing her Masters of Education from Colorado State University this Fall. Working as an instructor and a mentor has become a passion for Stacey and she strives to make a difference in the lives that cross her path.
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Latest Post: The Value of Networking for the Developing Sign Language Interpreter
Trudy Suggs
Trudy Suggs, born Deaf to Deaf parents, has worked as an educator, administrator and editor. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Gallaudet University, and a master’s degree from University of Illinois-Chicago. She has long been involved with many organizations, including serving as chair of the Illinois RID Deaf Caucus, the Minnesota RID Deaf Interpreting Group, RID’s national CDI task force, and the Illinois State Police Communication Issues committee. She has also served on numerous boards, including the National Association of the Deaf and the National Deaf Business Institute, and is a RID-certified deaf interpreter. In 2008, Trudy received the Gallaudet University Alumni Association Outstanding Young Alumnus Award and the National Association of the Deaf CEO’s Award. In 2009, she was selected by Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie for a National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion Award.
Latest Post: Deaf Disempowerment and Today’s Interpreter
Wing Butler
Wing Butler is an entrepreneur and sign language interpreter, passionate about building the sign language/Deaf economy. He uses his social media prowess and unique appreciation for life to build business opportunities that integrates the sign language and general business community. He enjoys spending time with his 4 children and lovely wife.
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Latest Post: Onsite Sign Language Interpreters Face Extinction
Whitney Hill
Whitney Hill grew up living on the grounds of Seabeck Conference Center in Seabeck Washington, her father served as the director there for 22 years. Seabeck is where the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind’s annual Deaf-Blind retreat is held. Whitney is always thankful to the Lighthouse and Deaf-Blind community for their continued support that started off so early in her life. In 2003 Whitney graduated with a BA in ASL/English Interpretation from Western Oregon University. She currently works as a nationally certified community based and post-secondary interpreter around the south sound region of western Washington.
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Latest Post: Can Blogging Protect the Interests of Sign Language Interpreters?
Xenia Woods
Xenia Fretter Woods holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education, the Certificate of Interpretation and the Certificate of Transliteration from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, as well as the Specialist Certificate: Legal and NIC Master certificate, and the Ed:K-12. She lives in Oregon and teaches interpreting at Portland Community College and operates TerpSavvy Online Interpreter Career Development.
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Latest Post: Do Sign Language Interpreters Ever Have “Clients?”
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