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Modern Questor: Connecting the Past to the Future of the Field
Lynnette presented, Modern Questor: Connecting the Past to the Future of the Field, at StreetLeverage – Live. Her talk examined how the shift from a Deaf/centric to a market/centric locus of power has left both the Deaf community and sign language interpreters feeling powerless. The Modern Questor “The modern questor now takes up the search, His quest the same; [...]
5 Must Have Apps for Sign Language Interpreters
Few sign language interpreters live without a smartphone or tablet. It’s probably hard for most of us to remember what life was like before we had the ability to manage the intersection of our work and personal lives with the swipe of a finger. With the bazillions of apps out there, which ones are particularly [...]
Do Sign Language Interpreters Ever Have “Clients?”
As a sign language interpreting student about eighteen years ago, I was told that the term client was falling out of use in our profession. If only that dream had come true by now. Sadly, the word is still far too commonly used. Recently, I was a user of interpreting services, and I heard one of [...]
Onsite Sign Language Interpreters Face Extinction
Wing presented, Onsite Sign Language Interpreters Face Extinction, at StreetLeverage – Live. His talk examined the legislation and technology developments of the 90′s that defined the values of the sign language interpreters in the “Onsite Era” and how these values are now being replaced by the values of a “Virtual Presence Era.” Wing suggested that the iterative [...]
Deaf Disempowerment and Today’s Interpreter
Trudy presented, Deaf Disempowerment and Today’s Interpreter, at StreetLeverage – Live. Her talk examined how the choices sign language interpreters make while delivering communication access can, and often do, contribute to the economic and situational disempowerment of deaf people. Deaf Disempowerment and Today’s Interpreter In the spirit of being transparent, the stories I’m about to [...]
Sign Language Interpreting: Can Self-Interest Lead to Disregard of Industry Stakeholders?
As an Interpreter Educator, I like to use real-life scenarios in my classroom, where one of the courses I teach is Professional Ethics for Interpreters. This one is an excellent teaching tool on what effect self-interest—even at the higher levels with established professionals—can have on everyone involved. To make sure we are all understanding terms [...]
The Cost of Invisibility: Codas and the Sign Language Interpreting Profession
I recently attended an interpreter retreat where the purpose was to examine privilege, how it manifests in our individual work lives, our relationships with each other, and within the sign language interpreting profession as a whole. Privilege is a topic that makes for a hard discussion for any group of people. Those of us in attendance [...]
A Salute to Big Thinking Sign Language Interpreters
What do projectile vomiting, cancelled and delayed flights, and an unrelenting Nor’easter have in common? StreetLeverage—Live. As anyone who has organized a live event will tell you, there are always unforeseen challenges that arise and StreetLeverage—Live had its fair share. Despite these challenges, the event was a success. Talent Salute I salute Nigel Howard, Trudy [...]
VRS Reform: Will Anyone Wade in to Save the Sign Language Interpreter?
The October 15, 2012 Public Notice released by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has sent another wave of distress crashing over top of the already apprehensive sign language interpreters working in support the nation’s Video Relay Service (VRS). As these interpreters, awash in the regulatory storm of VRS reform, reach out for the relationships, practices, [...]
4 Obsessions of a Qualified Sign Language Interpreter
Sign language interpreters come to the profession from a variety of avenues; each possessing a range of life experience that makes their daily work distinct. Though the work from interpreter to interpreter is unique, it occurs to me that there are 4 primary preoccupations shared by qualified practitioners. Some might consider them obsessions, the non-clinical [...]
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