RID Fall 2021 VIEWS

ISSUE 38 | VOLUME 4 | FALL 2021

VIEWS Building Professional Strengths

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

by President Ritchie Bryant

TEAM INTERPRETING AS COLLABORATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE

by Dr. Jack Hoza

INSIGHT FOR NON-INDIGENOUS INTERPRETERS

by Dr. Melanie McKay-Cody

AFFILIATE CHAPTER CORNER

by Dr. Carolyn Ball

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FALL 2021 VIEWS

ASL Playlist

06. FROM THE CEO

21. AC CORNER

36. SELF-CARE

Describing both the challenges and opportunities that RID and our members are facing, CEO Grieser dives deep into what that will look like for RID moving forward.

RID's AC Liaison, Dr. Carolyn Ball, interviews Antonio Burkett, PCRID President. Take a look at their events, and a co-hosted event with NAOBI-DC!

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CHALLENGE: BECOMING A BEACON

Another inspiring and encouraging piece written by one of our seasoned columnists Breana CrossCaldwell. Breana goes in depth, guiding us in following three steps to support and prioitize your own needs.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT What should RID do? What should RID look like? President Bryant goes in depth to discuss what he has learned so far, the work that was done before him, and the work RID has ahead.

14. REGION REPORTS Catch up on both reports, including Region II on page 14 and Region V on page 17.

16. REGION III CONFERENCE Save the Date! Region III has their 2022 Regional Conference from June 16-19 in Columbus, OH. Read more if you're interested in presenting at the conference!

26. RISING TO THE

Dr. Suzette Garay and Dr. Jenny Gough co-write an incredible piece. BEACON: Belonging, Empathy, Acceptance, Connectedness, Opportunity, and Negotiation.

28. INSIGHT FOR

NON-INDIGENOUS INTERPRETERS An inside look for non-indigenous interpreters to understand and consider the specific cultural and ethical expectations in Indigenous contexts and how these understandings will help determin how you show up as an interpreter.

32. AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. JACK HOZA

RID Press interviews author Dr. Jack Hoza on his latest book.

39. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Columnist Joe Sapienza puts in front of us yet another sticky scenario in which he dives into the perspectives and opinions of all parties involved: the Deaf consumer, Hearing Professional, Deaf Interpreter, and the Hearing Interpreter.

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HONORING DIVERSITY A heartfelt and moving piece written for the courageous Black leader, Dick Gregory. A leader who exemplified everything from comedy to activism. Read more about Dick Gregory and everything he did in his community.

28.

INSIGHT FOR NON-INDIGENOUS INTERPRETERS Understand and consider the specific cultural and ethical expectations in Indigenous contexts.

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Email us here: publications@rid.org or submit here: www.rid.org/views-article-submission/ 4

B OA R D Ritchie Bryant, MS, CDI, CLIP-R President Dr. Jesus Remigio, Psy,D., MBA, CDI Vice President Brenda Dencer, CSC, CI and CT, NIC, SC:L Secretary Kate O'Regan, MA, NIC Treasurer Traci Ison, NIC, NAD-IV Member-at-Large Phyllis Dora Rifkin, BA, CDI Deaf Member-at-Large Christina Stevens, NIC Region I Representative Jason Hurdich, M.Ed., CDI Region II Representative OPEN Region III Representative OPEN Region IV Representative Jeremy Quiroga, CDI Region V Representative

S TA F F Star Grieser, MS, CDI CEO Elijah Sow COO Jennifer Apple Director of Finance and Operations Kristyne Reeds Finance and Operations Manager Kirsten Swanson Operations Project Coordinator Ryan Butts Senior Director of Standards and Practices Carol Turner Professional Development Tressela Bateson EPS Administrator Ashley Holladay Certification Coordinator Jess Kaady Standards and Practices Specialist Neal Tucker Director of Member Services and Gov't Affairs Dr. Carolyn Ball, CI and CT, NIC Affiliate Chapter LIaison

MISSION

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf strives to advocate for best practices in interpreting, professional development for practitioners and for the highest standards in the provision of interpreting services for diverse users of languages that are signed or spoken.

VISION

By honoring its past and innovating for the future, RID envisions a world where: • Its members recognize and support the linguistic rights of all Deaf people as human rights, equal to those of users of spoken languages; • Deaf people and their values are vital to and visible in every aspect of RID; • Interpreted interaction between individuals who use signed and spoken languages are as viable as direction communication; • The interpreting profession is formally recognized and is advanced by rigorous professional development, standards of conduct, and credentials.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) understands the necessity of multicultural awareness and sensitivity. Therefore, as an organization, we are committed to diversity both within the organization and within the profession of sign language interpreting.

Our commitment to diversity reflects and stems from our understanding of present and future needs of both our organization and the profession. We recognize that in order to provide the best service as the national certifying body among signed and spoken language interpreters, we must draw from the widest variety of society with regards to diversity in order to provide support, equality of treatment, and respect among interpreters within the RID organization.

Therefore, RID defines diversity as differences which are appreciated, sought, and shaped in the form of the following categories: gender identity or expression, racial identity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, Deaf or hard of hearing status, disability status, age, geographic locale (rural vs. urban), sign language interpreting experience, certification status and level, and language bases (e.g. those who are native to or have acquired ASL and English, those who utilize a signed system, among those using spoken or signed languages) within both the profession of sign language interpreting and the RID organization.

To that end, we strive for diversity in every area of RID and its Headquarters. We know that the differences that exist among people represent a 21st century population and provide for innumerable resources within the sign language interpreting field.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. 333 Commerce Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314 (703) 838-0030 V / (571) 257-3957 VP

Adam Summers, M.Ed. Communications Strategist Jenelle Bloom Webmaster

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FROM THE

CEO

Star Grieser CEO, CDI

"What we must ask ourselves, then, is: is RID the best possible version of a professional certification organization?”

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wish I knew what describes both CHALLENGE and OPPORTUNITY within the same word, as this concept best describes my first quadrimester on the job and also describes what lays ahead for RID. In June 2021, we witnessed the entire Board of Directors – the most diverse board in RID’s history - announce their leave of the board. We’ve elected our first Black Deaf CDI as president of RID’s Board of Directors, we currently have the most “Deaf” Board of Directors at the helm, with more than half of the members being CDIs. We have this challenging opportunity.

Hmm. Nope, that’s not it. This opportunistic challenge? Not quite….

We have this opportunity and challenge to take stock of where we, as an organization, have been, where we are now, and what the best possible version of RID could look like going forward.

Perhaps you, dear reader, know what that word is and if so, please share. I’m still trying to figure this one out. Help me out here.

Challportunity? Oppallenge?

The reason I ask is because I know all of you are wordsmiths both in ASL and English and thus experts on matters such as this. I mean this in the best possible sense… What is the sign? What is the word?

Challengity? Opportunenge?

I’m tackling this topic because, well, these past four months as CEO have been rather remarkable, kicking off with the RID National Virtual Conference where the important issues of audism, racism and *-isms within our profession and within RID were addressed by the Board and our Member sections. Also, the conference reinforced our trajectory towards becoming a Professional Certification Organization.

This was a good way to set the tone for my work with RID in advancing the profession over the next few years: promoting quality among interpreters, advocating for use of qualified and certified interpreters across all sectors of the field, and educating our consumers on best practices for working with interpreters. Dr. Webb and the Board of Directors were not the first to strive for advancing the profession and I am not the first executive staff to strive for accreditation of our certification programs. In fact, this topic has come up numerous times in the past decade or so. So why does progress seem so slow?

This is a very good question. And it’s our chopportunity to figure out the answer.

We could point to the lack of continual leadership within RID headquarters, i.e. not having a CEO or an executive director for more than about a year or so. We could also point to specific events – certain decisions, certain lawsuits, moratoriums, resignations – that caused setbacks in progressing towards our quest to become a Professional Certification Organization (PCO). We could say that some members were not, or are not ready for this transition. We could also point to the previous Boards of Directors – each with their own dynamics and their own priorities and their own ideas of how to advance the organization. After so much work and dialogue towards this goal of transforming RID to a PCO, the en masse resignation of our most recent Board of Directors clearly tells us a few things: that our organization, that our Deaf and hearing members, and our communities have a lot of work to do and a lot of healing to

do. It is not sustainable for this organization and for this profession to create targets for debilitating criticism, overt and covert racism/ audism, *-isms, and so on and so forth; or being the causes of our volunteer leaders opting to resign rather than tolerate vitriol; and being made to feel fearful for stepping up to volunteer leadership after witnessing this hostility is absolutely not sustainable. It’s simply not professional.

This topic has come up numerous times in the past decade or so. So why does progress seem so slow?

Yes, clearly, RID has an enormous amount of healing to do. Starting with addressing the transgressions of the past and – individually and as a group – we can actively listen, learn about and engage in anti-audism work and anti-racism work, have uncomfortable conversations, and become compassionate and gentle with each other as we do our own healing. We want to have a healthier and healthier future. I firmly believe that until we pause and heal ourselves, we cannot have a healthy future and we cannot have healthy relationships with others.

Our brave new Board of Directors, President Ritchie Bryant, interim Vice President Jesùs Remingio, Secretary Brenda Dencer, interim 7

Treasurer Kate O’Regan, MAL Traci Ison, DMAL Dora Rifkin and Region 2 Representative Jason Hurdich and Region 5 Representative Jeremy Quiroga are all committed to this healing. With their support, RID is able to do what is needed towards becoming a Professional Certification Organization and towards advancing the profession.

In the pivot towards becoming a professional certification organization, we will tackle the “hows”, the “for-for’s” and the “what does this mean?” From the CEO perspective from within operations, I can tell you that we already are a professional certification organization. Are we the best possible version of a PCO? Are we as professional as we should be? I think we all can identify areas for improvements. We will grapple with and tackle “how-to’s” and the “what does this mean”, but the most important question for all of us is the “for-for.” The answers might be tough but, well, that’s part of the healing process.

Advocates for Deaf people’s access to quality ASL interpreting in any and ALL settings that impact our lives, our livelihood, and our futures, from cradle to grave, across all walks of life, and everything in between.

Administers certification that is THE gold standard for highly qualified interpreters. The gold standard is that employers reference,

We need to explore what it means to be professional, to advance the profession, to be – not just allies to Deaf people but accomplices in our liberation.

Once we figure out the “for-for,” then next up is visualizing the best possible version of RID. That’s what the real transformation entails.

that consumers trust, that certificants pride themselves on, and that student interpreters and emerging practitioners aspire to achieve Certification.

RID awards National Certification that tells our consumers and stakeholders that certification-holders are able to demonstrate at least the minimal level of knowledge and skills needed for entry level to the ASL interpreting profession. RID certification also requires a commitment to the organization and to ongoing professional development. Our members promise to adhere to our Code of Professional Conduct or potentially be subjected to our grievance system, the EPS. All of these are components of our professional certification program. While our programs are strong, they could always be stronger and healthier. How, though? What we must ask ourselves, then, is: “is RID the best possible version of a professional certification organization?”

Has an ethical practice system that addresses CPC violations of not just individual interpreters but of organizational and systemic wrongful behaviors. A system that condemns willful disregard of ethical conduct, and strives to open communication and education, seeks understanding, addresses and heals, restores, and improves relationships between practitioners and consumers.

That’s our opportunillenge: to answer “what does the best possible version of RID look like?”

I ask myself this every day. What is the best possible version of RID? I, personally, have always been a proponent of achieving accreditation but even accreditation of our certification program does not necessarily mean that the program will then become the best possible version of RID. Accreditation only applies to the certification, not the whole organization.

To me, the Best Possible Version of RID looks like the organization that: Is a beacon of inspiration, expertise, education, advocacy, professionalism, collaboration for all our members, our leaders, our communities, consumers, stakeholders and sister organizations.

Works tirelessly to promote the use of qualified interpreters in every setting where Deaf people are present, across all situations from recreational to life-altering.

Deaf people refer to for the best ASL interpreting, and where requests for interpreters do not feel like a gamble, but an assurance that their interpreter is competent, professional, respectful, compassionate and ethical. Every. Single. Time.

Has an advocacy program and toolkits that are easily accessible to Deaf community advocates seeking redress when ASL interpreters are denied for communications access.

Is the unimpeachable authority of professional practices and official position statements regarding the work of ASL interpreters in various settings and addressing varying consumers needs.

Is the “go to” for anyone interested in learning more about ASL interpreting.

Is the professional organization where all interpreters from emerging practitioners to experienced professionals can feel valued, respected, included, and encouraged regardless of their hearing status, their race, their ethnicity, their family background, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, and age.

We need to explore what it means to be professional, to advance the profession, to BE – not just allies to Deaf people but accomplices in our liberation. We need to do the anti-racism, anti-audism, anti-*ism work, both individually and as a profession. Simply: we do need to do better. And continually strive for better.

My “for for” is because the best possible version of RID is what I need. It’s what my Deaf community needs. Our needs are what our ASL interpreters need to become: The best possible version of ourselves, our profession, our organization.

This is our challengportunity.

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NATIONAL REPORTS President's Report Region II Report Region V Report

Affiliate Chapter Reports AC Corner with PCRID

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PRESIDENT'S

REPORT

Ritchie Bryant President, CDI, CLIP-R

"The more I learn... the more I realized that RID indeed has worked incredibly hard over the years."

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reetings members! This is my first RID VIEWS article as your newly elected President. Thank you for electing me into this important position and I sincerely endeavour to serve the best interests of our organization.

One of the many exciting responsibilities of this position is the privilege of authoring the President’s Letter for the premiere quarterly RID Views. As I reflected on the theme of this newsletter - Building Our Professional Strength - I also took the opportunity to reflect on what I have learned from immersing myself in everything RID. In this process, there were multiple opportunities that came up at a steady pace that offered me new insights or knowledge. The more I learned, the more I realized that RID indeed has worked incredibly hard over the years. We on the outside are naturally not privy to much of this work but the work nevertheless happened. This work is what I shall focus on for this piece.

All stakeholders involved with RID are perhaps familiar with the question that we have asked ourselves for years… What should RID do? What should RID look like? There were many intensive dialogues both internally and externally for over a decade around those two questions. I would now offer an illustrative example: A key motion was passed in a past conference by the membership which culminated in a 2013 report provided by an organizational consultant who made some recommendations on how RID can restructure the organization. A key recommendation was the formation of a separate entity that we now call the CASLI. In 2015, Anne Witter-Merithew in her role as RID’s Interim Executive Director, authored a report titled, “Testing and Certification Risk Assessment” which detailed what we need to change to address known and potential legal liabilities related to testing and certifications that RID provided. This was a follow-up to the previous 2013 report and served as RID’s blueprint for the development of future testing structures in light of the moratorium starting earlier that year.

Interestingly, in 2017, RID hosted an unique Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City. After sharing extensive background information, including recommendations previously made within those key reports I mentioned above, numerous recommendations were independently formulated by the conference participants. RID then had voluminous input from our members which was solicited after the conference. Those input and recommendations informed the development of RID’s 2019-2021 Strategic Plan. Also included in this same Strategic Plan was a charge for RID to evaluate its organizational structure with the potential future transition into a Professional Certification Organization in mind. This addition was also informed thanks to the input from members gathered during several focused Town Hall meetings.

During this shared his/herstory and journey, we have already had multiple conversations at all levels within our profession around the need for different kinds of organizational changes. The part that might be so fascinating to you was that general consensus

from all those conversations were strikingly similar to what were originally recommended in the 2013 report. The changes that we need and even yearn for… have been sitting in plain sight all those years.

This backstory reminds me of an incredibly accessible classical book called “Who Moved My Cheese” authored by Dr. Spencer Johnson. This book was especially popular back in the late 1990s.

The underlying principle of this book is incredibly simple and yet timeless. So that makes it naturally timely. The basic premise is that change is constant throughout our lives. Therefore, we must embrace and prepare for change to come.

In this book, he described four characters including two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two little persons, Hem and Haw. Do you see where this is going already? Please stay with me here for a moment longer.

The whole story is essentially about a piece of cheese that was always there for those four to munch on... until one day it wasn't!

All four of them were stunned and confused about this. While Hem and Haw kept going back and forth on what they should do, the two mice got to sniffing and followed the scent to where the cheese had been moved to and resumed munching on the cheese. So one of the author’s key points is that change is always happening and we must act to adapt rather than spend a lot of time debating on how to act.

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The foremost question in my mind right now is… where is the cheese now? I certainly don’t see it! Do you?

We have taken a long detour as an organization and somewhat became adrift. Let’s talk for a minute about the true purpose of RID. So, is it RID’s calling to serve the membership? Or is RID a mission-driven organization? I think most of us would agree that we

The communities we serve are incredibly diverse. It is with pride that we all have witnessed so many communities who have empowered themselves to lead and transform their own lives. aspire to be a mission driven organization that incidentally has members. Alas, in hindsight, many of us would agree that we have been primarily serving our members. This unintended focus - perhaps even implicit bias embedded within our organizational culture - has resulted in internalized resistance to change in favor of maintaining the status quo. This is perhaps a natural consequence of our struggle to gain mainstream recognition, respect, and even legitimacy of our profession and all the challenges that come from this -- working conditions, pathways for advancement, and financial stability. It is worthwhile to point out that this hesitancy and implicit bias towards supporting its own membership is not unique to RID and is prevalent in any membership-based organization. However, this desire to protect our livelihoods paradoxically limits our ability to be innovative and seek new paths for-

ward that benefits all stakeholders, including ourselves.

Since RID exists in a dynamic society where we serve an incredibly diverse community that is increasingly becoming more independent due to the access they have had in their daily lives compared to the previous generations - in part thanks to legislation that resulted in a dramatic increase in demand for our interpreting services. We know that the generation of Deaf people who grew up with the ADA as the law of the land is now just over 30 years old. This generation is steadily advancing in all areas of their lives both personally and professionally. This generation of highly educated Deaf adults - including and especially BIPOC - in such increased numbers calls on us as a profession to step up and change with them.

Did we answer that call? Let’s consider how the pandemic has affected us. We have learned that remote interpreting is sooooooo easy, right? That’s odd because we had virtual meetings for years. We had VRI for years. Did we have a position paper on VRI? We don’t. We definitely saw the changes happening (the cheese being moved) but we hemmed and hawed until we had to pivot rather dramatically thanks to the pandemic.

Pre-pandemic, our business-as-usual conceptualization of what interpreting services should look like was already outdated. Just consider the impact of technology, community, and research on our profession. Our profession has already evolved as a result. We as an organization have debated how we should evolve… while evolution has already happened and continues to happen.

The communities we serve are incredibly diverse. It is with pride that we all have witnessed so many communities who have empowered themselves to lead and transform their own lives. As people who dedicated our professional and often personal lives to the betterment of those communities, it is our charge to walk alongside those communities and continue to meet them where they are.

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The good news is… we are truly dedicated and mission driven professionals who are out in the field day in day out. We identified the gaps and have partnered with the communities that we serve to flesh out and outline how we could uniquely contribute our piece to close those gaps. The only thing left to do is… to just do it.

When - not if - when we do this, we are also positioning ourselves to pivot in response to our new future rather than continue to react solely to the noise surrounding us right now, Deafening as they might be. I’m smiling as I write this.

Anyhow, this new RID Board remains committed to continue having conversations. However, we are also committed and ready to move forward with the changes to come because those changes will elevate us interpreters, the communities we serve, and all other stakeholders. This is such an important part of building professional strength that is the theme of this quarterly publication.

I don't know about you but when I look back on all this hem hawing resulting in very similar conclusions all those years, I personally get excited as a Black Deaf consumer and colleague and now your President. I say this because… this means that our vision on how to elevate our profession isn't all that different after all.

...we are truly dedicated and mission driven professionals who are out in the field day in day out. We identified the gaps and have partnered with communities that we serve to flesh out and outline how we could uniquely contribute our piece to close those gaps. The only thing left to do is... to just do it.

So come join us to start meaningful dialogue about how to enact the changes we already know we need. Change can be extraordinarily powerful when we roll up our sleeves and embrace the changes with an open heart and mind.

RID is ready. We the RID Board are ready. And I strongly believe that you are ready too. Thank you.

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REGION II

REPORT

Jason Hurdich Region II Rep, M.Ed, CDI "This has been an eye-opening experience for me. I joined RID in 2005, and never truly understood the inner workings until I got here."

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rom the time I was sworn to my position on September 1, 2021: what a whirlwind journey it has been serving as the Region 2 Representative as I have been learning the ins and outs of the RID’s organizational structure. This has been an eye-opening experience for me, since I have been a member of the Deaf community. I joined RID in 2005, and since that time, I have been a student member, an associate member, and a certified member. I never truly understood the inner workings of RID until I got here. Finally, I appreciate how much individuals invest their time behind the scenes to make RID’s work happen. I realize that we have gone through a difficult phase in the past years, especially this year dealing with several –isms. Jeremy Quiroga shared his poetry with members on November 2, 2021, when we announced our Town Hall meeting. While we acknowledge our past, we do need to move forward. With that said, I want to share what has been happening in Region 2. I had an opportunity to have conversations with the previous Region 2 Representative, Eli Sierra, who gave me the tools for a smooth Board transition.

During the October 2021 Closed Extended Board Meeting, I reported the following activities: 1. I explained the importance of including tri-lingual members of RID (Spanish speaking initially plus other languages) to be involved in RID as members. Mr. Sierra and I spoke at length regarding Puerto Rico RID being involved with RID in the past (Puerto Rico is no longer associated with RID). It has been noted that people in Puerto Rico - plus tri-lingual members elsewhere - want a tri-lingual examination. CASLI currently does not offer tri-lingual exams as an option. In Puerto Rico, autonomy is essential to have a say in their affairs (which aligns with their long history of statehood vs. their struggle for independence). I hope to address this as a part of a possible Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plan for the future.

2. During September, I introduced myself to the Region 2 Affiliate Chapter Presidents. I requested them to complete some standard forms to have a centralized system of their information, allowing me to connect with them over the next two years easily.

3. I presented a short video to the Florida RID Conference (FloridaCon 2021). President Bryant encourages membership involvement in their affiliate chapters so that leaders can support their communities with complete resources.

4. I plan to attend the Potomac RID Conference in Early December.

On November 4, 2021, I held a President's Council for Region 2 with all affiliate chapters; seven affiliate chapters showed up (two affiliate chapters were unable to attend). President Ritchie Bryant, Vice President Dr. Jesus Remigio, Affiliate Chapter Liaison Dr. Carolyn Ball, the previous Region 2 Representative, Eli Sierra, and the current Region 5 Representative, Jeremy Quiroga, were present. We had an excellent discussion about the state of affairs at RID. We opened the meeting for the affiliate chapter Presidents or delegates to bring forth any issues to the table to enable some of the new RID Executive Board members to listen and understand their needs. President Bryant has committed to visiting each Region President's Council.

Many Affiliate Chapters (ACs) have expressed the need for RID to step up work on government affairs, primarily focusing on legislative policy, to get more states to pass licensure laws requiring national certification. Many ACs are concerned that there is no oversight of non-certified interpreters and are rightly worried that we can do nothing without legislative action in place.

President Bryant challenged AC leaders to think of radical ideas to make membership attractive and to retain members within their affiliate chapters. Leaders have brainstormed exciting ideas during the meeting for the Board. This group will have ongoing dis14

Many Affiliate Chapters have expressed the need for RID to step up work on government affairs, primarily focusing on legislative policy. To get more states to pass licensure laws requiring national certification. cussions for the time to come as we continue to collect feedback from the membership body in different avenues.

Mentoring will remain a central focus of my term as a Region 2 Representative since I have noticed a severe gap between recent ITP/IEP (Interpreting Training/Education Programs) graduates and certified interpreters in terms of skills and general knowledge. I believe a solid mentoring program in place would be a benefit not only to the RID membership but to the Deaf community and our stakeholders.

When I was a first-year student in college, I registered for an ASL 1 class, assuming it would be an “easy A” course for me. My ASL professor saw me and came up to me, told me I was going to be helping out with the class, learn how to teach, meaning I would have to explain my first language to students learning a second language, so what became an easy A course was a daunting task.

I was thankful for that opportunity. Now, I have been teaching for over twenty-five years.

As for becoming an interpreter, a similar occurrence happened; since I am a New York City native and lived in Orlando, Florida, my supervisor, a well-known RID certified interpreter trainer, and an agency owner needed a Deaf interpreter for an assignment.

Still, there were no Deaf interpreters at that time in the area. She decided to bring me along with her to this assignment. She knew she needed someone with Deaf experience and I thought what I was doing was “natural” or more of facilitating communication.

Then, later on, I learned it was a profession of Deaf interpreting that happens to have extra-linguistic knowledge of regional signs since the client was from up North.

My mentors saw and believed something in me that I had something to contribute. Thus, I want our membership body to have this in many forms. We need to see maximum potential in any individual and uplift it.

I want to end with a note: that my goal is to instill the value of doing good for the profession (and the communities we serve) over the next two years; especially we want to see our colleagues and the members of the Deaf communities align together to ensure that qualified and credentialed interpreters are available on a wide range of goods and services.

In conclusion: "Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It is important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop." Dorothy Height, civil rights activist.

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SAVE THE DATE!

REGION III CONFERENCE OWN THE PAST, BECOME THE CHANGE JUNE 16-19, 2022 COLUMBUS, OHIO

CALL FOR PRESENTERS! OCRID has been given the amazing opportunity to host the RID Region III Conference for the year 2022, and we are looking for interactive and motivated presenteres! We are hoping to provide a variety of topics related to our theme. We are looking for engaging presenters, and will be offering both 2-hour and 3-hour workshop sessions.

We are also looking for a Keynote and/or Endnote presenter (1-hour each) that would be able to provide a cohesive PPO workshop. *Note: A PPO workshop must involve raising awareness of a social justice topic, as well as call for self reflection and an active response from those in attendance.* To be considered, presenters should submit workshop proposals via the Google Form (link below) by December 1, 2021.

You are welcome to submit multiple workshop proposals, but please submit each workshop separately. All presenters will be confiirmed and notified by February 28, 2022 to allow for ample time for CE processing and preparation.

Interested? Please fill out this Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfk4AUdjnC-PzONNS9EQfHFWi3llLvAPZDyoAaumKA2URLvGA/viewform. Questions? Email r3presenters@ocrid.org. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

Presenter Compensation includes: $100/Presentation hour; airfare travel expenses up to $200; mileage reimbursement of $0.56/mile up to $200; lodging may be provided depending on schedule. Lodging will not be provided for presenters who live less than 50 miles from the GCCC.

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REGION V

REPORT

Jeremy Q Region V Rep, CDI "I really want to know: How can we move forward to a new chapter? And what should that look like for us?"

F

irst, I would like to start with a story. Back in the day when I was a young man I read a book called Illusions. I believe the author’s name was Richard Bach. I vividly remember that story. It was about a type of animal living in a river.

The town in that river had clusters of animal pods and the community believed that if you ever left the community you would be killed. They all believed this to be true so they always stayed within their community of pods. One day one of the animals decided they were going to do something daring and float down the river.

Everyone watched in dismay and horror as the animal pod left its community. “For sure they will die!” But alas that is not what happened! The animal pod traversed the rapid waters and eventually came upon a calm body of water that contained a new animal pod community. There were others! They couldn’t believe it! YES! It was truly earth shattering for their community.

There are three reasons I picked that story. I will expand on them here. In my journey as a Deaf young man, I used to think interpreters had to be perfect. I was extremely rigid in my ideals. However, I started getting to know more interpreters and over time my thought process in how I interact with interpreters & the demands I placed on them evolved. I let go. I changed my thinking. The act of letting go of what I believed to be true helped me evolve.

Then I became a CDI. The first month after certification I was selected to be on the Deaf Advisory Council (DAC). As I was looking for letters of recommendation, to my dismay I was turned down by many people stating various things like, “No, you are too young” or “No, you can’t.” I had to let go of that. I kept looking, and eventually the right people came along. The kind of people who believe in you.

Needless to say, I got my letters of recommendation and guess what, I was selected to be on the DAC and then moved on to join the search committee for the RID CEO. After that, I became a member

of the testing development committee for CASLI which has led to where I am currently, the RID Board. You and anyone CAN. Just like my journey, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.

Remember that leadership skills are not the same as interpreting skills. Leadership requires a different skill set and we need people like you who are ready and willing.

Now, let’s talk about Region V and my vision for Region V. Keep in mind I came to this late so I missed the prior meeting. My next meeting is November 21st. I am truly excited for this meeting and working with everyone.

For my vision, what I really want to know is how we can move forward to a new chapter. What should that look like for us? How can we let go of our previous structure and system? Do we believe that the system we currently have is effective? We need to talk about this more and there needs to be more exploration into how we can move forward. Now, I know that the act of letting go does come with uncertainties - the future is unknown. I don’t have that answer either, but what I do know is I am willing to let go and I want to invite you all to join me in this letting go process so we can collaborate and shape the future of RID which is YOU. That process of letting go, just as illustrated in my opening story, will have bumps along the way but the goal is to get to the other side, where the water is calm, fresh and new.

I want to close with a quote by Bruce Lee, “Be Water.” Lee did explain what he meant by this. Water is capable of absolute destruction. It is capable of many things. It is also capable of shaping. For example, when you fill a glass full of water it takes on the shape of the glass.

Water can also flow. It is up to you to decide what this should be.

17

AFFILIATE CHAPTERS

HIGHLIGHTS

Dr. Carolyn Ball Affiliate Chapter Liaison, CI & CT, NIC ing. OKRID was thrilled to be a Silver sponsor for Deaf Awareness Day at the Oklahoma State Fair on September 23. Plans are shaping up for our summer 2022 conference to be held June 16-28, 2022.

Nebraska Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf (neRID) neRID is working hard to have collaboration to update our state Rules and Regulations for Sign Language Interpreters. Also, neRID is participating on a council to design and implement an apprentice license for new and striving for NIC certification Interpreters.

Minnesota RID (MRID)

We're celebrating 50 years with weekly Golden Moments with videos of interpreters & Deaf community members sharing their memories of MRID the past 50 years. Due to Covid-19, we postponed our Fall Conference to spring/summer 2022 and are hosting a virtual "Laughing Through the Decades" event to celebrate 50 years.

Lastly, we were able to host an in person three-day board retreat where we tackled our very old and outdated Policy and Procedure Manual, to make it accurate and relevant.

Ohio RID (OCRID) OCRID has been hard at work planning the Region III Conference.

That has been our biggest focus, and it’s going well. The new Director of Meetings, who took office July 1, 2021, has organized all our meeting minutes, and compiled a list of action items. This has really helped us to get organized. Our new directors are Vicky Emerson, RID-CT, Trauma Informed Qualified Interpreter - 2016) and Director of Membership Amanda Gallof.

Oklahoma Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (OKRID) OKRID held its annual meeting and two workshop options in Tulsa on September 11, 2021, wrapping up an otherwise virtual conference throughout 2021. During the meeting, OKRID honored Jerri Smith, CI/CT, with our Lifetime Achievement Award. Scholarships were also awarded to eight members for both QAST and RID test-

Sacramento Interpreters for the Deaf (SaVRID) Just held its first general meeting with a new President, Secretary, and 5 new Members-At-Large. Our goal is to shorten our business meetings to allow for more time for community input by way of town halls. More to come!

Central New York RID (CNYRID) The past three years have been very challenging because the chapter nearly folded. The new CNYRID Board is scheduling their first General Meeting for October. The meeting will focus on the chapter's redevelopment while excitedly looking forward to the planning of the upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration and honoring our members since 1972.

New York City Metro RID (NYC Metro RID) NYC Metro RID is collaborating with NAOBI of NYC and NYCBDA to provide a scholarship for members who want to take their certification exam, offset some ITP tuition cost, or need financial help during their internship! More details to come soon!

Nevada RID (NVRID) NVRID is planning our first of many, Statewide "Come Together Weekend," events. This weekend will focus on building a supportive network of interpreters across the state. Interpreters have always worked primarily alone, and many are isolated from others in the field. This weekend will include workshops, a banquet, and other fun events to get people to come together, learn about each other, rekindle old friendships, and gain new colleagues! This event will take place March 12 & 13, 2022 in Reno, NV! Long Island Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (LIRID) Long Island Registry for the Deaf (LIRID) is continuing to function as a Steering Committee. This means that there is not one specific person per position. Rather, the seven of us work collaboratively as a group to make sure each essential function of LIRID is being completed by one of our committee members. On September 18th, 2021, LIRID 18

had LIRID’s Virtual Membership Appreciation Morning. Our morning started with a one hour meet and greet with a short update on what is happening with our local Affiliate Chapter. Following that, we had our free workshop for our LIRID members. The workshop was “BASL, what that” presented in ASL By Vyron Kinson through zoom. This hour and a half workshop gave us the opportunity to learn about Black ASL. We were provided with a rich history about how Black ASL came to be, who uses it, when they use it, and where we may encounter Black ASL in our given profession. With great open dialogue and rich discussion throughout the workshop, we also learned about the importance of historically black universities and colleges and how to foster a more inclusive and diverse field moving forward. After our workshop, we hosted a raffle for our members. We provided two Starbucks gift cards, and two by Mara Gift cards to three of our members. We look forward to seeing our membership grow and the upcoming events that we are planning.

South Dakota Interpreters Association (SDIA-RID) SDIA-RID held their annual fall conference on August 20th and 21st.

We were honored to have Bethany Gehman, M.Ed present on two topics: 1) Working Effectively with Gender and Sexual Minorities and 2) Sexual Health and Reproductive ASL Classifiers part 1 and 2.

It was great information and we had a good turnout. On the 21st, elections were held for open positions. The board now consists of the following: President - Cathy Strand Vice President - Kasey Entwisle Secretary - Aubrey Byrnes Treasurer - Juli Hamilton Our workshop coordinators are Hailey Bowers and Angela Zaug. We are looking forward to meeting together and discussing future trainings and events.

Massachussets (MassRID) MassRID has been recertified as a 501c3 with additional tax exemption status. MassRID is continuing its restructuring through using the sociocracy approach and model. MassRID is continuing its re-examination of membership levels and voting rights with equity in mind. MassRID is continuing to learn and update its Wild Apricot platform (website). Mass RID has its first General Informal Meeting scheduled for Oct. 3rd South Carolina (SC RID) SC RID has been holding regular Talking Circles with members, offering space to discuss isms experienced and share thoughts and feelings. Members have challenged SCRID to take action in response and as such the Board and Committees are developing, and reaching out for member support and involvement, the following foci: ITPs: Raising interpreters through DEI; Agency: Securing interpreters through DEI; and Community: Working together through DEI. We're busy at work with several related initiatives and look forward to increasing member involvement to strengthen our response and relevancy!

Michigan (MIRID) We just launched a new program called MIRID CARES. It’s a program designed to sponsor a D/DB/HH family in need this upcoming holiday season. Nominations are to be made by membership and then the board will work closely with the elected family on how best we can support them this holiday season.

Vermont RID (VTRID) During this summer and early fall, many stakeholders from across the Green Mountain State worked together to advocate for change related to an inequity in the award of a grant for services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind (DHHDB) students in Vermont. For many years, an array of services were provided to DHHDB students by the Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Austine School for the Deaf. When the organization and school closed in 2014, all of the services except for the school for the Deaf were transferred to an organization called Nine East Network and continued until June 30, 2021. Services included consultation to school districts and parents by 12 Deaf education consultants, direct instruction by teachers of the Deaf services, family ASL instruction and Deaf mentoring services, as well as early intervention for families with DHHDB infants and toddlers. The services were funded by a grant from the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE), with separate funding for the Parent Infant Program. The AOE issued a request for proposals to re-contract for Deaf Education services that resulted in a grant award to the University of Vermont’s (UVM) Center for Disability and Community Inclusion (CDCI) for consultation services only in reference to students who use listening and spoken language and need consultation focusing on access to instruction via this means and hearing assistive technology.

The Vermont Association of the Deaf (VTAD)-VTRID liaison, along with a core group including a VTRID representative and a VT Hands & Voices representative, organized a meeting of concerned stakeholders to discuss concerns about the lack of equity and access for DHHDB services who need ASL and bilingual education services. The meeting was held on Monday, August 30th and included significant representation from Deaf Community members, VTAD, DVAS, parents of children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind, EHDI, educational interpreters, VT Hands & Voices, and VTRID, among others. The State Legislative Affairs Coordinator for the NAD attended (representing the NAD Education Policy Specialist) as well. There was broad agreement that there were problems with the grant application review process that created a lack of equity and discrimination against Deaf students who use ASL across the state. For example, no Deaf individuals, the experts regarding the needs of Deaf children, were included in the grant review process. The meeting culminated with a plan for a letter to the AOE to be drafted expressing the concerns of the group and asking for actions to be taken to correct the resulting inequalities related to the grant and resulting services to address the educational needs of Deaf students in Vermont. The letter will be shared with the stakeholders, who will provide feedback before the letter is finalized. The final letter will also be sent to legislators. The representatives of the VTAD, VTRID, and VT Hands & Voices have been working together, and the letter will be sent soon. We’re proud of this community effort to advocate for the rights of students who are DHHDB to have full access to their education.

Mississippi RID (MSRID) MSRID just had their first ever virtual conference. It was a great success, and we are very proud of the team that worked to put it together! MSRID also participated in a grant proposal for under19

funded states that are in need of training resources to aid interpreters in achieving national certification. The grant was approved which means Mississippi interpreters will be a focal point. Our next training event is scheduled for Saturday, January 8.

Iowa State Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (ISRID) We had a booth and provided free interpretation services during "Deaf Day at Adventureland". We also had a booth and shared information during a Deaf Awareness event at a local public library (second year). Then, we made public comments regarding our state licensure, and we are planning a small in-person conference for the second weekend in October.

Deaf Awareness Informational Fair Deaf Awareness Month is to educate communities about many issues the Deaf population face during everyday life, as well as to honor the history and culture of poeple who are Deaf or hard-ofhearing. Therefore, on the evening of September 9th Hamilton Relay, Telecommunications Access Iowa, and Urbandale Public Library sponsored a Deaf Awareness Informational Fair at the Urbandale Public Library. This in-person event featured a variety of organizations that work with the Deaf, hard-of-hearing, Deafblind or those who have difficulty speaking to connect to their communities. It provided multiple representatives on hand to answer questions and explain their services. ISRID was happy to be in attendance.

Knowing what resources are available to the community is vital for those who need it.

Deaf Day at Adventureland!

On August 7th Thrive, Iowa Association of the Deaf, and ISRID hosted Deaf Day at Adventureland with booths at the front gates and interpreted shows all day. We had many volunteers, a great turnout, and of course lots of fun! Amanda Gallant who interpreted a magic and puppet show had this to say... "This was my first time interpreting for shows at Adventureland for Deaf Day. My favorite was the magic show. I would recommend seeing the show because it was funny and surprising to see the magic tricks. I can't figure out how they did it. There are so many shows that are great for kids too! There were new to try out and some of them were too scary for me but I'm sure they were fun for other brave people. I hope to see more Deaf people there next year!" Relive fun with all these fabulous pictures submitted by Tara von Walden and Jay Rowat. *Special thanks to Carrie Wood who helped organize all the interpreters for the event and interpreted shows, as well as our booth volunteers. In addition, thank you to Peggy Chicoine, Jamy Elker, Holly Shannon, Tara von Walden, Susan Hardine, Jay Rowat, and Amanda Gallant for interpreting the various shows and making them accessible for the Deaf community.*

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AFFILIATE CHAPTER CORNER Dr. Carolyn Ball Affiliate Chapter Liaison, CI & CT, NIC

Antonio Burkett, PCRID President As the Affiliate Chapter Liaison here at RID, it is an honor for me to get to work with amazing people. This quarter, please meet the President of PCRID, Antonio Burkett.

Introduction to Antonio Burkett, President of the PCRID (DC/MD)

graduated from CCBC in 2018.

Hello, I am Antonio Burkett, President PCRID. I was recently appointed last year in 2020, but I have been involved in PCRID for several years, probably since 2017.

Q: Your Background in Leadership is Very Unique.

Would you mind telling us about your background?

(Carolyn) Q: How did you become interested in the field of interpreting?

(Antonio) A: My best friend is Deaf and exposed me to a monthly Poetry Night in ASL at Busboys and Poets. Regardless of a person's signing level, they went on stage to interpret music, dance, etc., and the variety of performances inspired me to pursue interpreting.

From there, I started researching what I needed to do to become a sign language interpreter. That is when I found a school to train interpreters at CCBC, the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in 2012. I stayed there for one semester.

Then, in 2012, I left and went to Gallaudet University and had the opportunity to mingle with Deaf people at the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES). It was during my time at KDES that I met the staff members there -- when they taught sign language to hearing parents with Deaf children -- and one day I asked the teachers if they needed any support or any help. I told them that I would be willing to help. Later, I was able to work as a teacher’s assistant.

The teacher was Deaf, and we would do role-plays for the class to demonstrate different signs and how to use those signs with people. So, that is how I volunteered at KDES and I stayed in that position for a while.

Then, I began to think, what am I doing with my life, what are my goals and what is my future? So, at that time I talked to a man named Kevin Dyels (RID CI and CT) and as we were talking, Kevin said “maybe you should think about going back to school to add to my resume.” So, I think it was in 2016 that I went back to school and

A: My career started with the Federal government. I was a federal government employee (unrelated to interpreting) with USDA for 13 years. I started my career at 17 as a Student Intern, moving into a Loan Specialist role, and finally to a Finance and Loan Analyst position before I left. I worked in a number of capacities and took advantage of a plethora of opportunities. During that time, I was afforded an opportunity to detail (temporarily move) to the President’s Management Council for six months at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the Marketing and Communications Manager.

Once the detail ended, I went back to USDA, but I remember that it was during that same time, there was a government shutdown.

That shut down gave me an opportunity to test what interpreting would be like. It was then that I knew that interpreting was what my new life would be. So, when the government opened up again, I told my boss that I was quitting in two weeks. I remember that my boss asked me if I was kidding, and I said no. After I quit, I started working as a full-time interpreter.

Q: What made you want to become an Affiliate Chapter President?

A: I believe serving has always been in me. [The value was] probably instilled at a young age. I’ve always had a heart for helping the underdog, knowing that I can change someone’s life no matter how major or minor the deed and seeing the smile on people’s faces.

Maybe people will think, “If Antonio can do it, then I can do it,” which means maybe they will become the next future leader. Maybe that was off the point, but I have a lot of thoughts.

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Q: Were you afraid to become the president? How did you feel becoming the president of PCRID? A: When I was selected as the president, I thought immediately, “What am I going to do? Did I really accept this position? I've been appointed as the president and now what's next?” I had a lot of concerns but still I felt that if I had a very strong team we would encourage and help each other.

So, if I continued to be a good leader, the best leader that I could be, I knew that the team could all work together.

Also, by working together, we could do the things that we needed to do to improve our community of interpreting and unite together with the Deaf Community.

dent volunteer for the conference. Shortly thereafter, I was elected as the Director of Communications. At that time, I would email and post on social media without much thought.

As I “transcended the ranks”, I realized that the community isn't monolithic. There are a variety of communication needs within the community and communication equality is important. For example, I knew before taking this position that there was a DeafBlind

"When the government opened up again, I told my boss that I was quitting in two weeks. I remember that my boss asked me if I was kidding, and I said no."

I did feel a little bit scared, and maybe some people thought that would be impossible for me to lead. But I knew that I could do it, so I never let that stop me. I am optimistic and bigger picture oriented. My frame is “what is possible” to change [and] how we can improve/elevate the communities we work within? I look at the benefits, and all of those things motivate me. That’s why I did it and accepted the position.

Carolyn adds, “I think that what you have said is wonderful. I have had the opportunity of being involved with you in different meetings and a variety of settings, you have amazing leadership skills, and I think maybe that you should become a future president of RID. Don’t you think so?”

Antonio, “Maybe not right now, but we shall see.”

Q: What is it like to be the President of PCRID? How do you keep balance in your life?

A: It is challenging and balancing time is hard. It is hard to know where to put your priorities. I think it is normal now, as President, that I’m working with the community and then I have my personal life. So, it is a challenge, but I try to make sure that I prioritize the most important things first, and my team really helps me in the way of accountability. They remind me about certain tasks, what we're supposed to do, and at that point, I’m like “Right, let’s do it.” So, the team helps me, is behind me, and helps me with prioritization, too.

The president's role is almost like you're pulled in all these different directions. Some days there are a lot of meetings, a lot of requests, and a lot of communication. Basically, I think communication is one of the biggest pieces because it can be in the form of: texts, emails, social media (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram). There are so many different ways to communicate with the at-large community on top of internal communications with the leadership team. So, there is always some form of communication taking place.

Q: Do you feel that your communication skills have improved since you have become the President of PCRID? A: Definitely! When I was working for the Federal government, we communicated via email, and I was involved with newsletter publications. Now with PCRID, it is different. In 2017, I started as a stu-

Community. However, I was not aware of the communication needs that needed to be attended to until the DeafBlind community told me what their needs are. I'm learning as the president of PCRID to make sure that everything that we put out, for example, the videos, anything that we put out needs to be visually clear and descriptive so that the DeafBlind Community can also receive the information.

So, yes, I feel that I've started to think about everyone now and that's something to consider is that you can't just think about your own self or your own little group. I’ve had to start thinking about everyone and that everything that we do has an impact on our community. It is vital that I pay attention to those needs and really think about the community's needs.

Q: You mentioned, working with your team was important. Is it hard to work as a team or what are your feelings now about teamwork?

A: I have a great team, great leaders, all of them are wonderful. Oh, by the way, I think this PCRID team is the most diverse team -- the first in history -- similar to our recent national board. So, it's really, really nice and also, they inspire me. Different people on the team allow for different answers -- because I know I don’t always have the right answers -- knowledge and perspectives. Yet, that's the benefit of having a team and it feels good to have the team working together. It's always exciting and having similar goals makes it a lot easier to engage and communicate.

Q: How do you resolve conflict within your team? How do you deal with that kind of situation as president?

A: Conflict is normal, right? In general, with your family, friends, or what have you, you will encounter conflict in this world. You are going to have to deal with conflict. Even in your personal life you have to learn how to deal with conflict and everything goes back to communication. We have to have communication and we have to listen and to make sure that we understand where each other is coming from.

I've noticed that often if there is conflict people will just shut down and they won't try to communicate. Sometimes, the person will just

Different people on the team allow for different answers -- because I know I don’t always have the right answers -- knowledge and perspectives.

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draw the line and not want to communicate or want to resolve the issue. But we can agree, and we can also agree to disagree. But, at the same time, we have to be able to communicate to be able to fix the problems. We need to learn to improve our communication so that people outside of the board can see our example. I would say, communication is very important. At the end of the day, people just want to be heard. The answer is simple: just listen.

Q: What's your favorite part of serving as PCRID President? What’s your least favorite thing about being PCRID President?

A: My favorite thing is to see people smiling, happy, and want to be involved because people can see the exemplary PCRID leaders and see how we run the organization. For example, we recently had a collaborative event with NAOBI-DC, “Family Fun Day”. It was a park social, and we were all laughing and having a great time at that event. We even had volunteers that came and were very supportive. My favorite thing of all was that people were smiling and enjoying themselves.

that with me and that’s my world view. That’s how I feel about life, in general. Be that “change” in the world and it has to start with me.

That is my Mantra: be a change agent and make the world a better place. That’s what I want to leave as my legacy and that's why I'm here.

Thank you, President Burkett, for taking the time to share your wisdom and knowledge with the RID Members today. Your example is truly an inspiration to us all! Thank you for your service and for being willing to volunteer your time to PCRID and RID.

"Be that 'change' in the world and it has to start with me. That is my mantra: be a change agent and make the world a better place. That's what I want to leave as my legacy and that's why I'm here."

My least favorite part of being PCRID President is that the job of President never really stops. I'm always a representative of our PCRID and to the communities that we serve. It’s almost like being a diplomat, so you always have to smile, you always have to think who you represent. Even if I disagree, I still have to smile so you know it's like you always have to remember that you are a representative of PCRID. The job never stops, even at night whether it is 10 or 11 pm, I still have to be a representative of PCRID. And that really goes back to the question of balance. Balance is a struggle but sometimes I wish that the rule for AC President’s was that we had specific office hours and then when those office hours were done, we were free to go.

PCRID Board

Q: What Do You Recommend for the future leaders who want to become affiliate chapter leaders?

A: I can recommend for them that it is really very important to be involved, just be involved and to take advantage of opportunities.

Look for opportunities that are out there and if it's a right fit for you, go for it. Don’t just turn down opportunities to serve. You never know if you'll get that opportunity again, so sometimes you just have to go ahead and take that leap of faith. Even if it is not a good fit, you can always try something else that works for you. I can’t emphasize enough that you cannot just turn down everything. You have got to go ahead and take those opportunities because the most powerful asset is access to resources and networking. You know in my own life the opportunity of networking and being involved in different networking situations is how I have met so many people.

Then, those people I network with remember me or consider me for other things, and the networking never stops. Again, my one bit of advice: be involved!

Q: Is there anything that you want to add?

A: If people want to contact me, they can email me at president@ pc-rid.org. The second thing is to remember the quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” I carry

PCRID and NAOBI-DC at Family Fun Day 23

Want to live at the beach?

Maybe in the city?

We have immediate full-time openings for staff interpreters in NYC, Delaware, and North Carolina Fair Hours • Benefits • Relocation Assistance Email your resume to angela@asli.com • See all the details at https://asli.com/join-asli.html

24

RESEARCH & INSIGHTS Rising to the Challenge: Becoming a Beacon Insight for Non-Indigenous Interpreters

25

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE: BECOMING A BEACON

Written by

Dr. Suzette Garay Dr. Jenny Gough 26

F

or more than twenty years I’ve taught, evaluated and mentored students in Interpreter Education Programs. As a BIPOC Deaf educator who also happens to be a non-native ASL signer, I have experienced the racism and audism that contributed to the mass resignation of the most diverse Board of Directors in RID’s history. Our field is now populated by professionals who graduated from IEPs that did not serve them well.

Very few students understand the value of learning from someone who doesn’t fit the stereotyped ‘ideal’ of the ASL language of the White dominant Deaf community. Instead, they are trained through an oppressive hidden ‘agenda’ which is represented in conventional views of interpreting that have not been questioned by the educators themselves. Most teachers in IEPs tend to address ‘diversity’ as an add-on rather than as a lens for examining the deep relationships among racial disparities, whiteness, and marginalization.

There’s a problematic tendency in IEPs - and thus within the whole field - to treat antiracist activities and curriculum as an exclusive category of analysis rather than as an actual way of living in the world. It is critical to understand the multidimensions of how IEPs erase identities, lifetime experiences and wisdom just by the color of your skin or, in my case, by the mere fact you are not the (stereo) typical Deaf role model for students to learn from. I am hopeful that sharing my perspective can be a starting point for further discussions in critical race theory and the need for antiracist training in the IEPs. I do support the recent wave of RID certification maintenance requirements in Power, Privilege and Oppression, this needs to continue. But white graduates of IEPs entering the field should not be at stage one of recognizing their own whiteness, moving through the early stages of white fragility, and beginning to grow an identity separate from the socialization of white privilege. This groundwork needs to be already foundational.

Conversation and learning needs to explore how the interpreting profession itself, including RID, is heavily invested as a Whiteness institution. The evidence is pervasive. For instance, there are few BIPOC Deaf or Hearing instructors teaching in IEPs (what role-models do students have to begin with?), and frequently these leaders are limited to teaching courses pertaining to their “own kind”-- rarely did I have or see opportunities to teach the fundamentals of interpreting. It is as if the core courses can only be taught by the White Dominant Deaf or White Hearing instructors, and, in parallel, that White Deaf and White Hearing educators are unable to teach about antiracism and diversity. The implicit messages suggest BIPOC cannot handle teaching the core fundamentals and White people have no investment in antiracism. Neither is true, but together these two biases reinforce white supremacy.

So how can IEPs and RID start to seriously build up connectedness and belonging? How can White interpreters and White interpreter-educators fully embrace the upcoming BIPOC interpreting students, current BIPOC interpreting peers, and BIPOC Deaf consumers they will likely serve? I want to offer a rubric, BEACON, to serve as a framework for curriculum revision: Belonging, Empathy, Acceptance, Connectedness, Opportunity, and Negotiation (BEACON). These concepts represent neglected factors in sign language interpreter training. Too much of the ITP curriculum is invested in ASL in an academic setting and not enough in natural community settings.

Students are unprepared for real interpreting because the classroom offers only one kind of experience with non-negotiable roles for students, faculty, guest presenters, and working interpreters.

This instructional setting does not expose students to out-in-theworld experiences in the community settings where judgment must be exercised about whether to interpret simultaneously or consecutively, how to handle delicate ethical situations, and what it means to engage respectfully within and among various Deaf communities.

The thrust of a BEACON-inspired curriculum is to invest in longterm relationships with diverse Deaf consumers by cultivating appreciation of the vast range of signing/communicative styles, diverse cultural legacies and connections, and practices of empathy that provide an alternative to the privileged white lens. Specifically, the BEACON model develops skills in several areas, including: accepting constructive feedback from BIPOC; learning to recognize and how to intervene in specific, situated dynamics of racial bias that occur within interpreted interaction (that is, not only in the classic audist instance of White Hearing against White Deaf); how to provide appropriate guidance and institutional supports for students of color who are very often entering college without any of the benefits

There's a problematic tendency in IEPs - and thus within the whole field - to treat antiracist activities and curriculum as an exclusive category of analysis rather than as an actual way of living in the world. It is critical to understand the multidemensions of how IEPs erase identities, lifetime experiences and wisdom just by the color of you skin... of those who come from families who already successfully attained higher education; how to adapt instructional materials and testing to fairly assess students with various cognitive learning styles; how to support White students through positive growth and development when encountering the realities of privilege for the first time; and distinguishing between cultural aspects of interpreting and quality of interpreting (these are not the same; neither are they mutually exclusive). All of these improvements to interpreter training are long overdue and desperately needed - not only for interpreters of color and Deaf communities of color, but for everyone.

The point is, the skills needed to make IEPs and the entire profession amenable to BIPOC are the same skills needed to effectively address audism on behalf of all Deaf people. These are prosocial behaviors that can only be acquired through exposure and practice.

Unfortunately, most of the diversity experiences that are promoted

by IEPs are not supported with a deep antiracist infrastructure, this means they often have the unfortunate result of reinforcing prejudice rather than cultivating positive trust, confidence, and self-worth in each and every human being. The truth of institutionalized white privilege is that most White educators and most White interpreters lack quality experiences with BIPOC, so this may feel like a hard and scary reach. But it is so possible! We have to keep building accountability and hold each other open to the light.

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INSIGHT FOR NON-INDIGENOUS INTERPRETERS

Written by

Dr. Melanie McKay-Cody Editor’s note: In recognition of Native American Heritage Month (November 2021), RID is publishing the second portion of a two-part series focused on interpreting practices in Indigenous communities. Part one, “Protocol for Sign Language Interpreters Working in North American Indigenous Settings” was published in the February 2020 issue of VIEWS. 28

I

Traditional Interpreter Roles n general, interpreters in non-Indigenous settings have taken on a role that strives for very little interference, influence, or manifestation of the interpreter’s engagement as a separate entity.

This stems from a history of ethically trying to do no harm. This has led to the stigmatization of the old role model labels such as “helper,” and leads to the more accepted term of “ally.” However, the role of designated interpreter (DI) has slowly come to be a mixture of the behaviors of many of these old and new roles, with, perhaps, some enhancements.

Designated Interpreter role A DI’s role can vary hour by hour or day by day. Each Deaf professional (DP) has different needs at different times, which should be part of the DP/DI team planning. A DI works closely with a DP, so much so that his/her knowledge of the setting and context of the DP’s work is in-depth. Many of the interpreted situations go smoothly because the DI can anticipate or predict what a DP will express before they start a sentence. The DI and DP become a team. The DI can and should interact with the DP’s hearing colleagues as a separate individual, showing their humanity. This ensures trust and smooth collaboration between the hearing and DP/DI team. It also allows for the DI (and thus the DP) to understand the contextual culture of the work environment. Rumors, inside jokes, stories about who ate the last donut in the break room, and general information become mandatory interpreter knowledge to convey to the DP. Being a DI allows the power imbalance between hearing colleagues (including interpreter) and Deaf to begin to balance out. A team must be flexible and cohesive. A DI must adapt to situations quickly and smoothly, giving information from the environment to the DP. DP/ DI teams save time and lower stress. By showing adaptability, DPs have more opportunity to advance their careers. With professional assigned interpreters of a more neutral role, DPs become frustrated

are gathering berries, and your DP is helping, the DI will be gathering berries, too — this is a show of reciprocity on the part of the interpreter. You must also recognize your privilege and the power disparity between some Indigenous Deaf and their hearing tribal members. Deaf tribal members may lack tribal knowledge, understanding, or have misconceptions due to lack of communication and/ or education. You must be adaptable, with respect. Respect that you have power that must be used with responsibility to the people. The people and their relationships are more important than the work.

This protocol has been developed by Melanie McKay-Cody (Cherokee), Armando Castro (Mixteca), Tim Curry (Non-Indigenous), Amy Fowler (Non-Indigenous), Ren Freeman (Eastern Shoshone/ First Nation Cree), Crescenciano Garcia, JR. (Aztec), Paola Morales (Nahua/Pipil and afromestiza) Evelyn Optiz (San Carlos Apache) and Wanette Reynolds (Cherokee). Reviewed by Kevin Goodfeather (Dakota), Natasha Terry (Navajo), Hallie Zimmerman (Winnebago), and James Wooden Legs (Northern Cheyenne).

Diagrams to be used for powwows, signing circles, meetings, and ceremonies Scenario 1: Prayer Ceremony Circle.

This is a prayer ceremony circle created by Melanie McKay-Cody for the purpose of full language access to hearing and Deaf Indigenous (and non-Indigenous) people. The Indigenous Spiritual Leader or Person who leads the Prayer will stand in the middle of the circle and sign the Prayer. There are 4 hearing interpreters who are at the right side of the person signing the Prayer and on the left side will be Deaf “shadow” interpreter for the other Deaf people to see when the person in the middle is facing the other direction.

The specific cultural and ethical expectations in Indigenous contexts are paramount when considering your interpreting role — behaviors and perceptions. when working with non-designated interpreters who are unfamiliar with interpreting in Indigenous terminology, acronyms, context and cultural norms.

Role in Indigenous Contexts The specific cultural and ethical expectations in Indigenous contexts are paramount when considering your interpreting role — behaviors and perceptions. Knowing the complexities of such an assignment discussed in this Protocol, a non-Indigenous interpreter should shift towards a more designated interpreter role: expect that you will be addressed as the person you are, and need to interact on your own behalf, as well as providing constant communication access to whomever needs it, just as in the above role explanation of a DI. This means preparations are much more than reviewing the text of a presentation or knowing the names of participants. Preparation includes learning that setting’s schema. For example, as a field interpreter, you may be expected to participate in whatever type of physical work your DP is engaging in; if all of the women of the family

Figure 1: Prayer Ceremony Circle

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Scenario 2: Mohawk Spiritual Gathering The Spiritual gathering circle was created by Tina Terrance of the Mohawk tribe in New York, in 2006. The circle can be used as a Prayer Circle or “meeting” circle where everyone gathers together to talk in the circle.

Scenario 4: Four interpreters in Talking/Signing Circle This is very symbolic of Indigenous culture, where the four cardinal directions are set in the middle of the Signing/talking circle that involves hearing and Deaf Indigenous participants (it can be used for other purposes in the circle). This is created by Melanie McKay-Cody.

Figure 2: Mohawk Spiritual Gathering

Figure 4: Four interpreters in Circle

Scenario 3: Two interpreters in semi-circle When there are only two interpreters at a site, and if there are hearing participants in the circle with Deaf participants, the interpreters will position themselves within a semi-circle. Melanie McKay-Cody creates this; it can be for a Signing/Talking circle or meeting circle.

Scenario 5: Interpreter accompanying Pow-Wow dancer This is an example where the interpreter is involved with the dancer; they dance together and the interpreter will interpret what is being said by the Emcee, or other announcements. This is created by James Wooden Legs.

Figure 3: Two interpreters in semi-circle

Figure 5: Interpreter accompanying Pow-Wow dancer

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Scenario 6: Four interpreters in cardinal directions The interpreters standing in four cardinal directions and symbolic of our Indigenous culture, the Indigenous/Native Deaf dancer(s) will be able to see interpreters at their line of vision while s/he or they move around the circle at Pow Wow or any dance event. It is produced by James Wooden Legs.

Scenario 8: All-gender sweatlodge.

This sweat lodge positioning was created by past Intertribal Deaf members. The leader sits near the “door” of the sweat lodge. At the back of the sweat lodge, one side is the female side, and the female interpreter sits in that place. On the opposite side is the male interpreter. The one by the door either follows the gendered side or either gender interpreter can sit there. It is important to ask the Spiritual leader which is the most appropriate placement because she or he is in charge of the sweat lodge. If the Spiritual leader has never conducted one with a Deaf participant, the responsibility is transferred to the Indigenous Deaf participant to decide the positio

Figure 6: Four interpreters in cardinal directions

Scenario 7: Same-gender sweatlodge.

This is a typical sweat lodge where the interpreter sits next to the Spiritual leader or at the opposite side of the flap of the sweat lodge.

This is developed by consensual agreement from past Intertribal Deaf members. The position of the interpreter can be adjusted depending on the sweat lodge Deaf participant and/or DeafBlind participant. Typically the DeafBlind interpreter will sit next to the DeafBlind participant anywhere within the sweat lodge.

Figure 8: All-gender sweatlodge

Citation: McKay-Cody, Melanie, “Memory Comes Before KnowledgeNorth American Indigenous Deaf: Socio-cultural Study of Rock/ Picture Writing, Community, Sign Languages, and Kinship.” Published Ph.D. Diss., University of Oklahoma, 312-325.

Figure 7: Same-gender sweatlodge 31

INTERVIEW An Interview with Dr. Jack Hoza and RID Press

Team Interpreting as Collaboration and Interdependence: A Return to a Community Approach

32

RID Press interviews Jack Hoza, author of

Team Interpreting as Collaboration and Interdependence: A Return to Community Approach

Q: Why did you write a new, updated team interpreting book?

The reason that I wrote the new book was because I felt the need to update the original book on team interpreting. The first book was published back in 2010 and there wasn't much research on team interpreting at that time, which is why I originally did research on how a team of hearing interpreters works together. I video-recorded the work of some hearing interpreter teams and conducted a national survey on team interpreting. I found that the results applied to a variety of teams even though teams of hearing interpreters were my focus. Originally, I was planning to write an article to submit to the Journal of Interpretation (JOI), but when I started to work through the data, I found that the results were very rich and far-reaching, so

The first book was composed of ten, short chapters that supplied plenty of good information on teaming, but it was time to update some of the information in the book, update the use of certain terminology, and include current literature on teaming.

I decided instead to submit a book for publication with RID Press.

I wanted both interpreters and students of interpreting to be able to have a very readable book on team interpreting that could stimulate their thinking and their discussions with others.

Since that book was published, however, there has been more research on different types of teams, including Deaf-hearing interpreter teams, teams of two hearing interpreters, and teams of two Deaf interpreters. In addition, the field has heard more from Deaf community members regarding teaming as well. Given all these factors, I felt it was time to write this new book.

Q: What is the title of the new book and why does it have this new title?

The title of the original book was Team Interpreting as Collaboration and Interdependence, and while the new book has the same main title, I added a new subtitle: A Return to a Community Approach.

The reason for the title change was because most hearing interpreters have been using an approach to interpreting and teaming that is much different from this community approach that has existed in the Deaf community for many years. What most hearing interpreters have been using has been called a mainstream approach, and these two approaches are diametrically opposed. The mainstream approach is more in line with the majority culture's view of how professionals should work, but, again, the Deaf community has been engaged in its own approach to interpreting and teaming throughout the years. Because of the conflict between these two views, I wanted to clarify in this book what the two approaches entail, where they come from, and what it means to use a community approach.

We really can return to a Deaf-friendly approach that is more in line with the Deaf way of engaging in interpreting and teaming. That's the real reason I wrote the new book, and I’m thrilled that it has now been published.

Q: Who is the intended audience for this book?

When I was writing this book, I had four different groups in mind.

I wrote this book for interpreters working in the field -- both Deaf interpreters and hearing interpreters alike. I also wrote it for students of interpreting who are upper-level students, have basic competencies in interpreting, and are learning about teaming. Team interpreting is an important part of their future work as interpreters. I also had in mind interpreting programs and workshop presenters, in that one goal was to provide more in-depth information on teaming to these groups. Also, I wanted to provide updated research to researchers who study interpreting and team interpreting so that it could possibly lead to new areas of research on teaming well into the future.

It was really these four groups that I had in mind when I wrote the book, but, primarily, I wrote the new book for interpreters and students who wanted to read about team interpreting to provide them with some food for thought and to help stimulate discussions about team interpreting. That really encapsulates my goal in writing this new book.

Q: What from the original book did you keep in this edition?

The first book was composed of ten, short chapters that supplied plenty of good information on teaming, but it was time to update some of the information in the book, update the use of certain terminology, and include current literature on teaming. In addition to making these changes, I added several new sections to each chapter. These new sections include information on Deaf-hearing interpreter teams and teams with two Deaf interpreters, as well as teams with two hearing interpreters. Every chapter touches on these areas and includes new research, including my own new research on team interpreting. Observations made by Deaf community members and the research of Deaf scholars now appear in these chapters as well.

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In short, the new book doesn't just focus on teams of hearing interpreters as the first edition did and the book goes into much greater depth. It includes the original ten chapters, which have been greatly expanded, and, in addition, there are six new chapters.

Q: What is new in this edition?

As I mentioned, I kept the original ten chapters, but I made major changes to them and have updated them with current research.

There are also six additional chapters in this new book, which cover a range of topics. Part of the book now talks about how teams of interpreters can work together so that the work can more frequently fall into place and the team can do its best work, what I call being "in the zone." This is based on a new research study that I conducted.

Most hearing interpreters have been using an approach to interpreting and teaming that is much different from this community approach that has existed in the Deaf community for many years.

I had interviewed Deaf-hearing and hearing-hearing interpreter teams, and the results of that interview study are in the book. Also, I mentioned earlier that the community approach and mainstream approach to interpreting and teaming are in conflict. Thus, the book addresses these questions: How do we address this issue and change things regarding a team's approach to their work? And what does the future hold for team interpreting specifically?

defined, so for readers who want to look up terminology used in the book, the Glossary is a handy reference. And, third, there are five questions at the end of each chapter that help the reader apply the information from the respective chapters, which can also be used as discussion points with other people. The book is quite comprehensive and offers a lot of information, and I'm so happy that it's now available.

***

AVAILABLE NOW AT THE RID BOOKSTORE! $74.95 This book is available for purchase using the RID Member link below: https://myaccount.rid.org/Sales/ Catalog/Detail.aspx?id=da119803523b-ec11-8136-00155d234426

The book also explores the work of Deaf-hearing, hearing-hearing, Deaf-Deaf, and experienced-novice interpreter teams. The book reports how these various teams can best work together and get in the zone. The book also covers multiculturalism and diversity, and it includes discussions of discrimination and oppression. Discrimination can exist at a variety of levels: between participants and a team of interpreters as well as within an interpreter team. Clearly, these additional chapters cover a range of important topics.

Q: Is there anything else you want to explain about this new edition?

The last thing I'd like to say is that it really is a comprehensive book on team interpreting. One thing I forgot to mention previously is that I present a new team interpreting framework that outlines how teams can effectively work together given all the topics that are covered in the book. This framework also reviews the process of hiring a team, which includes how the decision is made, how to select the right team, and how to ensure that an appropriate team is hired.

There are three other things I want to mention about the new book.

First, there is a List of Abbreviations and Acronyms near the front of the book so that readers can look up any abbreviations or acronyms that they are unfamiliar with as they read along. Second, there is a Glossary at the back of the book, in which over 100 terms are 34

COLUMNS Self-Care Cultivating Professional Strengths with Self-Compassion

Honoring Diversity Dick Gregory

Food for Thought

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SELF-CARE: CULTIVATING PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS WITH SELF-COMPASSION

Written by

Breana Cross-Caldwell, BS, CI and CT "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."

-Abraham Maslow 36

W

hen all you (think you) have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Before identifying, claiming, and cultivating our strengths, we often go through the world not realizing the powerful tools we have at our disposal. It’s like you have a whole tool belt full of specialized tools, but you’re only using your hammer.

In order to build professional strengths as an interpreter, in a way that considers and prioritizes caring for your own needs, here are three steps to support you.

1. Start where you are The first step on any journey is to identify your starting point.

While exploring your strengths, get curious and willing to think outside the box! Often we take our own strengths for granted, believing everyone must possess the same strength we have or that it’s not really that much of an asset.

Identifying your strengths is a powerful way to begin reclaiming and harnessing the gifts that make you unique. Let this be fun!

2. Be gentle with yourself as you claim your strengths Once you’ve identified some of your strengths, you may notice inner judgement or criticism of yourself bubbling up.

Thoughts like: Who do I think I am?

This isn’t a strength.

But I have all these other weaknesses.

It can be hard to accept and own our own strengths. We are taught that we must work hard to be good at things or worthy of praise. We often focus on our weaknesses and the areas where we feel we fall short.

Be gentle with yourself through this process. Practicing self-compassion can help as you integrate this new awareness about yourself. Dr. Kristin Neff, self-compassion researcher and teacher, describes self-compassion as, “Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect?” (Neff).

Cultivating our strengths means being open to the whole picture of who we are practicing compassion for our weaknesses and owning our strengths.

When building professional strengths, here are some questions to consider and actions to take.

Ask yourself What is hard for others that comes easily or naturally to me?

What qualities and skills have I received compliments about?

If I got paid to do ____________________, it would feel like I’d won the lottery.

What tasks give me the most energy?

Poll your network Reach out to 10 people who know you well and ask, “Without mentioning my work or family, how would you describe my essential qualities and what I’m best at in 2-3 sentences?”

After collecting the responses, list the words, phrases, or concepts that stand out. Notice what shows up more than once.

Brainstorm what strengths are represented.

Take a test The Clifton Strengthsfinder assessment is a fun and robust way to get a sense of your strengths (Rath). The organization offers many tools for working with your strengths once you’ve identified them, from books and podcasts, to articles and coaching.

Cultivating our strengths means being open to the whole picture of who we are - practicing compassion for our weaknesses and owning our strengths.

What does it look like to claim the inherent strengths we possess?

The answer to this question will be personal and specific to you.

The journey to claim our strengths often leads us to trusting ourselves more deeply in our areas of strength. It makes these tools consciously available so we can lean on them more solidly during challenging times. When we practice self-compassion, we deepen trust, connection, and confidence in ourselves along the way.

3. Cultivate your strengths Once you’ve identified and claimed your strengths, building them can be enjoyable! We are born with inherent skills and ways of being that come natural to us, and we can intentionally develop and deepen them to become more effective and masterful.

Read and learn more about the strengths you possess. Choose activities, assignments, and partnerships that allow you to express and apply your strengths intentionally. Team up with others who have complementary strengths. Take workshops that allow you to understand and clarify the nuance of your particular strengths.

Practice gratitude for the strengths you possess.

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Developing professional strengths is a weaving together of self-awarness, self-compassion, and intentional practice to form a life and career of greater purpose and fulfillment.

Living and working from our strengths together

References

Developing professional strengths is a weaving together of self-awareness, self-compassion, and intentional practice to form a life and career of greater purpose and fulfillment. Enlisting the support of friends, colleagues, and community can make the journey more enjoyable and impactful.

Clifton Strengths. The 34 CliftonStrengths Themes. Retrieved Oct. 22, 2021. https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/ en/253715/34-cliftonstrengths-themes.aspx

Consider who might be a support along your path, and reach out to let them know. You’ll not only develop your individual strengths, you’ll deepen relationships that can last a lifetime and provide mutual support through the inevitable growing pains of life.

Neff, Kristin. Changing Your Critical Self-Talk.

Retrieved Oct. 22, 2021. https://self-compassion.org/ exercise-5-changing-critical-self-talk/ Rath, Tom. (2013). Strengthsfinder 2.0. Gallup Press.

38

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Written by

Joe Sapienza, CI "My team explained that the Deaf client's information of there being 'only two agencies' was incorrect and wanted to clarify to the recruiter that there were multiple area agencies."

39

I

was team interpreting an assignment for a one-on-one in-depth interview between a corporate recruiter and a prospective Deaf hire. The interpreting work went smoothly. At one point in the interview, the recruiter asked questions on how the company would acquire interpreting services if the Deaf person was hired by the company. The Deaf person replied that the area had only two interpreting agencies and supplied the recruiter with their names.

The interview continued then ended with both parties seeming satisfied and the Deaf person left. My team and I stepped out of the office and started a quick debriefing as we both had later assignments. As we talked, my team excused herself and went back into the office. After a few minutes, she returned. Curious, I asked why she went back to the recruiter. My team explained that the Deaf client’s information of there being “only two agencies” was incorrect and wanted to clarify to the recruiter that there were multiple area agencies so she gave as many company names of which she could think. She thought the Deaf person would have a better chance to get interpreting services if the company had more choices than two.

My team has a lot more experience than me. At that time we both were out of time to discuss this action further. What are your thoughts?

Deaf Consumer Response: Personally, I would be fine with this. The interpreter didn't interrupt and share that information during the interview, but rather did so afterwards. Also, that question is related to her area of expertise and not of a personal nature. If the question had been skill-related as pertained to the Deaf person's hearing loss or something where the interpreter tried to explain Deaf culture, I would probably have preferred that the interpreter stayed out.

Hearing Professional’s Response: It sounds to me like the scenario worked out for the best. It was stated that both the hearing person and the Deaf person were satisfied with the interview. I think the interpreter went back into the office to talk with the recruiter because I’d imagine she has the most knowledge of this topic. If she worked in that town or city she probably would know of most if not all of the interpreting businesses. If it helps the recruiter and the Deaf person to later get another interpreter I’m sure it would be appreciated. If she only gave her own company then I’d wonder about a conflict of interest but since she

If the question had been skill-related as pertained to the Deaf person's hearing loss or something where the interpreter tried to explain Deaf culture, I would probably have preferred that the interpreter stayed out.

gave as many as she could, then we don’t have to worry about that.

I think it would have been polite if the more experienced interpreter told the newer one what she was doing rather than just walking back in by herself. The newer interpreter could have joined, since she was there for the interview too. I think it’s great that interpreters debrief after they work – I would never have imagined that!

The interpreter was there to work WITH the Deaf client, rather than work apart from the Deaf client. One major issue at play here is the determination that an interpreter would be necessary to ensure equal access.

Deaf Interpreter Response: The interpreter was there to work WITH the Deaf client, rather than work apart from the Deaf client. One major issue at play here is the determination that an interpreter would be necessary to ensure equal access. The interpreter's role is to be working in a team with a Deaf client to ensure that the necessary work of access was done as the target work was being performed (in this case, the interview). It is unfortunate that the interpreter chose to take it upon themselves to further take on work on behalf of the client without their knowledge and then without their consent. Unintentionally, the interpreter may have given the recruiter the idea that the Deaf client was either uninformed, not educated, or unreliable, as they specifically stated that the client was "incorrect." The recruiter's reputation and livelihood depends on their ability to match clients to prospective hires; giving the recruiter the idea that a Deaf person's knowledge was faulty could set the stage for a negative reception and potential rejection from consideration.

Additionally, the Deaf client may have specifically not mentioned other interpreting agencies for personal reasons of their own. It was their decision to give these particular data points to the recruiter.

Deaf consumers will screen out agencies or interpreters for various reasons, and those decisions should be respected.

Hearing Interpreter Response: In my opinion the interpreter did not act within ethical guidelines. Our job is to interpret the information given. As a hearing person I may choose to give my preferred options rather than all options. Equal access requires that the Deaf client can give the agency options they wish, and to represent those options as exclusive if they choose. It is entirely possible the Deaf client chose only to give the two agencies with which they were willing to work. The interpreter undermined the Deaf client's ability to choose, and also painted the client in a bad light, as it could be supposed that the client was either ignorant or deceitful in their response to the recruiter's question.

40

HONORING DIVERSITY: DICK GREGORY

Written by

Billy Sanders, MPA "I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that."

-Dick Gregory

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P

eace, Brother Dick Gregory. Our giant has fallen.

Courageous. Black. Leader.

There are not enough words of honor to adorn the man who became one of our country’s greatest comedians and activists of all time. Dick Gregory paved the way for the majority of the comedians we have grown to love, and ultimately emulate in our daily lives while with our friends, in break rooms, or with our families during the holidays. We can trace the cornerstones of our funny isms to the seeds of thought-provoking humor Dick Gregory planted many moons ago.

As the nation’s leading comic throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, Dick knew his platform could influence millions if he used his power for the greater good rather than bloviate for personal gain. Beyond comedy, Hollywood saw fit that Dick was ready to lead his own show alongside a white co-star. Impervious to criticism or professional backlash, Dick rejected the deal, because he refused to co-star with a

Our social responsibility as certified professional interpreters is simple: fight oppression through our profession, both passionately and purposefully. white actor to validate his star potential. As a result, I-Spy premiered with Bill Cosby, and the rest was history (Gregory & Lipsyte, 1964).

Determined to be an agent of change, Gregory propelled his influence throughout the Civil Rights movement as a speaker, sponsor, advocate, social fighter for justice, and ultimately ascended into a formidable 1968 Presidential candidate (Gregory & McGraw, 1968).

Dick Gregory’s confluence of comedic prowess, influence and activism mirrors what I challenge every interpreter to embrace today: fight oppression through our profession. At the height of Dick’s comedic prowess and popularity, he transformed his comedic platform into a civil rights machine, having sponsored events and marches, bailed out several wrongly accused and jailed leaders, pushed for legislation in several states alongside many social justice organizations, planned and led protests (Gregory & Moses, 2000). Gregory remained on the frontline of justice to witness equality manifest that you and I are able to interpret beyond a “Blacks Only” sign.

We are in an era where many of our leading Black men and women are promulgated by the media as our Black leaders. My, where have our leaders gone? Dick Gregory redefined ‘courage under fire’

for many Black men and women who held a platform of influence that carried power and conviction. Gregory understood that position without purpose was powerless and lacked the ability to affect change in a meaningful way (Gregory & Moses, 2000).

Our social responsibility as certified professional interpreters is simple: fight oppression through our profession, both passionately and purposefully. We must see to it that we interpret with the vigor, clarity, and commitment to truth necessary to free the uninformed into the empowered. We stand in the gap of information and the informed, rally after rally, march after march, and meeting after meeting to avail our talent to the power of those who stand on the front lines of Justice and Now. Was Dick Gregory a sign language interpreter? No. Comedic interpreter? Yes! Whether it is the movement for Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Philando Castille, Black Lives Matter, or vigils for our fallen brothers and sisters in Ferguson, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Dallas, or Charlottesville; rallies against police brutality, peaceful protests, or demonstrations against any oppressive entity by any means necessary, we were, are, and will be there, just as Dick Gregory was.

Who are we not to honor the diversity within ourselves, using our innate abilities to lend towards the social justice movement beyond the scope of our profession, just as Dick Gregory exemplified from comedy to activism. We stand on the shoulders of Brother Dick Gregory, and ingratiate our work with the many giants of courage and good will to continue fighting the good fight.

References: Gregory, D., Lipsyte, R. (1964) Nigger: An Autobiography by Dick Gregory. New York, New York: E.P. Dutton.

Gregory, D., Moses, S.P. (2000) Callous on My Soul: A Memoir. New York, New York: Kensington Publishing Corporation.

Gregory, D., McGraw, J. (1968) Write Me In! University of Michigan.

Bantam Books 42

ASSOCIATION BUSINESS Newly Certified Ethical Practices System Report Statement of Ownership

43

NEWLY CERTIFIED

Certification Awarded Between: 08/18/2021-11/15/2021

Region I Jason Eli Schwartz Molly R. Armes Melchior A Fernandez Ashley N Turley

MA NY NJ WV

Region II Shannon Morrison MD Abigail Castillo VA Raven C Sheridan NC Lisa Barker NC Drew Combs TN Kelly Crosby Spell GA Amanda Branco FL Jon Michael Ledbetter FL Jessica Parker FL Courtney Feldman FL Region III Jordan Huff Katharine Rarick Madison Caroline Koller

IN OH KY

Region IV Elliana Claire Streifer Emma Layne Fitzhugh Lauren Jean Mills Scott Thomas Lakebrink Miquela Elise Sanchez Wilkinson Guy Anna McMillian Wendy Annelle Thomas Julia Marincel Shadoe Williamson

CO CO IA MO NM NM TX TX TX

Region V Aaron Johnson WA Erin McAlpin OR Carly Dreyfus OR Sylvia Primrose OR Danielle Lauren DeAndrea-Lazarus CA Mark Anthony Medina-Wilson CA Ashley Calvino CA Erika Maria Geddes CA Xiomara Paredes CA 44

ETHICAL PRACTICES SYSTEM REPORT MEMBER: Heather Mewshaw

REGION: Region II

TENETS:

1. Confidentiality 2. Professionalism 3. Conduct 4. Respect for Consumers 5. Respect for Colleagues 6. Business Practices

In accordance with the Ethical Practices System (EPS) Policies, the following members were found to have violated the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct (CPC):

SANCTION(S):

• A two-year suspension of membership and certification effective immediately, not to occur concurrently with any other EPS sanction.

• Removal of RID Credentials from any online presence.

• Must inform any agencies and/or employers of certification status change.

• Work with a RID appointed Consultant for at least 40 hours.

• Under supervision of the Consultant, develop and submit a reflection paper that: • Demonstrates understanding of why each tenet was violated and reflection of why the Respondent’s choices were unbecoming of a professional RID interpreter and requests the panel to remove suspension with a justification for why this should be done; • Work with the Consultant to develop and submit an apology for perusal by the Complainant as desired with specific requirements outlined in decision letter.;

CONDITIONS OF REINSTATEMENT:

• Submission of reflection paper by September October 21, 2023; • Submission of apology by October 21, 2022; • The Complainant will be provided a copy of the apology for perusal as desired and may submit a response to the apology for the panel’s review.

• Panel will review reflection paper, apology and a statement from the respondent (if provided) and determine if all conditions have been satisfactorily met prior to reinstatement of certification and membership.

MEDIATOR APPLICATION

EPS/ETHICS STATEMENT

FY 2022 Certification Reinstatements and Revocations

Below, please find a link to a page on our website that lists individuals whose certifications have been revoked due to non-compliance with the Certification Maintenance Program or by reasons stated in the RID PPM. The Certification Maintenance Program requirements are as follows: • Maintain current RID membership by paying annual RID Certified Member dues • Meet the CEU requirements: » CMP CEU Requirements: • 8.0 Total CEUs with at least 6.0 in PS CEUs • Up to 2.0 GS CEUs may be applied toward the requirement • SC:L’s only–2.0 of the 6.0 PS CEUs must be in legal interpreting topics • SC:PA’s only–2.0 of the 6.0 PS CEUs must be in performing arts topics • Follow the RID Code of Professional Conduct If an individual appears on the list, it means that their consumers may no longer be protected by the Ethical Practices System, should an issue arise. This list is available on the RID website and can be accessed by the community at large. The published list is a “live” list, meaning that it will be updated as needed if a certification is reinstated or revoked. To view the revocation list, please visit the link HERE. Should a member lose certification due to failure to comply with CEU requirements or failure to pay membership dues, you may submit a reinstatement request. The reinstatement form and policies are outlined HERE. 45

VIEWS STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation

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VIEWS Vision: VIEWS, RID’s digital publication, is dedicated to the interpreting profession. As a part of RID’s strategic goals, we focus on providing interpreters with the educational tools they need to excel at their profession. VIEWS is about inspiring, or even instigating, thoughtful discussions among practitioners. With the establishment of the VIEWS Board of Editors, the featured content in this publication is peer-reviewed and standardized according to our bilingual review process. VIEWS is on the leading edge of bilingual publications for English and ASL. In this way, VIEWS helps to bridge the gap between interpreters and clients and facilitate equality of language. This publication represents a rich history of knowledge-sharing in an extremely diverse profession. As an organization, we value the experiences and expertise of interpreters from every cultural, linguistic, and educational background.

VIEWS seeks to provide information to researchers and stakeholders about these specialty fields and groups in the interpreting profession. We aim to explore the interpreter’s role within this demanding social and political environment by promoting content with complex layers of experience and meaning.

While we publish updates on our website and social media platforms, unique information from the following areas can only be found in VIEWS: • • • • • • •

Both research- and peer-based articles/columns Interpreting skill-building and continuing education opportunities Local, national, and international interpreting news Reports on the Certification Program RID committee and Member Sections news New publications available from RID Press News and highlights from RID Headquarters

Submissions:

VIEWS publishes articles on matters of interest and concern to the membership. Submissions that are essentially interpersonal exchanges, editorials or statements of opinion are not appropriate as articles and may remain unpublished, run as a letter to the editor or as a position paper. Submissions that are simply the description of programs and services in the community with no discussion may also be redirected to a more archival platform on the website. Articles should be 1,800 words or fewer. Unsigned articles will not be published. Please contact the editor of VIEWS if you require more space. RID reserves the right to limit the quantity and frequency of articles published in VIEWS written by a single author(s). Receipt by RID of a submission does not guarantee its publication. RID reserves the right to edit, excerpt or refuse to publish any submission. Publication of an advertisement does not constitute RID’s endorsement or approval of the advertiser, nor does RID guarantee the accuracy of information given in an advertisement.

Advertising specifications can be found at www.rid.org, or by contacting the editor. All editorial, advertising, submission and permission inquiries should be directed to (703) 838-0030, (703) 838-0454 fax, or publications@rid.org.

Copyright: VIEWS is published quarterly by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Statements of fact or opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent the opinion of RID. The author(s), not RID, is responsible for the content of submissions published in VIEWS.

Statement of Ownership:

VIEWS (ISSN 0277-1088) is published quarterly by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Periodical postage paid in Stone Mountain, GA and other mailing offices by The Sauers Group, Inc. Materials may not be reproduced or reprinted in whole or in part without written permission. Contact views@rid.org for permission inquiries and requests.

VIEWS electronic subscription is a membership benefit and is covered in the cost of RID membership dues. © 2021 the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. All rights reserved.

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