VIEWS: The Future Is Now: Meet Anywhere, Anytime! by Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf

Meet Anywhere, Anytime! The Future Is Now: CONFERENCE ISSUE 39 | VOLUME 3 | SUMMER 2022 VIEWS

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MISSION

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

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 direct Thecommunication;interpreting profession is formally recognized and is advanced by rigorous professional development, standards of conduct, and credentials.

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.

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.

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.

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) 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

TABLE OF FROM THE PRESIDENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 FROM THE CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 THE AFFILIATE CHAPTER CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 REGION I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 REGION II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 REGION IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 REGION V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 REGION III COLUMBUS OHIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 AFFILIATE CHAPTER HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 CLIMB TO THE TOP OF FULL LANGUAGE ACCESS! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 IN THE LENSES OF A BLACK CODA FEMALE INTERPRETER . . . . . . . 34 CERTIFICATIONS FIELD CONVENTIONS AND HIERARCHY . . . . . . . . 36 CONTENTS 5

“We need to discuss how we can recognize, and bring to the table, issues impacting various interpreting communities.”

The conferences are a valuable time for us to gather and discuss different themes that we encounter in the interpreting field. We attend workshops to learn new ideas and new skills. And we also use the time to network as a community, to meet old and new communities and friends. That is a highlight of the conference season. I want to share with you some highlights from two conferences that I attended. The first conference was the RID Region III Conference in Columbus, Ohio; and the second was the NAD Conference in Orlando, Florida. I will not go into detail about these conferences in my report, but I wanted to share with you the highlights from both conferences that I attended. I attended the Region III Conference in Columbus, which was a hybrid conference (meaning attendees participated both virtually and in person). That was my first in-person conference since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It was a pleasure to see many interpreters’ desire to meet, network, and mingle in person. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to participate in multiple workshops and meet the community since my election one year ago as Board President.

Today’s theme: Conference. Of course, it is summertime, and the usual practice is to get together for our conferences. Conferences are now returning to in-person sessions after a two-year hiatus due to COVID when we all moved to virtual reality. Now that we are returning to an in-person or hybrid model, we continue to offer all models of access.

Ritchie Bryant, MS, CDI, CLIP-R Board President

FROM THE PRESIDENT 7

Also, my colleague, CEO Star Grieser, gave a closing keynote presentation detailing the organization’s plan and revisions that are underway. In particular, she shared what our internal and strategic plans for Headquarters are to address our needs for organizational and structural change. The Region III conference helped us refine our vision - the ideas we received helped us to prepare for the 2023 National Conference in Baltimore, MD. We will share more details in the near future.

Secondly, I attended the NAD Conference in Orlando, Florida, with Star, Jason (Board Secretary), and Vicky (Member Services Specialist). NAD is the oldest civil rights organization in America and was founded in 1880. The goal we had in mind for attending the conference was to reconnect with the Deaf community and reconnect with Deaf consumers. We attended many awesome workshops, ranging from NAIE (educational interpreters) to technical-specific workshops relating to FCC governance. Another thing that I was impressed with is that NAD shows intentional thought and preparation to foster the most diverse and receptive experience for members. My hat is off to NAD for their thoughtful preparation to ensure that members are included, including BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind and DeafDisabled communities and more. That is something RID can look at and incorporate for our next conference in Baltimore. I attended a workshop that impressed me greatly, and I believe will have a huge impact on our interpreting field, focusing on technology. Technological changes can really impact our community of practice as we shift into the digital age. How will we work around technology? With that in mind, I asked headquarters to add a technology track to the conference. That will help us to prepare for the future of interpreting and technology.

It was a great opportunity to discuss our board’s vision of organizational change from a memberdriven organization to a professional certification organization. A lot of us discussed, shared concerns, and fears (which I understand). I was invited to give the opening keynote at the conference. The topic of my presentation was RID: Heal and Onwards. People who attended the presentation report that the presentation was well-received. We discussed the need to address organizational trauma impacting BIPOC interpreters, Deaf interpreters, and the larger interpreting communities. These organizational traumas impact the board, and members as well. We need to discuss how we can recognize, and bring to the table, issues impacting various interpreting communities. In particular, we want to address issues impacting religious interpreters and educational interpreters, rural interpreters, BIPOC interpreters, Deaf interpreters, and so forth. Our organization has focused on supporting community interpreters; we want to expand our focus to be inclusive of interpreters’ own communities to advance the interpreting profession. That is the key point that I addressed in my presentation.

“Technological changes can really impact our community of practice as we shift into the digital age.”

Last but not least, you should have received a save-the-date from RID for the National Conference in Baltimore, MD towards the end of July 2023. Are you ready is our theme. We believe this theme is fitting for this conference. We, as members, are conscious of the ongoing discussions and conversations we have had around the possibility of changing over to a new governing structure and structural changes at headquarters. This change is intentional to help us promote and elevate the quality of the interpreting profession. This shift requires us to hold thoughtful conversations, to be mindfully and spiritually prepared to be ready to discuss and attend to RID’s future.

“Headquarters is likewise ready for change and is ready to move forward. The question is: are we as members ready as well?”

These conversations, along with the governance structure, will not be discussed only at the conference. We will have meetings and intentional conversations with members, stakeholders, and communities about the future of RID, and what our structure may look like. We want to offer different models to share the concepts of what we might look for in our governance structure to vote on in the Conference in Baltimore. With that in mind, the theme of the Conference is that we should be ready to vote for governance and structural change in Baltimore. We want to have conversations, discussions, and continue the discussion that we have had for many years, of separating membership benefits and certification. We as a board are ready to discuss this topic. We are ready to change and move forward. Headquarters is likewise ready for change and is ready to move forward. The question is: are we as members ready as well?

Organic systems naturally seek balance. They don’t always achieve it, but they seek it. This is a state of balance between give and take, provide and receive, input and output: a tug-of-war caused by competing demands. RID is no exception. We are organic in the sense that our leaders, our profession, our members, and our consumers are constantly in a state of back and forth, evolving amid the internal and external forces at play.

balance. How do we achieve that balance? Can we achieve this balance? What is the next stage in our evolutionary growth? Where do we go from here?

Star Grieser, MS, CDI, ICE-CCP Chief Executive Officer

First, we need to figure out where we are right now. We’re honestly kind of all over the place and we have been for a long time. RID has faced constant organizational disruption - testing moratoriums, lawsuits, staff turnover, unstable leadership etc., - in the past several years and decades even. The time has come to ask ourselves why this pattern keeps repeating itself. What legacy are we, as interpreters, as RID, passing along to upand-coming professionals in the field, to our consumers, to our stakeholders? And to hold on to a legacy of intermittent cataclysmic organizational disruption is to do a grave disservice to our members, our professionals, our consumers, and our stakeholders. This question has been front and center of our organization’s salient discourse for a while now but hasn’t really been tackled because of, well, intermittent cataclysmic organizational disruption. For guidance on this topic - “where do we go from here?” - let’s look at RID’s Mission.

Where Do We Go From Here?

For RID, those forces continue to be whether we are a member-driven organization focused on the needs and desires of our members or if we are a certifying body that oversees test administration, certification, Ethical Practices System and Certification Maintenance Programs. RID is not in

Do you see the tug-of-war? It says “The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf is a professional organization for interpreters who use signed and spoken languages” and the members of the organization as in “As members of RID we commit to providing ethical, high-quality interpreting services for our clients; we also commit to our own continuous professional development.”

Ah ha! RID’s raison d’etre! RID:

FROM THE CEO

The mission of the organization tells us that we are “a professional organization for interpreters” but then the focus is on what members of the organization do. The mission doesn’t really clarify our reason for existing other than being a “professional organization”. There is more clarity in the mission of the organization, such as on RID’s “About Us” webpage, where the introduction says: “RID has played a leading role in establishing a national standard of quality for interpreters and transliterators. We encourage the growth of the profession, educate the public about the vital role of interpreters and transliterators and work to ensure equal opportunity and access for all individuals”.

• Establishes the national standard of quality for interpreters

• Educates the public about the vital role of interpreters.

I spent considerable time digging into the institutional archives and reading up on the history of RID, reading meeting minutes, committee reports, assessing unfinished projects and proposals, plotting new projects and initiatives and generally assessing how to move this organization forward. The question of “where do we go from here?” is not new to RID. We’ve been tackling this question over and over again for decades.

The language in our mission and vision, for me personally, boils down to simply: Elevate the profession.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc is a professional organization for interpreters who use signed and spoken languages. As members of RID we commit to providing ethical, highquality interpreting services for our clients; we also commit to our own continuous professional development.

Lou Fant wrote in his seminal book “Silver Threads” published back in 1989 (pg 52-53): “The enormous expenditure of resources and time over 11

Mission – What We Do:

• Grows the profession.

• Works to ensure equal opportunity and access for all individuals.

This introductory paragraph clearly highlights standard-setting or certification, and also growing the professional… also professional growth, thus, again that tug-of-war.

First RID would have no vested interest in the outcome, thus certification would be placed on a far more objective footing. Second, the home office staff and local affiliate personnel would be freed up to attend to what ought to be the main business of RID, fostering the professional growth of us all.”

the membership society in a constant tug-of-war where any disruption of the member part of our org also causes disruption to the certification part of our org and vice versa.

More simply and elegantly put, our mission is to:

The certification industry has also come a long way in the past 30 years and has made huge strides in the past 15. The accreditation standards for both the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the International Organization for Standards (ISO) have been written and updated several times since the early 1970s and 2000s. A huge wealth of research has been conducted and published, certification handbooks developed and disseminated, and professional practice papers outlining industry best practices have continued to be released and re-released, addressing the technological progress and new trends in our ever-changing world. Certification and licensure across various industries have become a valued commodity where certification communicates to employers, consumers, governmental and regulatory bodies, and key stakeholders that certificants have demonstrated a level of knowledge, skills and abilities to perform in a general setting, and have demonstrated a commitment to professional behaviors and ethics and professional development.

the last seventeen years could easily lead one to conclude that the certification of interpreters is RID’s raison d’etre. It is time, now that our new certification procedure is in place and functioning, to consider turning this responsibility over to an independent agency. Two important benefits would accrue to us all under some such arrangement as that described above.

2. Foster Professional Growth.

Both intrinsic and extrinsic values of certification are promoted for every field or industry it certifies: certification enhances a feeling of

For RID, Inc., as a major certifying body of ASL interpreters and also a professional organization, fostering the competing and conflicting forces at play is unsustainable if we are to elevate the profession. The organizational structure of RID must adapt in order to remain relevant, valid, and competitive in our ever-changing world.

1. Strengthen Certification.

The intermittent cataclysmic organizational disruption to RID has hindered our momentum forward, keeping this status quo of a hybrid organization with competing and conflicting interests between the certification business and

• Certification Maintenance - Needs to assure consumers and stakeholders that our certificants are engaging in ongoing professional development and are genuinely improving their knowledge and skills to ensure ongoing confidence in the CMP process and our certification.

For these reasons, all certification activities must become insulated, by creating a “wall of autonomy” from undue membership influence so there can be no vote from membership on certification activities or policies for their own best interest. RID has already accomplished this with CASLI and CASLI’s Board of Managers which oversees testing activities, written policies and procedures established to protect the validity and security of the exams (and by extension, of RID certification programs) and not in accordance with the desires of RID members. The same should be done for all certification-related activities. A separate and autonomous certification council that oversees certification, EPS and CMP, and 13

personal accomplishment, validates specialized knowledge, provides personal satisfaction, indicates professional growth, provides professional challenges, indicates attainment of a practice standard, enhances professional credibility, provides evidence of professional commitment, enhances personal confidence in your abilities, provides evidence of accountability, indicates the level of competence and enhances professional autonomy. Certification promotes recognition from peers; increases marketability; promotes recognition from other professionals, increases customer confidence, promotes recognition from employers, and increases your salary and professional opportunities. Again, RID’s certification programs have remained stagnant due to the intermittent cataclysmic disruption within the member-driven component of our organization. The time has come to do better.

• Certification - needs to follow suit. Certification has largely depended on the volunteer expertise of certified RID members and is the most vulnerable to being waylaid by members and Board motions. Certification should be focusing on aligning certification eligibility with most current accreditation standards and industry best practices rather than carrying out the directives of motions from 15 years ago.

• Testing - despite what some people may decry, CASLI does right by testing: they’re adhering to psychometric recommendations and testing industry best practices for testing. While candidates may take issue with the challenges CASLI has faced during testing development during a global pandemic, CASLI continues to make decisions based on protecting the integrity of the test rather than tailoring to the desire or demands of testing candidates and RID members.

• Ethical Practices - The EPS was designed based on a very hearing-centered hegemony and ideology, is very limited in scope and presents barriers for Deaf people who file complaints. This serves to benefit certificants and cause more harm and trauma to our consumers rather than create resolutions that protect the integrity of the certification and our consumers. An EPS overhaul is overdue.

Strengthen certification: RID must align ourselves with industry standards so that all consumers, stakeholders, employers, and lawmakers have unwavering confidence in certification. There are four areas of certification activity that need unwavering policies and procedures and strengthening.

Foster Professional Growth:

An autonomous certification council would act in alignment with accreditation standards and industry best practices and this ultimately increases the value of certification in the interpreting profession and the certification industry by establishing clear eligibility standards, by promoting a clear understanding of what certification represents, ensuring psychometric validity and reliability and industry best practices that focus solely on the business, strength and sustainability of our NIC and CDI certifications. It strengthens certification and for the benefit of each of us, it benefits our employers – they know they’re working with high-quality practitioners – it benefits consumers to know that our interpreters hold themselves to higher standards of skills, professionalism and ethics. With that focus designated to a certification council, members can hone in on the real RID business that is applicable directly to themselves.

As we see at RID conferences, members gather to invest in personal development and our own growth as interpreters, but this coming together, networking, supporting each other, learning about mentoring programs for our emerging professionals, creating safe spaces to discuss racism, audism, any -ism that presents a barrier to marginalized people, it’s within this shared space that we’re teaching, learning, meeting colleagues, making friends, encouraging, discussing, exchanging ideas and all for the collective purpose of fostering professional growth and fostering the growth of the profession.

would have authority to establish eligibility criteria, standards, and appropriate policies and procedures free from undue membership influence. This focus on certification activity immunizes certification and testing from members and motions that, despite intent, may or may not be made with thorough consideration for the impact on finances, operations, the industry, or the consumers and stakeholders that certification is designed to protect.

This spirit, this way of being together, this mindset that we experience at conferences should be exactly what RID and our members and practitioners focus on all the time, and in all arenas of our professional practice from on the job, in professional-related social settings, interacting with each other, from the first day, we enter the classroom or enter the field to the day we retire. RID should be focused on creating these opportunities and gathering and proliferating resources for each other and RID and for newcomers to the profession; to encompass a growth mindset that is both encouraging our colleagues, but that also holds ourselves and each other accountable for being ethical and providing the best quality communication access possible for our consumers.

ASHA also offers robust member benefits such as resources for public education and advocacy, professional development, continuing education and mentoring. Granted, ASHA is comparatively huge - 223,000 members and a $65m annual budget while RID is currently just a fraction of that size, but still, it’s good to have a role model and aspirations. American Translators Association and Certification Commission for Healthcare are also business leagues with accredited certification programs and also provide education, professional development, networking opportunities (conferences) and advocacy for their organizations and members. Those organizations are similar to RID but not exactly the same, however, they do offer models of organizational health for RID to consider as we figure out what works for us.

Establishing that “wall of autonomy” between certification and membership will allow us to focus on RID’s two core reasons for existing - strengthening certification and fostering professional growth, which will enable us to grow towards becoming the best possible version of RID, and to truly elevate the profession.

“No more back and forth, no more fighting against the internal and external forces.”

There are, quite literally, thousands of similar organizations for us to look at as models for health. Moving towards becoming a healthier organization will entail, for us, a real and profound shift in our thinking as individual members, as a community, and as a whole profession.

Towards organizational health because status quo is not an option. But how do we get there? By looking at similar healthy organizations and identifying what they’re doing well and applying those things they’re doing well to RID. For example, did you know that American Speech and Hearing Association, ASHA, is a 501(c)6, an IRS-designated business league rather than a charitable organization, and it’s accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. It offers several strong certification programs which are autonomous from membership influence.

“Moving towards becoming a healthier organization will entail, for us, a real and profound shift in our thinking as individual members, as a community, and as a whole profession.”

So where do we go from here?

Moving towards healing, towards balance, towards ending the constant tug-of-war caused by competing demands within RID between member desires and credible certification, ceasing this pattern of intermittent cataclysmic organizational disruption means we need to cut the rope. No more back and forth, no more fighting against the internal and external forces.

Carol: That is correct.

Carol: I’m happy that we have this chance to talk about that conference because it was wonderful. You are correct that the conference was in 1970 in Delavan, Wisconsin. It just so happened that I was married in the same month as the conference, and we decided on our drive from New York to California that we would stop in Wisconsin so we could attend the conference. I didn’t realize then that history was going to be happening right before our eyes. I remember with great clarity that the people there were very polite, and they were very respectful. I was young, and the people there were older than me, and I was new in the profession. Most of the people were older than me, but they were very welcoming and full of encouragement. Now, as I look back, none of us knew what we were doing really, but I felt that it was very important, and those people seemed to know what they were doing. Again, they welcomed me, and I truly felt something important was happening, but at that time, I didn’t realize why it was so important.

Carolyn: Hi, my name is Dr. Carolyn Ball, and I’m the AC Liaison at RID Headquarters. As you’re aware, for the VIEWS, the focus is on conferences this month. RID has had many conferences, and I’m lucky today to have Dr. Carol Patrie here with me today. I’ll tell you a little more about why I wanted to interview Dr. Patrie a little later, but first, do you mind introducing yourself?

AFFILIATE CHAPTER CORNER

Dr. Carolyn Ball, CI and CT, NIC Affiliate Chapter Liaison

Dr. Carol Patrie, CSC, CI and CT

Carolyn: Thank you, Dr. Patrie. Of course, we could go on and on about your many accomplishments. However, luckily today, I have the opportunity to ask you a few questions about RID Conferences briefly. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. The reason that I wanted to talk to you is that you were at the first RID conference. The first conference wasn’t in 1964 when RID was established, but the first conference was in 1970. Is that correct? And you actually attended that conference which was in Delavan, Wisconsin.

Dr . Carol Patrie: Sure, thank you. My name is Carol Patrie, and I’m currently retired. Before I retired, I was a professor at Gallaudet University. Before teaching at Gallaudet, I was an interpreter for many years in the Washington, DC area and Rochester, New York.

Carol: At that time, I didn’t know for sure why I was there or what that meeting was for; we all felt a little awkward and unsure as it was the first conference. But, I definitely remember the welcoming and supportive feeling of those leaders to encourage me. I mean, I was a professional interpreter, even though we didn’t know what that meant in 1968. At that time, we didn’t

Remembering the first RID Conference with Dr . Carol Patrie

Carolyn: So, when you look back on that conference, did you realize what was happening or as you reflect on the conference now, what are your thoughts about what was happening with the lens of today, knowing that it was indeed a historical event?

Carolyn: What do you remember about that conference, what did you feel about being there, and why did you think it was essential to be there?

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2022 17

Carol: I would like to add that it’s imperative to volunteer for RID. We need to volunteer at the national level at the local level. We need our many thousands of members to learn how to volunteer and to learn to be involved in the organization. Because the organization, RID is important. All across the United States, it is up to us as individuals to make RID successful.

Carolyn: That is so wise and very important! Thank you so much, Dr. Patrie. I know that the RID members will enjoy reading and watching our interview today so thank you again.

Carol: I feel it is crucial to find the people that are new and to welcome them and bring them into the field with welcoming arms. Maybe there needs to be a committee established to include new people who will be attending the conference. Because they are our future, and we need to help them understand and realize the reasoning behind why conferences are important. That it is important to network, to have interaction with other interpreters, and meet people face to face. Whether those interactions are formal or informal, you cannot replace the importance of learning from each other. So, having the online conference, you can still learn and teach, but the missing link is the ability to be together and learn from each other face to face. I feel that now some of us are ready to retire, and we want to welcome and support new interpreters so that they feel confident to take over. I like that idea.

Carolyn: That’s truly amazing. Now that we have new technology and COVID hit these last few years, we had the most recent RID national conference online. Then, next year we have our face-to-face conference again. I wonder, as a professional interpreter and with all of your experience and wisdom, what would you want people to know about attending an RID Conference? What would be your advice?

have a lot of training, and I started interpreting at NTID in 1968. I tried my best. But, when I arrived at that conference, I saw people like Lou Fant and James Stangarone, who was my boss {at NTID}. I also watched Liz O’Brien. I also met Kenneth Huff. I had previously worked with Boyce Williams. It seemed that they were so very respectful to each other. They were also so encouraging to me. I just felt that something was happening as I watched and learned what interpreting really meant. I learned through watching people interpret and how to respect and encourage new people. Really, it was through watching their respect and mannerisms that left a lasting impression on me from that conference.

Carolyn: I think that is wonderful, Carol. It is crucial for all of us to learn from you and your wisdom and from the experiences that you’ve had for many years of being involved at the RID conferences. Thank you so much for your willingness to explain your remembrance of the 1970 conference until now. Before we end, is there anything that you would like to add?

Carolyn: That is so amazing, Carol. As you look back, that was your first RID Conference, and over the years, there have been many conferences since then that you have attended. What do you think the reason is that you continue to attend conferences? Carol: I did miss a few of the conferences. But you are right; I have attended most of the RID conferences since 1970. I think through the years that my reasons for attending the conferences have changed and evolved. In those early years, I attended because I wanted to learn about what was new, what was happening in the field with technology, and the theory and skills that were needed for interpreting. I also wanted to meet other interpreters. As the profession became larger and more interpreters attended the conferences, I became one of the presenters to teach my ideas and help the new people feel comfortable at the conference. Also, I felt it was essential to respect RID as an organization. Even though I may not have been there for the specific reason of learning or teaching, it was my firm conviction that I needed to be there as a member of RID. I felt it was important to go to the business meetings to vote. That’s what being part of the organization is, to be there to have my input and opinions as that was how the organization was run. So, my reasons for attending conferences have changed through the years. I have a long history of being an RID Member and attending conferences; in fact, my RID pin would probably say over 50 years. So, RID has been an important part of my life

Carol: You are very welcome and thank you for inviting me.

RID Headquarters just sent out a save the date for our upcoming National Conference in Baltimore, July 26-30, 2023. I am looking forward to this conference and can’t wait for all of us to be together again.

• My favorite part of conferences is socializing with interpreters who have different experiences than myself. This exposes me to different thoughts and perspectives as well as enhancing my understanding of the diverse settings that we find ourselves interpreting in.

• When the conference is in person, reconnecting with our friends and colleagues is a great time.

REGION I

Conference time is my favorite time of the year! I greatly enjoy going to conferences. It is my time to learn, network, and get invigorated about research and new ideas. I have a joke with a couple of colleagues that it is also our yearly hug. As we live and work in other places in the US, the only time we see each other is at conferences. Plus, with the ability to network and meet interpreters from all over the world, conferences are a time to come together. Unfortunately, we have not had that opportunity in the past few years. Zoom has become our new meeting ground. It is definitely not the same. Recently, I have had the opportunity to work with two conference planners for the Region 1 Conference.

• Conferences are a beautiful opportunity to network, learn and gain CEUs as a result.

In preparing for this article, I asked the Region 1 Presidents’ Council what they liked about conferences. Here is what they had to say:

• When the conference is virtual, we are able to see these same friends AND satisfy CEU requirements in the comfort of our homes. Saves all kinds of time and money.

Christina Stevens, NIC Region I Representative “Zoom has become our new meeting ground. It is definitely not the same.”

• For regional conferences we have an opportunity to show what we have accomplished in our region.

• Networking, meeting others in the field and learning about fresh ideas.

When one lives and works in such a rural state as Vermont, we often find ourselves seeking out any chance we can get to actually connect! Conferences are the perfect place to satisfy that need!

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• Take workshops that challenge you and participate fully to truly benefit from the content!

Conferences are a great privilege. I look forward to seeing you at one soon. Add your certification to your smartphone wallet! How? for more information!

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Visit our FAQs page

rid.org/digital-credentials/ 19

REPORT

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• Say hello to others who you don’t know. Sit with folks you don’t know and don’t stay in your bubble of the people who you came to the conference with.

• Take some time for yourself. Don’t feel the need to attend ALL the workshops. Find time in the day to get some sunshine, have some quiet time in your room. Roam the exhibit hall during the non-peak hours. Grab a drink with a mentor or mentee.

I also asked the Region 1 Presidents’ Council what are some tips for first time attendees? Go with a friend and “divide and conquer;” go to different workshops and then share the information afterwards.

• Relax, take it all in. Don’t let technology overwhelm you. There are plenty of tech savvy persons available to help. Avoid the temptation to cruise in your comfort zone. Put yourself out there! Make it a point to meet someone new each time you attend a workshop.

At the Region 2 Presidents Council meeting on March 31, 2022, many officers discussed critical issues and how the Board on the national level can support Region II more effectively and efficiently. At this meeting, we accomplished the following items:

4. We discussed getting quarterly complimentary membership rosters from the National Office to the Region 2 Affiliate Chapters.

5. We discussed a possible leadership program shortly for all Region 2 affiliate chapters, which could be integrated with other Regions.

1. Secretary Hurdich shared information about ITP/IEP/IPP graduation for Region 2 graduates; Secretary Hurdich encouraged each affiliate chapter to reach out to their state ITP/IEP/IPP to gather graduates’ information.

2. Our Affiliate Chapter Liaison, Carolyn Ball, demonstrated to Region 2 leaders how to effectively use the Affiliate Chapter Resource Center (ACRC).

2. Secretary Hurdich explained how RID would focus monthly on different groups (I.e., interpreters in rural settings, graduating interpreting students, etc.)

1. The Region 2 affiliate chapter leaders learned how to submit events to RID.

During the May 19, 2022 meeting, we accomplished the following items:

REGION II 20

3. Secretary Hurdich reminded Region 2 affiliate chapters about RID’s requirement of dual membership requirements to be eligible to vote in either RID or an affiliate chapter election as per RID’s Bylaws. Article VIII states, “Affiliate chapters must also honor the dual membership agreement between the national organization and the affiliate chapters requiring a voting member of the affiliate chapter must be a member at the national level.”

Region 2 has had a busy late spring and summer season. Since the last VIEWS issue, we have had two Region II Presidents Council meetings on March 31, 2022, and May 19, 2022.

3. Secretary Hurdich stressed that it is essential for the National Board of Directors to support affiliate chapters to recruit recent graduates to join their respective state or local chapters.

In addition, Secretary Hurdich covered these topics with Region 2 AC leaders: Jason Hurdich, M.Ed, CDI Past Region II Representative

•

VRID: We are waiting for elections and will have nominations, and we are discussing tax requirements for RID, etc. We will host a mini-workshop as the summer is already feeling busy, and we will have a free PPO workshop for our members. They are working on partnering with Opening and Unlocking doors to partner with them next month. That is through the VDOE, Deaf educators, and interpreters.

• PCRID inquired about RID’s Professional Certification Organization Status but it has not happened yet. The RID Board of Directors is still working on this.

During this meeting, Secretary Hurdich asked Region 2 affiliate chapter leaders of their goals of a “perfect world with affiliate chapters’’ under RID are? The question about the perfect world brought about discussion regarding the items below:

NCRID: Recently updated bylaws sent out to members waiting for the vote after 30 days. We will have nominations in June also for new officers.

FRID: April had a quarterly meeting about the situation regarding FAD and FRID. Both organizations had great discussions. FAD had a lot of feedback, and they wanted us to work together to get along, so, significantly, things are working out, and FRID is looking forward to that. Secretary Hurdich, Affiliate Chapter Liaison Dr. Ball, and Director of Government Affairs and Member Services Mr. Tucker attended the meeting.

• Explained RID’s Policy on Attempting to Document Continuing Education Credit after Registering for Multiple Simultaneous Programs FAQs from the Professional Development Committee.

•

PCRID: Recently had its 51st anniversary and had a fantastic event, and soon we will be getting together with other organizations in the MD area for other hosting events. (NoteSecretary Hurdich attended the event and mingled with PCRID members.)

• We started to discuss the future of Affiliate Chapters initially.

During the May meeting, each affiliate chapter provided a short update: FROM CHAPTERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

TO RID

• MSRID: We are focusing on getting new officers, working with ideas, connecting with people and positive benefits, and hoping that people will accept new positions. So, we are focusing on training new officers soon. Many training and elections will be postponed until June and will announce after June 1.

BRIEF UPDATES

•

• Clear communication is requested about what is happening in the transition to the professional certification organization structure.

REPORT 21

• GaRID: Deaf National meeting with NAOBI at Deaf nation with pictures, and we enjoyed the get-together and will have more GaRID gettogethers with various groups.

•

SCRID: Governor Henry McMaster signed the South Carolina Sign Language Act. Previous governors have not done this for the past 20 years of advocacy, so we finally have minimum requirements, and we are thrilled. The law takes effect as of January 1, 2024, and so we are hurrying to get testing going for our members. SCRID will host workshops to prepare for tests.

• Members are confused, and the Board of Directors needs to make it more transparent; the Board needs to clarify what it means to be a Professional Certification Organization.

AFFILIATE

3. When can people be able to apply to be CMP sponsors again? Many would like to apply for the position, and once the new person is hired, can they get new people to get the CMP process going?

2. Questions for CASLI about the results of the tests and what the results were about the ethical situations. Members across the Region generally want to know when CASLI will send the results? Many of them are waiting to see if they passed or not. Update- CASLI sent out results to the membership, and Secretary Hurdich shared the information with the affiliate chapter leaders.

1. To write in the VIEWS, do you have to be a member of RID, or can you be a member of BEI? Can a member of BEI write in the VIEWS? What is the policy on that?

• Secretary Hurdich reminded the leaders that nothing could occur until the RID Board of Directors shared the strategic plan and what needed to happen first.

5. Mississippi is waiting for the questions about BEI and is on the radar of Carolyn Ball’s things to do.

4. Secretary Hurdich reminded leaders to continue to send out affiliate chapter highlights so he can share them with the Board and the Comms. Team.

Secretary Hurdich, during June, had an opportunity to visit two virtual affiliate chapter conferences, North Carolina (NCRID) and Tennessee (TRID), giving short remarks and attending one workshop at each conference. In addition, Secretary Hurdich traveled to Mobile, Alabama, for ALRID’s 50th anniversary and gave a three-hour workshop along with Keith Wann (Pennsylvania) to the entire conference.

• Region 2 Conference in 2024?

• Feedback from First Quarter Listening Tour?

It was the largest ALRID conference in history. It was nice to see people again face to face after a two or three-year hiatus from the pandemic.

• Interpreter Of The Week Spotlight

• Region II will not have a President’s Council meeting until August 2022 due to summer conferences, vacations, etc.

During our August 2022 President’s Council meeting, Region 2 Affiliate Chapter Leaders need to continue the discussion on the items below:

• The New Region 2 Representative and the Affiliate Chapter Liaison- September to November- Membership Listening Tour?

Lastly, Secretary Hurdich traveled to Orlando, Florida, for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Biennial Conference. While Secretary Hurdich has attended Florida RID (FRID) meetings in the past, he had an opportunity to network with many Region 2 attendees, including Florida RID (FRID) members working at the conference in-person and met new faces as well.

• Secretary Hurdich thanked all affiliate chapter leaders for their service.

Region 2 has extraordinary talent among its membership; strong servant leadership is demonstrated across the Region, and we are blessed to have interpreters from different backgrounds. Secretary Hurdich looks forward to continuing to provide transitional support to the new Region 2 Representative and, of course, continue to be involved in Region 2. I hope to see you around Region 2 events or at the RID National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, next summer of 2023, which will put the national spotlight within Region 2 boundaries.

Questions that Secretary Hurdich and Carolyn Ball, the Affiliate Chapter Liaison, need to answer:

While this is no easy task to be completed, it’s in the making! My first action was to reach out to all of the leaders of RID’s affiliate chapters, and I have had great conversations with them one at a time. Those conversations are not over; I look forward to continuing meaningful conversations to see how we can ensure Region IV remains active in today’s times. From my conversations with them, I have learned a few things:

REGION IV REPORT 24

Since I entered this role as the representative of RID Region IV, it has been a challenging journey for me. RID is a lot bigger than I had anticipated.

● There is a strong disconnect between affiliate chapters and the national level of RID.

● We are all having difficulty finding volunteers to lead affiliate chapters.

● Region IV is primarily rural, which makes it challenging to host statewide conferences.

I have attended two state-wide conferences, OKRID and TSID, and look forward to attending ISRID in October. The opportunity to meet with interpreters in Oklahoma and Texas has been valuable for me to better learn and understand certain matters. The more other RID members and I interact with each other and look with a positive outlook on how things can be improved, the more likely we will have adequate changes that benefit the whole body. With that said, I want to thank every interpreter who has approached me to simply have a conversation.

I look forward to more conversations with you all. Justin “Bucky” Buckhold, CDI Region IV Representative

I took on this role because I see that the current board truly believes in RID and wants to continue to govern the interpreting industry in the best way possible. While there is no correct answer for everyone, the intent is to continue doing things right for this profession. I am honored to be part of this team led by President Ritchie Bryant and blown away to see the leadership of our CEO, Star Grieser, guiding RID to find the yellow brick road.

It is my goal to look into and outside our current “box” to see what kind of changes can be made to remedy the Region IV concerns and positively impact other regions as well. With RID looking into making some significant organizational changes, I intend to make regional changes along with the organizational changes.

Sorenson is commi ed to connecting Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and DeafBlind people through the power of the world’s signed and spoken languages— this requires a skilled and diverse workforce of interpreters. Sorenson is the largest private employer of sign language interpreters in the world and takes the responsibility of investing in a skilled workforce seriously.

Students of interpreting who are Deaf, Coda, and/or BIPOC are often the only or one of only a few students of their same background in their program and even more often they are not mirrored by their faculty. Soren son’s Synergy program leverages the networking opportunities of remote delivery to o er panels and webinars to Deaf, Coda, & BIPOC students to allow them to connect with others like themselves.

Connections. Leveling up. Interpreters who work for Sorenson are required to go through an internal screening to determine their readi ness to meet the needs of our Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind customers. Interpreters who are not yet ready are invited to participate in the Sorenson Connections program. The goal of Connections is to provide struc tured support for speci c linguistic feature development and interpreting process enhancement — skills which are needed to level up as an interpreter.

Participants in Connections have the option to engage in any or all of these opportunities: small group mentoring with deaf mentors, a six module self-paced course, and the ability to participate in up to 40 interactive, skills-based webinars each month.

Sorenson’s investment in all interpreters increases the chance that Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind people everywhere are experiencing connection through the power of the world’s signed and spoken languages. Sorenson. Investing across the career trajectory. Sorenson’s Interpreter Education and Professional Devel opment (IEPD) department employs 60 educators, half of whom are heritage language users of ASL (either Deaf or Coda). In the coming articles you will learn more about other programs that this talented, passionate, and com mi ed sta is doing to ensure Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind people are connecting with people who don’t sign. Sorenson invests in this connection by supporting native and heritage users of sign language enter the eld of interpreting, providing paid on the job trainings, and once employed with Sorenson, more than 20,000 instructional hours of professional development per year. More about these programs in the next issue!

Synergy. An academic-corporate partnership.

In addition to being a bridge to the eld of interpreting, Synergy o ers up to 50 hours a month of remotely delivered small group skills sessions focused on language development and the interpreting process. These sessions are designed to support the education students are receiving in their interpreting program while also providing additional networking opportunities with diverse instructors and students.

Video includes ASL & Spanish translations of this article

@SorensonComm @Sorenson_Comm 25

Want to know more? www.sorenson.com Email us at joinus@sorenson.com Want to join our team? Opportunities here

In 2021, amid COVID-19 restrictions, Sorenson’s Synergy program worked with close to 700 interpreting students from 104 di erent programs. The goal of Synergy is to prepare students to enter the profession of interpreting across community, educational, video remote, and video relay se ings. The Synergy program includes phases that allow students to be introduced to a professional work environment through rich and diverse observation al opportunities.

REGION V 26

I hope summer is going great for you all!

I want to give a few examples of where I see member engagement still alive with people who have a heart for our profession because the simple investment of believing in and volunteering for the interpreting field often goes unnoticed. We are too easily spun into horizontal violence and pulling ourselves down. I see many negative things, but I choose to start seeing the good in people and understanding that we each have the choice of where we want to go and how we want to see things. When you see good or know people have worked to invest in our community, let us take the time to notice. I challenge you to talk about the positive more than the negative; it will lead you down a better path as a human being.

One of the first people I worked with when I became the Region V representative was Michael Labadie-Mendes who was AC HRID president. He moved to San Diego and was retiring from the field but held on to the HRID president position. I flew down to San Diego one weekend, so we got together and had a good conversation while we walked through Balboa Park. I was struck by his willingness to keep HRID in good hands until the next officers took over, even though he was retiring from the field and enjoying strolls with his dog. Here he had a choice to make, “You know what, I am done,” or stay with his professional Jeremy Quiroga, CDI Region V Representative

Our world has become so different. We thought the end of the pandemic was here, yet it feels like the end keeps moving again and again. Here we are with more world issues that seem to mount up, making us feel exhausted sometimes. When the pandemic hit, we hit the pause button. The pandemic and all the human issues that arose during that time have changed the world as we knew it. With no exception, all of this has impacted our interpreting interactions and left us figuring out how to adapt to the new normal. Adapting to some communities has been more challenging than for others; yet, I have seen people like Dr. Carolyn Ball forge forward, believing in the best of the people in our field. I saw an effort to allow communities to adapt and provide tools so that the process moving forward becomes more certain as we operate with a vastly different outlook than we had three years ago. The board has realized that to thrive as an organization, we must focus on adapting and not falling into the old cycle we have seen RID go through so often. The headquarters, board, members, and, most importantly, the Deaf community deserve our profession to rise into the future where we all pull together for the best, not the worst.

obligation, and he chose to carry on until the new president, Vicki Watson, was elected. I want Michael to know I appreciate that gesture. When we feel like we are seeing volunteering momentum on the decline, we need to know that there are still stories of people who believe in this and put their foot forward. I want to give a round of applause and recognize Leann Smith, Cameo Hunsaker, Dr. Holly Nelson, Ernest Willman, Marie Tavormina, Ellen Catapano, and Amerigo Berdeski for ensuring AZRID got back on their feet. Don’t forget that when it is for interpreters, it also means there is an impact on the Deaf community. Lastly, I would like to give appreciation for Vance Deatherage joining the AC ADHOC group, where we will be looking at how AC relationships with RID can be enhanced going forward into the next era.

REPORT 27

Region by Meghann Cassidy, CI, CT

III Columbus Ohio June 16 – 19, 2022

The long weekend started with a presentation by RID president, Ritchie Bryant. He looked back at the history of RID. He pointed out some of the missteps that have happened through the years and the organizational trauma resulting from those missteps. President Bryant then went on to discuss the changing demographics of the profession and how it needs to be embraced so RID becomes more diverse and more reflective of the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf Blind communities served. The presentation ended with what RID is planning to do to address these issues and a call for all members to work together to build a better RID. Then it was time to earn those CEUs. Most time blocks offered three different workshop options. The range of topics provided opportunities for newer interpreters and the most seasoned. The best part of the four days was seeing everyone come together again. This conference seemed like a family reunion filled with hugs and laughter that has not happened in several years. There was an additional reunion happening outside on Saturday with the Columbus Pride march. The conference and hotel location, downtown Columbus, was convenient to have a stroll at lunch for a quick bite or to a pub for a relaxing dinner. The conference planners put together a wonderful conference that had something for everyone. The weekend ended with RID CEO Star Grieser, looking toward the future of RID. She explained the history of RID’s certification systems and what the next iteration will look like. She also discussed how some of RID’s structures do not allow for pressing issues to be addressed and changed as quickly as members would like. This is an issue that will be examined by RID’s leadership. If changes are made to the structure of RID correctly, under the guidance of the President and CEO and with member input, members can begin to heal and trust RID again.

Columbus, Ohio welcomed RID’s Region III conference to its great downtown in June. For four days, the attendees were kept busy with a wide variety of workshops providing up to 24 hours of CEUs. The conference planners took a hybrid approach to the conference with the presenters and attendees. Most presenters were in-person; however, some presented via Zoom. The workshops were also presented to an in-person audience and through Zoom. This, of course, caused some technical problems that were quickly solved by the great support staff.

While housed in the suite provided by NAD, Pimental’s specific role was defined. His primary role was to encourage interpreters to become members of RID. Also, as noted in the RID’er newsletter in August 1967, Pimental also supported the RID Board to encourage RID members not only to join the organization but

By Dr. Carolyn Ball, CI and CT, NIC RID Affiliate Chapter Liaison (Left to Right) Shirley Pacett, Al Pimental, Lilian Beard.

During the July 25, 1967, RID Board Meeting, Albert T. Pimental was selected to be the new Executive Director of RID. Pimental accepted the position becoming the first Deaf Executive Director of RID. His credentials were sufficient as he graduated from Gallaudet College in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree and in 1959 with a master’s degree. As RID’s Executive Director, Pimental’s office was located at the newly established RID suite, which was in the same office area as the National Association for the Deaf (NAD). The offices were located in Washington, D.C. As RID and NAD were sharing office space, RID was indebted to NAD for their sincere interest in establishing a home office for RID.

The Beginning and Purpose of Affiliate Chapters at RID

The First Deaf Executive Director of RID

This article will outline the vision and purpose of why RID established Affiliate Chapters. Also, how and why Albert T. Pimental was hired as the first Deaf Executive Director of RID in 1967 will be explained. Additionally, Pimental’s role to increase the membership of RID through creating Affiliate Chapters will be described. Learning why Affiliate Chapters have played such an integral part in RID’s history is vital to the current outlook on what the future of Affiliate Chapters will be as the organization transforms today.

also to organize RID Affiliate Chapters in their perspective states. Because recruiting members of RID was vital to the RID Board, several workshops and conferences were sponsored by RID. For example, the first RID National Convention was held in Delavan, Wisconsin, in July 1970. In the RID, interprenews (as seen below), the Executive Director of RID, Pimentel, discussed “significant items pertaining to our general activities, our future direction, and our needs as an organization.”

The first RID national conference was in Delavan, Wisconsinn, in July 1970.

Going into its sixth year, the Registry had over 1,000 members, 40 of whom were now serving in different agencies and institutions as full-time professional interpreters. As more programs for deaf persons developed, full-time employment for interpreters became feasible. Another notable development was the passage of Interpreters’ Laws in fourteen states. These bills required the services of competent interpreters for deaf clients in legal situations.

The Significance & Role of Affiliate Chapters As Pimentel noted, activities in the 27 established Affiliate Chapters included publication of the Registry and describing the services that interpreters provide to various community agencies and professional personnel in the established Affiliate Chapters. Also, the community relations work established by the Affiliate Chapters was to improve members’ skills and develop certification standards. Since the movement and establishment of Affiliate Chapters recognized professional interpreters’ work, another national conference was established by RID. The specific training was the conference held at Gallaudet College on March 28 – 30, 1972. The training was called the Conference on Preparation of Personnel in the Field of Interpreting. RID was preparing the national organization and the Affiliate Chapters to have a sharp focus on the young professionals who were called interpreters. Indeed, the conference was established to support RID Affiliate Chapters. Also, the conference was to help delineate the objectives of RID’s training programs. Because of the importance of training programs, RID teamed with the Office of Public Service Programs of

RID News Convention Report 1970 31

The growth of RID has continued, and the establishment of Affiliate Chapters continued to be of great importance to the RID Board. As documented in the 365 pages of Board & Conference motions that have been made and passed by the RID Membership since 1964, there have been approximately 108 regarding Affiliate Chapters. Through looking at the brief past and the determination of Pimental and the RID Board to establish Affiliate Chapters, it is clear that the need for Affiliate Chapters was and is vital.

The future of Affiliate Chapters seems to be wavering as members do not wish to run for volunteer positions. Also, the division in our profession has compelled interpreters and the Deaf Community to be further apart than we ever have been. Thus, it seems that the importance of keeping the vision of Affiliate Chapters, as Pimental wrote in 1972, is as vital today as it was 50 years ago.

Totogether;support the mission of RID by providing training and service to the states which have an Affiliate

To keep a registry of interpreters in every state To know what laws are being discussed and passed in every state; To bring the membership

Gallaudet College to co-sponsor the conference on the Preparation of Personnel in the Field of Interpreting described above. In the proceedings from the March 1972 training, Pimental wrote the preface. He described some of the most compelling and insightful visions of RID. Pimental (1972) stated that “working with an emerging professional organization is always a pleasure. The dynamism, optimism, and commitment combine to permit Interpretersdescribediidespiteaccomplishmentsobstacles”(p.).PimentalfurthertheRegistryoffortheDeaf was such an organization.

Proceedings of the Conference on the Preparation of Personnel in the field of interpreting.

The Future of Affiliate Chapters

The Momentum of Affiliate Chapters

The purpose of Affiliate Chapters is critical to the mission of RID and to continue the goals and vision of RID leaders, which began in 1964. Of great importance are the words from Pimental in the 1972 introduction to the proceedings of the Conference of the Training of Professional Personnel in the field of interpreting that Affiliate Chapters were part of the process of the professionalization of interpreting. Thus, it is vital to remember that the goals and purpose of the Affiliate Chapters are:

Pimental (1972) also noted that through the national RID office and the RID Board of Directors that the process professionalizingofthe work of interpreting personnel had begun. Thus, as stated by Pimental (1972), “it was because of the mature wisdom of RID that local chapters (ACs), deriving their impetus from the national office, had begun the process of professionalizing the work of interpreting” (p. ii).

ToChapter;provide leadership experiences to leaders in Affiliate Chapters; To support the Deaf Community by providing support and collaboration in each state through Affiliate Chapters; To oversee and support the training of interpreters in each state; To bring like-minded professionals together to provide support for each other.

• Market your services in Affiliate Chapter online directory.

https://forms.gle/bNSD6zZbfspAzHw96

Reasons to have Affiliate Chapters: 1. GROW and keep up with the times. 2. STAY up to date with our ever-evolving profession. 3. COMMUNICATE with fellow Interpreters. 4. KEEP in touch with our industry and participate in all that RID has to offer. 5. LEARN to participate & network. 6. TAKE advantage of RID initiatives and never stop improving. RID Chapters are dedicated to: • provide a forum for interpreters and the Deaf Community in a specific geographic area. • organize meetings to further information exchange and cooperation. • offer information and services needed at the local level. • facilitate communication between RID and local members to strengthen the sense of community. • advocate for their local Affiliate Chapter members and promote the policies, standards, and objectives of RID.

•

• Network with local professionals for local jobs.

• Learn from Local Helpful Workshops, which target training initiatives in the state of the Affiliate Chapter.

Benefits of Having Affiliate Chapters: Great tool for networking and sharing information and experience with other interpreters. Providing workshops and seminars/webinars important to that state chapters. Being on an Affiliate Chapter website is a great marketing tool for freelance interpreters. Make connections with other colleagues in the same area. Develop interpreting careers in the context of current professional guidelines. Benefit from the wealth of experience found in so many of my colleagues within the Affiliate Chapter. Provide the opportunities to network and make friends with others in the Affiliate Chapter.

•

• Participation on the Affiliate Chapter Board is a unique opportunity for interpreters to grow personally, and professionally.

•

• Share experiences on the Affiliate Chapter members-only forum.

• Meet fellow professionals for face-to-face

Theproblem-solving.futureofRIDand the past may not be the same, but the mission, goals, and purposes are the same. To bring interpreters and the Deaf Community together and provide a registry, along with training to support the organization’s mission.

•

• Seek out Mentors Who are in the Same Geographical area.

•

• Attend quality workshops and educational seminars.

• Learn New Interpreting Techniques.

• Develop skills, experience, and connections with a team of other passionate and motivated professionals, and gain professional recognition as a member of the Board of an Affiliate Chapter.

What do you think should be the future of ACs at RID? Please help guide the organization’s needs by expressing your opinions, just as members have done since 1964 by filling out the Google Form below. Most importantly, we are a member-driven organization, and your opinions matter.

Interpreters who (climb) ROCK! Zoe Parmeter and Morgan Wongsuwan enjoyed their free time at the festival by joining in the climbing fun!

DeafIS recruited volunteer RID-certified interpreters from around the country to support their efforts. An ITP student, Ruthanna Reardon, volunteered many hours captioning the short films shown one evening during the festival. Patti LeBeau attended the festival for the first time this summer. She was “happy the Climbers Family Reunion welcomed us in their own world. They are the most humble people I have ever met!”

Climb to the Top of Full Language Access!

For the past year, the DeafIS team has worked with Festival Director, Grace Templeton and the International Climbersʻ Festival run by the Central Wyoming Climbers’ Alliance in Lander, Wyoming to make sign language interpreting for the 2022 festival a reality.

In a state with only 8 certified sign language Interpreters, leveraging out-of-state support and creativity is key.

Scott Foor established Deaf Intervention Services, LLC (DeafIS) to support accessibility in rural Wyoming communities.

By Kelly Brakenhoff, NIC

Those who are not climbers are welcome to attend. Volunteers went on some great backcountry hikes and enjoyed the scenery during their free time.

Avid climber Morgan Wongsuwan, also of Salt Lake City, volunteered to interpret the evening events so he had more climbing time during the day!

The dream is to spread the word that ASL interpreters are provided, the film festival event is captioned, and the city park where many climbers tent camp for free is Deaf-friendly. Next year the ICF hopes to welcome a large crowd of Deaf climbers to Lander now that DeafIS has a practice year under their (climbing) belts. “We are so grateful for all of the ASL interpreters that volunteered their time this year to help create an inclusive and memorable experience for all of our participants,” said Grace Templeton, “and we’re excited to continue our effort to make the Climbers’ Festival more accessible for future years to come.”

If you’re an outdoorsy person, volunteer to apply next Readyear!more about the 2022 ICF here. To learn more about how DeafIS (wydeafis.org) supports rural communities in Wyoming, check out their website. Interpreters please reach out to DeafIS to apply as volunteers for 2023ʻs climbersʻ festival. DeafIS staff, RID interpreters, and the local Deaf community come together to support accessibility at the International Climbers’ Festival in Lander, Wyoming.

Zoe Parmeter of Salt Lake City was happy to support the festival by interpreting. “I came as a climber and outdoor enthusiast to break down barriers and foster accessibility in the outdoors. I will 100% be back next year!” Deaf and hearing interpreters looking for a volunteer opportunity will be rewarded with free hotel rooms, meals, and swag. But the real fun is in meeting new friends and enjoying some downtime in the wide-open backcountry.

Interpreter Morgan Wongsuwan climbs a difficult route in the Wild Iris area.

Secretary (Past Region II Representative)

Amber: Yes, I am swamped. Jason: Yes, being busy is good! I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself; then I will have you introduce yourself. My name is Jason Hurdich. I am Deaf and a CDI; plus, I serve as the RID Executive Board Secretary. I will take a moment to provide a visual description of myself. I am a white male wearing a dark blue long sleeve shirt and a gray tie. I wear glasses, and of course, I have to add that I am bald as well. I don’t want to forget that part. So Amber, would you mind introducing yourself?

Jason: Do you consider yourself a Coda as well?

Amber Robinson, B .S . and NIC

Amber: Currently, I am a sign language interpreter. I freelance and also work as an educational interpreter here in Birmingham.

Amber: ALRID contacted me through Facebook; I guess they watched my social media and saw my Tiktok posts. I recently started getting more involved with musical interpreting, which I am fascinated with. I love music. Anything with the arts, I enjoy that. ALRID contacted me and explained that

In the BlackofLensesaCODAFemaleInterpreter 36

Amber: I am a Black woman with dark skin, wearing a green dress with elbow-length sleeves. I am wearing gold earrings and pulled-back hair.

Jason Hurdich, M .Ed .; CDI, RID Board of Directors

Jason: Hello, good evening, Amber! How are you?

Amber: I am great. Jason: Good. That’s wonderful. It looks like we’re both swamped. Is that the case?

Amber: Yes, Hello. My name is Amber Robinson. I am from Talladega, Alabama, and currently live in and work in Birmingham, Alabama.

Jason: Thank you. So, what do you currently do for work?

Jason: I wanted to take the opportunity to talk with you about the presentation. Would you mind sharing your vision from the ALRID Conference?

Jason: So, how do you identify yourself to our audience?

Amber: Yes, I am a Coda. I have two deaf parents. Jason: That’s great! So this interview will be a series of questions about your recent presentation at the conference I attended (at the ALRID conference) in Mobile, Alabama, during the first week of June 2022. I watched your presentation, which was very well done, really well done.

Amber: Thank you.

Amber: Yes! Casseroles are different. I learned how to do casseroles, and I learned how to cook and eat in the Deaf world; the Black experience is different. I was always in the Deaf world. All of my babysitters were Deaf. My friends were hearing children with Deaf parents. Everyone in the community worked at the school. So that’s where I had my formative experiences and learned about the Deaf culture. I was always attending football and basketball games and events. I went to prom one year there. My high school prom was there, and I enjoyed that Onexperience.theBlack hearing side, the Black culture is almost as if you’re going to a family barbeque. You think that sounds strange. Family barbecues, funerals, presentations - those were experiences on the hearing side in which I learned the Black experience. I could go to friends’ houses and spend the night (I did that in both cultures). But the experiences in both worlds were different. But the Deaf life was my home life. My friends had captions on their TVs; my hearing friends didn’t.

Part two coming in the November 2022 issue.

Amber: Patrick Robertson. In my Black culture, I didn’t have that experience in the Deaf community; but in the hearing world, I had more of the Black experience of the community, the culture, the music and how we spoke. I learned those things there in the hearing culture. Yes, my parents are Black, but their experience was different because of their involvement with the Deaf community. The Deaf and hearing cultures are very different, so their Deaf identity was primarily of their surroundings in Talladega. There is one story that I remember.

they wanted a person who would perform music or share storytelling; I thought that I had never done something like that before and I should try. I envisioned what I could share using the conference pillars, SEA, Success, Education, and Awareness. I wanted to use those three elements to tell my story and my background in conjunction with that. I loved having the spotlight on Black Alabaman interpreters because there is always a spotlight on White interpreters. I wanted to share my experience as a Black interpreter, no offense intended, but I wanted to look at what the Black experience looked like in the ITPs and the real world. And as a Coda, and as I navigate through life. So I performed two monologues relating to Black culture. My presentation explained in depth, starting from my experience as a young Coda moving into an ITP and now professional interpreting. I wanted to talk about the path they can see from entry level at the bottom to now, where we are as successful interpreters.

Jason: Can you share?

Amber: I grew up in Talladega, which is a small town. But there is a large and thriving deaf community there because the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB) is there in Talladega. I didn’t live far from the school. I lived right across the street. I have experienced both worlds, the hearing and the Deaf worlds, but I was more involved with the deaf world. I have more of a white experience and family in the Deaf world. We were the only Black family in the Deaf community there. If I wanted to meet other Black Codas, I attended NBDA conferences and Alabama conferences of Black Deaf Advocates every two years. And then my father was the president, a board member, and many other roles in that organization.

Jason: Casseroles?

Jason: Great! That presentation was amazing. I am excited to talk more with you about that and ask you a few questions about that. Would you mind detailing your background growing up in Talladega and sharing with us in brief your experiences?

Jason: What was your father’s name?

Amber: From the Deaf culture: We were always the Black family. It was always neat to see new families coming in. I would go to conferences, sit, watch, and learn about Deaf oppression; that was my experience. The thing is that Black people don’t do what I did with the Deaf world. For example, swimming. I learned how to swim in the Deaf world. I learned about casseroles (laughs).

HQ often receives the question, “How do I denote my certifications?!” With the June 23, 2022 announcement pertaining to the launch of Credly - the industry leader in instantaneous digital verification of membership status and credentials- it provided a perfect time to revisit this topic. With this new Credly member benefit, any RID member can produce an on-demand digital verification of their membership status and can add the verification to their LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, digital resume/ business card, smartphone wallet or website. Additionally, RID’s certified members have the ability to do the same but with their certifications! Should you have any questions pertaining to the use of Credly, please contact CredlySupport@RID.org. If you have any questions about your membership, please contact Members@RID.org. If you have any questions pertaining to your certification(s), please contact Certification@RID.org FROM THE DESKS OF RID HQ 38

IC, TC, IC/TC, CSC, MCSC, RSC, ETC, EIC, OIC:V/S, OIC:S/V, OIC:C, CI, CT, CI and CT, CDI, NIC, NIC Advanced, NIC Master, OTC, SC:PA, SC:L, NAD III, NAD IV, NAD V, Ed:K-12 HOW DO I DENOTE MY CERTIFICATIONS?! Certifications Field Conventions and Hierarchy 39 1 Valid generalist certifications no longer offered (IC, TC, CSC, MCSC, RSC, ETC, EIC, OIC, CI and/or CT, OTC, NIC Advanced, Master) appear before all others. IC and/TC appear first (e.g. IC/TC, CSC). 3 Current generalist certifications (CDI, NIC) appear after generalist certifications that are no longer offered (e.g. IC, CI and CT, OTC, NIC) 5 The OTC certification appears after the NIC certification 7 NAD certifications appear after all RID certifications 9 CI and CT are always expressed together as “CI and CT” or “CI & CT” 2OIC certifications appear directly after all other old generalist certifications (e.g. TC, CSC, OIC:C) 4NIC certification appears after the CI and/or CT 6Specialist certifications (SC:L and SC:PA) appear after all generalist certifications 8Ed:K-12 appears after NAD certification

NEWLY CERTIFIED Region I - Northeast Shannon Abruzzo ................. NY Alexandra Aprile ................... NY Caitlin Dreskin ...................... PA Brinna Feustel ....................... PA Wendy Framson ................... NY Paige Geisler ......................... NY Mindy Haggstrom ................ NY William Israel-Edgar ............ NY Monica Kugmeh ................... NY Erin McCarthy ....................... MA Allison McGrath ................... PA Paige Meacham .................... NY Carlton Miles Mangonon ... NY Michael Nader ...................... PA Benvolio Pennica.................. NY Kaleigh Pfohl ......................... NY Bethany Pike ......................... NH Kelsey Price ........................... PA Christine Ross ....................... NY Deborah Ross ........................ NJ Francesca Short .................... NY Derek Ternullo ...................... RI Meagan Thorp ...................... NY Ryan Wight NY James Winn ........................... NY Region II - Southeast Rachel Barker ........................ NC Christopher Birdwell ........... FL Caroline Bolin ....................... NC Tierra Carter .......................... DC Khera Colbert ....................... MD Sarah Coon ............................ VA Frances Courson .................. AL Mary Dorough ...................... FL Samantha Harper ................. NC Timothy Kelly ........................ GA Leah Kniesly .......................... VA Marlana Longendelpher...... FL Sarah Mitchell ....................... SC Dawn Moore ......................... FL Andrea Nagarajan ................ MD Jeanne Marie Perkins .......... AL Ryan Pinion ........................... NC Whitney Reese ..................... VA William Reno ......................... FL Amber Robinson ................... AL Lasia Rowe ............................. FL Clint Solomon ....................... FL Randall Stacy ......................... MD Elsa Sylvester ........................ VA Phyllis Thomas ...................... GA Gillian Trommer .................... DC Sydney Villalba ...................... FL Sarah Wong MD Region III - Midwest Jenna Baranski ...................... MI Madison Bluml ...................... IL Jessica Chwalik ..................... OH Ashton Draper ...................... IN Anna Elliott ............................ IN Adoree Eubanks ................... OH Christina Falter ..................... IL Sara Gengler .......................... WI Jordan Kammueller .............. WI Ashley Maingi ....................... OH Jodie Nigro ............................ WI Brian Parker ........................... OH Jennifer Profitt ...................... OH Bronwyn Schlaefer .............. IL Scott Stogner ........................ IL Monica Weick ....................... IN Region IV - Central Jaden Chavez ........................ NM Nathan Daniels ..................... OK Erin Drake .............................. IA Mariah Garcia........................ NM Alivia Parker .......................... TX Traci Prince ............................ OK Amanda Sechow................... CO Briana Smith .......................... NE Wayne Tesky ......................... SD Robin Thayer ......................... CO Sarah Walton......................... NM Region V - Pacific Brittany Alvarez .................... CA Valerie Avila ........................... CA Amanda Buffington ............. OR Akili Dees ............................... AZ Samantha Fina ...................... CA Melodie Glimpse .................. OR Serena Johnson .................... CA Jordan Lopez ......................... CA Priya May-Folden ................. WA Ruth Nardecchia ................... OR Maxfield Orr CA Danielle Polotto .................... WA Chase Rebensdorf ................ CA Lisa Simmons ........................ CA Cristina Somers .................... AZ Jessica Tamayo ..................... CA 40

Below is a link to a page on the RID website, accessible to the community at large, 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: Maintain current RID membership by paying annual RID Certified Member dues Meet the CEU requirements: Adhere to the RID Code of Professional Conduct If an individual appears on the list, it means that consumers working with this interpreter may no longer be protected by the Ethical Practices System should an issue arise. The published list is a “live” list, meaning that it will be updated if a certification is reinstated or revoked. To view the revocation list, please visit HERE. Should a member lose certification due to failure to comply with CEU requirements or failure to pay membership dues, that individual may submit a reinstatement request.The reinstatement form and policies are outlined HERE. • 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 only–2.0 of the 6.0 PS CEUs must be in legal interpreting topics • SC:PA only–2.0 of the 6.0 PS CEUs must be in performing arts topics ETHICAL PRACTICES SYSTEM 41

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 VIEWSSubmissions: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 Advertisingadvertisement.specifications can be found at www.rid.org, or by contacting the editor. All editorial, advertising, submission and permission inquiries should be directed to 42

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

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VIEWS VISION (703) 838-0030, (703) 838-0454 fax, or publications@rid.org. VIEWSCopyright:ispublished 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 StatementVIEWS. 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. VIEWS Board of Editors Kelly Brakenhoff, NIC Royce Carpenter, MA, NIC Master Amy Parsons, Associate Member © 2022 the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. All rights reserved. 43

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REGION III COLUMBUS OHIO