Deaf Interpreters Network
Welcome to Deaf Interpreters Network, a place for budding and experienced Deaf interpreters to come together and share their experiences.
February 2008 Report Click Here
DIN Policy & Procedure Click Here
DIN believes that the profession of Deaf interpreting belongs firmly within the BSL and English interpreting profession.
We hope that together, we will be able to develop good working practice, develop opportunities and influence the stakeholders to work with Deaf Interpreters to improve the quality of BSL and English (as well as other sign languages) interpreting.
Why DIN?
There is no national forum for Deaf interpreters to meet and promote the development of this profession.
There are barriers faced by Deaf interpreters:
1. Deaf people are excluded from being able to achieve the criteria for NVQ interpreter assessment.
2. Until recently, there are very few BSL/English interpreting courses accessible to Deaf people (this is now changing).
3. Hearing and Deaf people are unsure of the difference between a 'Deaf interpreter' (an inter-lingual role) and a Deaf Intermediate / Advocate (an intra-lingual role).
What is a Deaf interpreter?
Here are some key principles:
1. Deaf interpreters work between two or more languages (as do interpreter between spoken languages)
2. A Deaf interpreter should be trained in two languages and the process of interpreting - as expected from standard interpreting courses.
3. Deaf interpreters can work from text to sign and vice versa; sign to Deafblind manual and vice versa; and from one sign language to another and vice versa.
4. Deaf interpreting should not be confused with other roles (which are not inter-lingual). Many situations are best served by a Deaf bilingual professional where the clients needs can be supported and advocated in the same language (with a hearing interpreter).
Future developments of DIN:
DIN has been a task group for the past 3 years. It plans to see the establishment of elected representatives:
1. A new membership category to be created and named "DIN affiliate". This
membership will be open to Deaf people who are interested in pursuing their
training as a Deaf interpreter.
2. Three representatives are elected to three positions, chair and two reps.
3. DIN is represented in task groups and NEC to contribute to the ASLI
developments.
DIN would like to see:
1. same courses is aim and same qualifications is aim.
2. APDP courses to actively include Deaf interpreters.
3. Deaf interpreters who meet the minimum criteria for BSL/English
interpreting within ASLI will be eligible to become a Licensed interpreter
member of ASLI (AGM 2005).
How can you join with DIN:
To join DIN, you must first join ASLI as an individual affiliate.
Please make a note on the application form that you wish to participate in
DIN. You will then be invited to join the Deaf Interpreters Network's
egroup.
If you wish to find out more, please contact:
Ilan Dwek, DINChair@asli.org.uk
Author: Ilan Dwek
Official ASLI email : DINChair@asli.org.uk
Date of report: 4th June 2008
Current membership of your Group: approx 15
Summary of recent events:
The ASLI Conference was a great success from the point of view in that there were two Deaf Interpreters on stage throughout the weekend, and they were applauded for their smooth efforts and the ASLI NEC must also be saluted for this. There was a DIN AGM held during that weekend, in which Judith Collins formally stepped down and handed the baton to Ilan Dwek, in a short meeting attended by about 20 people, of which incidentally about half are observers (!). Pam Morgan continues to be the other rep, and the third rep remains vacant as it was optional.
The DI Working Task group, set up late in 2007, is led by Judith Collins who gave a brief report indicating that the main aim of this Working Task group is to investigate the current CILT “National Occupational Standards for Interpreting to recommend amendments to CILT standards to ensure Deaf people as Interpreters are not excluded by default.
John Walker, the former e-group moderator for the ASLI-DIN members, handed over the moderator's role to me, and it is relatively quiet at this moment.
Summary of recent significant contacts:
None of recent significance except for the two Deaf Interpreters who came to talk at the ASLI Conference from Argentina and Ireland, namely Messrs Druetta and Senan.
Meetings planned in the next 3 months:
None at this stage, though I shall be attending the IRP meeting on 14th July to investigate further on the proposed changes to Interpreter Registration status, to ensure that the Deaf Interpreters are brought on board.
There is an independent Deaf Interpreters Group in London mainly led by Robert Adam and Pam Morgan, both ASLI members, which I am also involved and they have their own programme of events and “action points” -- I will be meeting them again on 17th June 2008
I shall start liaising with the Membership Secretary [as soon as he/she is found] to ensure I have a correct list of names for adding to the e-group as I have recently came across two ASLI members [Deaf] who have never been invited to the e-group, which I now moderate. I intend to develop this e-group to become more active, creating more debate and discussion, etc.
Dates for the ASLI Calendar:
None at this stage.
Network : Deaf Interpreting (DIN)
Report Author: Judith M Collins, DIN Chair
Date of report: 12th February 2008
1. Current Membership:
The Deaf Interpreters Network is not a Region listed in the Directory. It is a Network of
Deaf Affiliates of ASLI or any Deaf member with interpreter qualifications who is a Full or
Associate member of ASLI.
Contact email: dinchair@asli.org.uk
3. Summary of recent Events including attendance:
In December 2007 the DIN Chair attended a meeting with CACDP to help clarify Deaf
Interpreting and separate from other Deaf professional roles.
January 12th 2008 - DIN business meeting in York
4. Summary of recent significant contacts, networking, meetings:
The DIN Chair has been organising the DIN AGM in London in April and liaising with
members of the newly established Deaf Interpreters Working Group for their first
meeting during the ASLI conference.
5. Meetings planned in the next 3 months:
Election of new DIN chair and 2 reps at the AGM
6. Events planned in the next 3 months:
As above
7. Dates for the ASLI Calendar:
April 6th DIN meeting, London
May 2007
Deaf Interpreters Network Workshop in Leeds on March 3rd 2007
This is the first time an open workshop by ASLI DIN has been held, and about 60 Deaf people attended at the Leeds Deaf centre. ASLI vice chair Chris Stone introduced the workshop with a brief explanation about how DIN was set up and the way DIN fits in with the structure of ASLI.
Judith Collins and John Walker were guest presenters, and gave a presentation entitled ‘What is a Deaf Interpreter?” They started off by breaking the attendees into groups, and each one had to discuss and try to define a different Deaf professional role. It was great to see people working together and getting to know about each other and their different roles. Then Judith and John brought the group back together to provide clarification about roles such as Intermediary, Advocate, Interpreter, Bilingual tutor, etc. This was successful in disseminating a shared understanding of ‘BSL/English interpreting’ and its difference to other roles.
Deaf people at the workshop shared their experience with us and we all benefited from this. One person was able to clearly give us an example of the need for clarity and shared understanding of different professional roles. On one occasion he had been assigned as an ‘interpreter’ with a Deaf client. After this he had been on Home Office training to become a recognised ‘Intermediary’ in legal situations. He was later assigned to act as in intermediary with a Deaf client – it was the same person he had met previously when being asked to carry out the role of ‘interpreter’. This led him to question his job title, ending in the realisation that his role was actually that of an intermediary.
Afterwards a ‘qualifications audit’ was carried out. Participant were asked to fill in a questionnaire to find out what roles people have in the workplace and what qualifications they hold. 46 people responded. See the survey results attached with this report.
The survey confirms that Deaf people do not have interpreting qualifications and that there is much variation in the understanding of the words ‘relay’ and ‘interpreting’.
Sometimes they are used in relation to 2 different languages and sometimes to ‘language modification’ or advocacy in the same language.
Some of the participants are studying on university courses at the moment and hoping to become qualified Deaf interpreters very soon. This raises the question of whether DIN needs to continue, as when Deaf people gain qualifications as interpreters, from the same courses as hearing people, they can join ASLI as interpreter members and become part of ASLI Regional groups.
Overall, the participation of everyone made the day a great success.