Issue 34, Vol 3 August 2017
HIGHLIGHTS • Meet Your New Board Members • Making History! Erica West Oyedele • PCRID Reflects on Conference 2017
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
RID BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.,
a non-profit organization, is dedicated to advocating for the professional development of interpreters. Founded in 1964, RID has played a leading role in establishing a national standard of quality for interpreters. The association encourages the growth of the profession, educates the public about the vital role of interpreters, and works to ensure equal opportunity and access for all individuals. MISSION The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. promotes excellence in the delivery of interpreting services among diverse users of signed and spoken languages through professional development, networking, advocacy, and standards. VISION By honoring its past and building a dynamic future, RID envisions a world where: • • • •
Linguistic rights are recognized as human rights; The Deaf Community and the Deaf-Heart are visible in every aspect of RID, the interpreting profession, and among individual interpreters; Interpreted interactions between and among individuals who use signed and spoken languages are as rich as direct communication; The interpreting profession is formally recognized and is advanced by robust professional development, standards of conduct, and credentials. DIVERSITY STATEMENT
We aim to actively foster an inclusive environment in which RID embraces diversity as an integral part of the association. RID is committed to providing growth opportunities that maximize member value, allowing them to reach their full potential. Our objective is to establish and maintain a diverse, accessible, civil, and supportive environment that adheres to RID’s philosophy, mission, and goals. RID pledges to seek partners who share our commitment to upholding high standards of diversity within the association.
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. 333 Commerce Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 838-0030 V • (571)-257-3957 VP• www.rid.org 838-0454 Fax • www.rid.org (703)
President Melvin Walker M.Ed., CRC, CI & CT, NAD V president@rid.org Vice President Sandra Maloney, M.A., CI & CT, SC:L vicepresident@rid.org Secretary Joshua Pennise, M.A., CI & CT, NIC Adv secretary@rid.org Treasurer Carolyn Ball, PhD, CI & CT, NIC treasurer@rid.org Member at Large Len Roberson, Ph.D.; SC:L, CI & CT memberatlarge@rid.org Deaf Member at Large Branton Stewart CDI, CLIP-R dmal@rid.org Region I Representative Hartmut Teuber, RSC region1rep@rid.org Region II Representative Brenda Sellers, NIC, CI & CT region2rep@rid.org
Region III Representative
To Be Determined
Region IV Representative Sonja Smith, NIC region4rep@rid.org Region V Representative Michele “Mish” Ktejik, NIC, SC:L region5rep@rid.org RID HEADQUARTERS STAFF Deputy Director Elijah Sow esow@rid.org
Director of Finance and Operations
Director of Member Services and Communications
Neal Tucker ntucker@rid.org
Director of Standards Ryan Butts and Practices rbutts@rid.org Communications Manager
Jennifer Apple japple@rid.org
Professional Development Manager Certification Coordinator
Julia Wardle. M.A. jwardle@rid.org Carol Turner cturner@rid.org Ashley Holladay aholladay@rid.org
Communications Maxann Keller Coordinator mkeller@rid.org Ethical Practices System Coordinator
Tressela Bateson, M.A. tbateson@rid.org
Accounting Specialist Joshua Sechman jsechman@rid.org
Communications Jenelle Bloom Specialist jbloom@rid.org
Member Services Khianti Thomas Specialist kthomas@rid.org
Operations Specialist Charlotte Kinney ckinney@rid.org
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Cover Stories 20 | Meet Your New Board Members 28 | Making History! Erica West Oyedele 32 | PCRID Reflects on Conference 2017
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
issue in this
CONTENTS
Governance 6 7 10 11 13
Letter from the Editors President's Report: Where Do We Go From Here? Open Letter Response IED Report: With a Heart Full of Gratitude From Headquarters: Leadership Changes at 333 Commerce St.
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From the Board: RID 2017 Conference Board Meetings Summary
Features 24 26 33 34 36
Critical Lens Region Report: Meet Mish! Street Leverage: An Interview with Brandon Arthur Leadership Track: The Gift of Collective Leadership Skills Track: Teaching Teams
News 42 44 45
2017 RID National Conference Photos The VIEWS Call For Papers Newly Certified
www.rid.org
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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
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hese summer months have brought a wave of transitions to RID, both in internal structure and in external processes. With any change comes challenge, but the outcomes make it worthwhile. As Heather Harker said in her address at the RID 2017 LEAD Together Conference, it is time for RID to start getting wins! Adapting to change in all of its forms will help us to succeed in keeping up with the demands of our profession and the responsibility due to our clientele. This edition of The VIEWS will highlight The VIEWS Board of Editors, our outgoing Interim Executive Director, and new members of the RID Board of Directors – and reflect on several historic moments from this year’s national conference in Salt Lake City.
video: https://youtu.be/3DQxkkBPfGw
I am Julia Wardle, Communications Manager and Editor-in-Chief for The VIEWS. I’m thrilled for this opportunity and grateful for the support of my team, Maxann Keller and Jenelle Bloom. It was an incredible experience to attend the #ridLEAD2017 Conference in Salt Lake City and absorb the insights and opinions of our diverse membership. We are impressed and grateful for their activism and for the collaboration of the Board which allowed us to have successful communications during conference. We look forward to our tenure on The VIEWS publication team as a rededication to the values of membership engagement, diversity, and bilingualism. Having the Board of Editors as our support allows us to more thoroughly recruit and review the scholarship and expressive interests of our members from various disciplines. The Board of Editors is truly committed to seeking out contributors that reflect cultural and linguistic breadth and helping those contributors become the face of RID. The Views Style Guide states: “The goal of our publication is to achieve linguistic equivalence. In other words, submissions should not read as a primary article with an accompanying translation into the other language. Rather, the meaning and content of the article should be equally represented in both written and visual mediums, according to the author’s signing/ writing style and cultural expression.” We believe in RID’s mission of excellence, education, and standards. Through The VIEWS we hope to continue to establish a collection of viewpoints, narratives, and research that dispel linguistic bias and provide enlightenment and strength to the interpreting community. As your new communications team, we are humbled to be able to grow, inspire, and progress toward a fruitful future of insightful publications, with you as our guides. I am excited to be your new Editor in Chief of The VIEWS and look forward to all that is to come as we lead RID together.
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ello! I’m Jonathan Webb. RID Headquarters asked me to comment briefly on the work of the semi-recently established Board of Editors for the Views, our long-cherished publication that is now completely digital. Headquarters received permission from the Board of Directors to establish a committee under headquarters and ask for volunteers to participate in editing, idea development, and content review for submissions. In our review, we try to ensure that published articles would meet the acceptance and approval of the membership. As a disclaimer, we are still new and learning how to best utilize our skills, and video:https://youtu.be/TQBLpLhQUh4 what our duties and responsibilities should be. Headquarters has a wonderful staff and we are just trying to understand how, as interpreters, members of the Deaf community, and educators, we can best partner with RID to make successful publications. The Views Board of Editors includes: Erica Alley, Christina Healy, Lianne Moccia, Su Isakson, Deaf community members Jill Radford and Michael Ballard, and myself. Of course, as in any committee, we always welcome feedback, ideas, or new information from other sources. Finally, I would like to put in a plug for the November Views. That issue will be unique in that it will begin a new process for us in running the Views. You will see a call for submissions. With this, we have worked hard to figure out how to maintain a truly bilingual publication process and what that should look like. So, we’ve developed an adapted process to achieve that goal. I appreciate you watching and I hope as you read through this edition, you will think about contributions you can make to the Views. Please remember to write and sign your submissions, and then send them in! Thank you so much. 6
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
“Where Do We Go from Here?” Melvin Walker, M.Ed., CRC, CI and CT, NAD V, Interim ED, RID President
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t is with gratitude and humility that I reflect on the success of the 2017 LEAD Together Conference in Salt Lake City, July 20-24, 2017! So many people came together to make the conference a success and to make the leadership track a possibility. The vision for the conference started in March 2016 during the face-to-face Board meeting at Gallaudet University when the Board and HQ team grappled with the question of whether we could hold a conference this year due to our fiscal situation.
video: https://youtu.be/5FzRVl1N_tA
The Board and Headquarters felt that the leadership track was a way to begin the critical process of engaging members in the long overdue and essential discussions we needed to have about our purpose as an organization, what priorities we needed to set, and how we might achieve those priorities. Thank you to the Board members for their courage and commitment. Thank you to the team at Headquarters for their hard work in operationalizing the vision of the Board. Thank you to each of our speakers who gave of their time and expertise to lay the foundation for some difficult discussions! Thanks to the group facilitators and meta-facilitators who participated in a 6-week training program in preparation for their work of guiding the small group discussions. And, thank you to each member who participated—both those present in Salt Lake City, and those around the country who engaged in the same process via remote groups. To each of you who participated—thank you for making the commitment to be there and to work hard. Thank you for sharing your experiences and your insights, your frustrations and concerns, your hopes and your vision. Your pearls of wisdom will be used to help RID become a better organization, doing a better job of serving our members and our community. Our purpose was to lay a foundation from which we can continue to build. That was made possible because of each member who attended the conference. And now, the questions before us include, “Now what? How do we keep the momentum going?” This fall and winter, the Board of Directors and Headquarters staff will continue the process of strategic planning. This is a process that will take several months and involve a variety of steps—all grounded in the work started by the leadership track. What is Strategic Planning? Strategic planning is critical for organizations in addressing fluctuating economic trends and market variables. Organizations that want to succeed define their priorities in a strategic plan, like a roadmap. During periods of crisis, when survival and stability take precedence, strategic plans are interrupted. But as recovery begins, strategic planning is essential. RID has reached that point—we are emerging from a period of significant crisis and it is time to engage in planning for the future.
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT Strategic planning can generally be defined as obtaining the answers to three basic questions: • Where are we now? • Where do we want to be? • How do we get there? Where Are We Now? The leadership of RID has spent a great deal of time, in recent years, gaining insight to this question. We are in a phase of recovery from a serious fiscal and operational crisis that had been building for about fifteen years. The severity of the crisis was not known until we conducted several organizational video: https://youtu.be/mTuscI7ZpZ8 risk assessments, including member surveys and a fiscal analysis of testing, certification, and conferencing. The crisis came to a tipping point in 2015 when RID was confronted with three major demands simultaneously—a substantive loss for the 2015 NOLA Convention; the need to revise or replace a total of four certification exams at the same time; and, the management of four lawsuits. These demands were not sudden—they had been building for years. However, because the threat they presented was not well understood, the organization did not have a plan in place to address them when the tipping point occurred. So, in order to avoid insolvency, there was a need to take immediate action and put into place the systems and processes that would get RID back on track. Although we attempted to communicate our situation to our members and stakeholders,we were not successful in facilitating understanding or engagement. Instead, what occurred was significant misunderstanding, rumor, speculation and misinformation. With that in mind, we now need to rebuild our credibility and trust with our membership and community stakeholders. Simultaneously, we must remain steady in the course of recovery, so that we can ensure the long-term sustainability of RID. Where Do We Want to Be? From a big picture perspective, we want RID to be stable, solvent, relevant and forward-moving. To be stable would mean that RID is consistently achieving our goals in an effective and reliable manner. To be solvent would mean that RID has multiple streams of reliable and consistent revenue, that reserve funds are stabilized, and that funds are managed in a manner that secures the current and future needs of the organization. To be relevant would mean that RID provides value and benefit to the individuals we serve—members in being a part of RID, consumers in supporting RID, and stakeholders in collaborating with RID. To achieve relevance, RID must be closely connected to the interpreting industry and its stakeholders. RID must contribute services that respond to industry needs,such as providing quality testing and certification of interpreter competence. To be forward moving, RID must look to the future, engaging with changing trends in the interpreting industry in innovative ways. The Leadership Track of the 2017 Conference has helped to define what members believe will help us get to where we want to be. Again, we all owe a debt of gratitude to each conference participant for their work and wisdom. How Do We Get There? Answering the first two questions provides tremendous insight into an organization and what activities will shape its future. But determining "how to" is the crux of a strategic plan. This is where the strategic recommendations garnered from the small group discussions will contribute. As members of RID, we can have a vision of where we want the organization to be, what we want to see RID doing, and how to remove institutional barriers that marginalize members; but if we cannot help to define how 8
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
PRESIDENT’S REPORT RID can achieve those things, our vision and expectations will be unfulfilled. By clearly documenting how an organization’s objectives can be translated into reality—including who will be responsible and what are reasonable time frames for accomplishing specific benchmarks—the likelihood of success is significantly increased. So, after engaging in the process of strategic planning, RID will have a document that delineates the goals of the organization and establishes the actions that are necessary to achieve those goals. With the election of the 20172019 Board, this planning process will begin in late fall 2017.
video: https://youtu.be/3D0GOKOHZHQ
Immediate Next Steps The strategic recommendations garnered from the work of members during the Leadership Track of Conference will be organized into a guiding document for the Board’s planning process. That guiding document will be shared with all of the leadership track participants for review. We will invite the entire membership to offer feedback as well. To that end, continuing and the conversations that occurred in Salt Lake City in your home communities will be essential in helping other members offer further input. It is anticipated that the synthesis of all of the strategic recommendations from conference will be ready by September 1, 2017, and be followed by a 30-day period of feedback ending October 1, 2017. The strategic plan has to include how we will heal, strengthen, and expand our relationships with one another, our various stakeholders, and our community-at-large. Whatever RID plans to do in the coming five years, we must commit to serving not only our own interests, but the interests of those we serve. For without that commitment, we have no real purpose. Our purpose is one of service—service to the Deaf Community that relies upon our ethical and practice standards to achieve linguistic access. If that is not clear, our success is impossible. We also cannot be successful until we learn the art of disagreeing without attempting to harm another’s reputation. We must all take accountability for conducting our business with one another using civility and the assumption of positive intent. In my own experience as a volunteer leader within RID, it is discouraging and alarming to see the rapid increase of efforts to start speculation, assumption, and rumor around issues or individuals, particularly through social media, rather than the thoughtful exploration of accurate facts. Certainly, we can do much better and it starts holding one another accountable! Our founding members and colleagues would accept no less from us. The Deaf Community deserves better from us. Again, my sincere thanks to all who took part in the National Conference. I look forward to what we will continue to achieve together!
www.rid.org
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OPEN LETTER RESPONSE
OPEN LETTER RESPONSE
youtube link: https://youtu.be/trPQsiw9UUc
See the full response on the RID Website HERE
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
IED Report
With a Heart Full of Gratitude Anna Witter-Merithew CSC, SC:L, OIC:C, SC:PA, CI and CT Interim Executive Director
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youtube link: https://youtu.be/3KmlyPMkwxo
s I write this last article as the Interim Executive Director, reflection typical of most periods of transition surrounds me. I entered the field of sign language interpreting in 1972 through the encouragement and support of the Deaf Community. I was 24 years old, living in Atlanta, Georgia, a first-time mother of a little girl, and seeking a way to contribute financially both to my young family and the community in which I was raised. The state Association of the Deaf gave me the money to attend a summer community interpreting program being conducted at Delgado Community College. The feedback from the workshop trainers was mixed—at least one commenting that my left-handedness, strong influence of home signs, and request to interpret everything consecutively, might not make me suited to the work of an interpreter. But, one of the CODA trainers, Irma Kleeb Young, took me under her wing, and for the next several years, helped to mentor me into the field of interpreting. Irma, along with a long list of Deaf Community members, guided the assignments I took, supervised my performance, provided me with countless hours of feedback and critique, made sure I attended the trainings I needed, and propelled me to certification. Their generosity, support, and believe in me gifted me with a career path that has provided me with unimagined opportunities and experiences. Since those early days, I have been blessed beyond measure time and again to work for and with amazing Deaf and hearing leaders in the Deaf-World and interpreting. Time and again, I have witnessed the goodness, dedication, hard work and love of community leaders in seeking to make a difference in the lives of others— walking in solidarity with the Deaf Community in a quest for linguistic access. Each individual with whom I have had the privilege to work has imparted to me valuable lessons about the importance of service, community, integrity and compassion. These experiences have helped to shape my belief that there is no greater honor than service. Likewise, there is no greater reward than that which comes from service. In the past 2.5 years, while serving in the role of Interim Executive Director of RID, my appreciation of the value and importance of service has further deepened. It has been an honor to work with the 2013-2015 and 2015-2017 RID Board Leadership as they dedicate themselves to tackling a range of serious and persistent organizational challenges impacting RID and leading to the organizational crisis from which we are beginning to recover. With the help of excellent organizational consultation from Heather Harker, these two boards have worked to guide us through a difficult period in our organizational history. There are several practices they have modeled that are worthy of sharing—as they can serve us well as we continue moving forward. Leaders face and embrace reality—even when it is not favorable or popular. In order to understand the real reasons for a crisis, everyone on the leadership team must be willing to recognize and accept reality--it is the
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IED Report crucial step before problems can be solved. Attempting to find short-term fixes that address the symptoms of the crisis only ensures the organization will wind up back in the same predicament. Leaders demonstrate resilience and stamina—there are no quick fixes to complex problems. Faced with the unpopularity of bad news, leaders may be tempted to suggest that things aren’t so bad, and swift action can make problems go away. This can cause leaders to undershoot the mark in terms of corrective actions. As a consequence, they wind up taking a series of steps, none of which is powerful enough to correct the downward spiral. The recent RID Boards recognize that recovery is a marathon—not a sprint. They continue to prepare us for the fact that full recovery and renewal will take 3-5 years. RID did not arrive at the crisis overnight—it has been coming for many years. It will take time to achieve the transformational change that is required. Leaders seek the help of all those invested in the outcome to devise solutions and to implement them. Leaders bring people into their confidence, asking them for help and ideas, and gaining commitment to painful, corrective actions. This includes seeking help from legal counsel, organizational consultants, volunteer leaders, members, valued colleagues, and community leaders. Evidence of a commitment to doing this occurred during the 2017 LEAD Together Conference Leadership Track when members collaborated with volunteer leadership to conceive strategies for moving RID forward. It was a powerful example of collective leadership—one which President Walker discusses further in his article elsewhere in this issue of VIEWS. Leaders set the tone and pace! When sacrifices have to be made—and there are always sacrifices during periods of crisis—leaders are the ones who step up and make the greatest sacrifices themselves. They are the first to commit the time and labor that is required to do what must be done. Everyone is watching to see what the organizational leaders will do. Will they stay true to their values? Will they bow to pressures, or confront the crisis in a straight-forward manner? Will they forfeit long-term solutions for short-term popularity and rewards, or stay steady to the vision for creating a sustainable model of operation that can thrive? The recent Board, in the face of tremendous pressure—including at times a basic lack of civility—has remained solid in their resolve to get it right this time around! They are being deliberate in taking action one step at a time and constantly reevaluating progress before taking further action. Their courage and foresight should be applauded! The overarching lesson reinforced for me during this period of time as the IED is that often doing what is right is not what is easiest, and certainly not what is most popular. Difficult and complex problems seldom have simple solutions. It has been an honor to serve two Boards of Directors who time and again have put the needs of the organization, its solvency and its sustainability ahead of their personal gain and convenience. This behavior honors our founding members and past leadership. It has also been an honor to work with the team at headquarters who give their heart and soul to their work on behalf of the association each and every day. Their commitment and dedication have been a daily source of inspiration. The need for service remains great. Service is about connection to people and ideals that bind us together in purpose and community. And, although I am retiring from full-time work in the field, I will continue to seek ways to demonstrate my value and highest regard for this amazing field of which we are privileged to be a part, and to express my love and respect for my cherished colleagues and the communities in which I live. My gain far outweighs what I am able to return to those who have invested so much in me over the years, but my desire to try remains strong.... What does the love of interpreting and the communities we serve require of you?
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
FROM HEADQUARTERS
Leadership Changes at 333 Commerce Street Anna Witter-Merithew CSC, SC:L, OIC:C, SC:PA, CI and CT Interim Executive Director
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youtube link: https://youtu.be/frzKEFyrx20
ith my retirement July 31, 2017, there are some leadership changes occurring at RID Headquarters. These changes allow for some exciting growth opportunities for several of the Headquarters team and support the continuing evolution of RID’s day-to-day operations. These changes also align with our efforts to create greater fiscal and operational efficiency. Elijah Sow, former Senior Director of Finance and Operations, has been appointed as the new Deputy Director of RID. Elijah has been a part of the RID team for the past decade—starting as an office manager and being promoted through the ranks to a variety of leadership roles involving finance, operations, HR, and IT functions. Anyone who knows and has worked with Elijah knows of his outstanding character and leadership qualities. His organizational history, knowledge of RID’s structures and systems, and his ability to support, inspire, and develop people is exemplary and will continue to be a tremendous asset to RID as it moves forward. He has been central to identifying, managing, and addressing various aspects of the organizational crisis over the past few years. Three Director positions are being filled in the following way. Ryan Butts, former Director of Member Services, will step into the role of Director II for the Department of Standards and Practices. This Department will now house the three-part system of Certification, EPS, and CMP. Ryan is an excellent systems thinker, with an impressive foundation in the database functions needed to support these important RID programs. Carol Turner will continue to be the Manager for the CMP. Tressela Bateson, who has been commuting weekly from Richmond, VA, is the outgoing EPS Coordinator. We thank Tressela for her years of service and wish her well for her future endeavors. The EPS Coordinator job posting can be found on the RID’s website. Rounding out this department is Ashley Holladay, former Member Services Specialist, who will become the Certification Coordinator. The second Director position will head Finance and Operations. Jennifer Apple, former Finance Administrator, has moved into this role. Jennifer is in her twelfth year with RID and is an invaluable employee. Her knowledge and experience in managing the fiscal aspects of RID’s work are critical to our continued success. She brings tremendous attention to detail and a commitment to integrity that ensures our systems are in compliance with
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FROM HEADQUARTERS the laws and standards associated with our non-profit status. She will also take on the work of operations— functions which are closely tied to the financial aspects of our organization, such as building maintenance, safety, the bookstore, supplies, and inventory. The third Director position has been filled by Neal Tucker, former Policy and Compliance Coordinator. He will direct Member Services and Communications. Neal brings with him many years of experience in policy development and implementation, client advocacy and services, and hospitality. This range of skills serves as a valuable foundation for improving the quality and effectiveness of Member Services, and defining the philosophical framework from which RID’s communications will be generated. We are expanding Member Services to include all categories of members—our affiliate chapters, individual members, and organizational members. This allows Neal to continue his work in supporting affiliates with compliance and advocacy needs, while also working to ensure that our individual members receive the support and assistance they need. Julia Wardle, one of the Communications Coordinators, will become the Manager for the Communications Team. A few positions will open up to fill the vacancies resulting from these promotions. This includes the position of Administrative Assistant who will take on Human Resource functions and several other administrative duties in support of the next Executive Director, the Deputy Director, and the Board of Directors. Please look for these announcements and help to circulate the information to individuals who may be interested or who you would encourage to apply. The Board continues its active search for an Executive Director and meanwhile, with my retirement, President Walker will provide the Interim ED support to Headquarters. Your continued support and encouragement of the hard-working staff at Headquarters is greatly appreciated. These promotions are well deserved as the Headquarters team continues its service on your behalf. A new organizational chart and associated updates to the website are expected in the near future. Thank you for your attention to these changes.
To our generous sponsors at this year's LEAD Together Conference in Salt Lake City!
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
FROM THE BOARD
RID 2017 Conference Board Meetings Summary Billieanne McLellan, RID BOD Treasurer
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ello, I’m Billieanne McLellan, your RID Board Treasurer. I am here in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the RID LEAD Together Conference! Prior to the conference the board met for two and half days. I’m here to give you an update on what went on during that time. Our Board Meeting began with daily PPO training (Power, Privilege, and Oppression) led by Board Member Ritchie Bryant. The session covered the topics of Black Deaf Culture and History, Statistics of Oppressed Groups, and discussing ideas for next term. We also discussed the 2017 LEAD Together Conference and things that needed to be done in preparation for the conference and business meeting, including finishing the Standing Rules, Resolutions, and Board Opinions to the motions submitted, and making sure Board members knew what they needed to do during the conference and Business Meeting.
video: https://youtu.be/M2WSBy5F6jA
video: https://youtu.be/IJwaK1v6Uow
Communications was another topic we covered this week. RID has a new Communications Team! They have been working on a Social Media Policy for RID. We recognize the need to work on consistency in our messaging, while also providing variety in the tone of our messages. Much of our messaging over the last couple of years has been urgent or important information we want to make sure our members are aware of. This and the push towards style consistency has caused our messages to become sterile and we want to see changes in that going forward. We also recognize the value of face-to-face communications with our members and explored ideas to make that happen going forward.
Testing and certification were also discussed. One issue that came up is the complication of interchangeably using the terms “certified” and “certification” since CASLI has been established, especially related to the role distinction between RID and CASLI. We talked about our commitment to the PDI plan as well. Once conference is over, RID Headquarters will be able to focus on operationalizing the plan to credential Deaf Interpreters while we are waiting for the next iteration of the CDI. The board revisited the Felony Conviction Policy that was passed. Some of our current members were not on the board when it was originally considered.
While explaining the reasons it was passed, we realized that those issues may be better addressed by changes within our Ethical Practices System instead of policy. The board consented to explore that avenue for addressing concerns.The board recognizes that our leadership documents need to be updated. Two documents the board identified as a priority for the next term are the Bylaws and the PPM (Policy and Procedure Manual).
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FROM THE BOARD
We are already looking ahead to future conferences! Next year is Regional Conference time. The Regional Representatives gave us updates on how each region’s conference planning is going. Be on the lookout for more news on that! National Conference 2019 is also on the horizon. Our 2017 LEAD Together Conference this year is a different approach to our typical national conference structure and the board brainstormed ideas for reenvisioning the 2019 conference as well. One additional item is a topic the board brought up for a closed session that we now want to share you. We recognize that groups, such as our board, are made up of individuals and individuals bring an array of diverse perspectives as well as personalities to the group. It can take work to figure out how best to fit each person into the whole. The board discussed ways to improve how we do that and how to improve the board experience, especially as a new set of people will be starting their board positions soon. Hopefully this work will have a positive impact on the membership as well as those serving on the national board. It was a great meeting. The 2017-2019 board will meet for the first time next week! Thank you! video: https://youtu.be/j63hJ8ztgSg
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
RID PRESS
Law Enforcement Interpreting for Deaf Persons A Study Guide by Tara Potterveld
Hi, I’m Tara Potterveld, author of the book, “Law Enforcement Interpreting for Deaf Persons” published by RID. RID will publish a new book this year. Steve Phan and I collaborated to create a study guide as a companion to “Law Enforcement Interpreting for Deaf Persons.” The new Study Guide will be used in conjunction with the original book. The Study Guide is composed of various questions related to the information in the Law Enforcement book. The format for study includes multiple choice, true/false, short answers and an opportunity to practice the Miranda Warning with a mentor. Law enforcement interpreting is a serious endeavor that can potentially impact the lives of Deaf persons. It is vital that interpreters prepare before accepting assignments with the police. With this new publication, interpreters will be able to obtain Continuing Educational Units (CEUs). Interpreters can earn 2 - 8 CEUs using this study guide.
youtube link: https://youtu.be/ja-Puw_IJgQ
Interpreters can use this guide by themselves, with a group of Deaf and hearing interpreters as well as with a mentor. Mentors will also be able to earn CEUs. Steve and I hope that you will enjoy and learn from this new book in order to interpret more effectively with law enforcement. Thank you. Get this title and other RID Press Publications at RID's online store. Visit the link HERE!
www.rid.org
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FEATURES • • • • • • • • •
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RID Outgoing Board Meet Your New Board A Critical Lens Region Report: Meet Mish! Making History! Erica West Oyedele PCRID Street Leverage’s Brandon Arthur Leadership Track: Gift of Collective Leadership Skills Track: Teaching Teams
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
RID
OUTGOING BOARD We were glad to be able to see these Board members in their official capacity one last time in Salt Lake City - they made a big impact at the LEAD Together Conference!
Erica West Oyedele, VP NIC Erica stepped up to the plate to become the first Person of Color to ever conduct an RID Business meeting this Conference. We are proud of her fearless leadership and grateful to have had such a wonderful and humble exemplar on the RID Board of Directors.
Billieanne McClellan, Treasurer CI & CT, NIC, Ed:K-12 Despite being days away from the end of her tenure, Billieanne gave her all during the conference, actively participating in the Board meetings, meeting with member sections, and signing the Board meeting summary for the VIEWS! Her hard work behind the scenes will definitely be missed.
Ritchie Bryant, DMAL CDI, CLIP-R Ritchie held the torch for one of the major themes of this Conference - Power, Privilege, and Oppression. He conducted training sessions for the Board and participated in Plenary sessions, really engaging our members and volunteer leaders is discourse about this passionate issue.
LaVona Andrew, MAL CI & CT, NIC: Master, Ed:K-12 LaVona was a wonderful, friendly face at conference, always approachable and quick to offer a helping hand to the members she serves. She signed the Business Meeting Standing Rules, paving the way for a clear and professional parliamentary process.
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INCOMING BOARD
We sat down with a few of our newly elected Board of Directors and asked them to share a little about themselves, their mission for their position with RID, and how they best wish to serve YOU, the members!
Treasurer:
Carolyn Ball, PhD, CI & CT, NIC JW: Hi, I’m Julia Wardle, Communications Coordinator at RID Headquarters. Today we have Carolyn Ball, recently elected RID Board Treasurer, who started this July. We’re excited to have you here! CB: I’m excited to be here. JW: We wanted to take advantage of this interview opportunity to ask you a few questions about this year’s conference and looking forward to your new position. First, in your campaign for Treasurer, you talked a lot about connecting to RID’s Roots. Looking forward as an organization, what do you feel is essential that we preserve from our history? CB: Hello, I think you know that I’ve long been involved in recording history for the Conference of Interpreter Trainers, CIT. Of course there are a lot of overlaps with RID. I feel that it’s important for us to understand our roots, specifically the people who helped to establish RID. Those individuals did so much for us and we should honor them. When we honor them, we also honor this organization. For 20
video: https://youtu.be/7NC9Scrr7vI
example, the new Broadway play - well, it came out last year - about Alexander Hamilton? It was such a sensation and now many people praise and honor the life of Hamilton, not just because he is the face on the ten dollar bill, but because they feel like they know who he was and they feel that connection. I feel the same about RID. If we can learn about roots, we can honor them. That is so important for our organization. JW: Thank you for your perspective as a historian. Incorporating that will be a real credit to your work as Treasurer going forward. So looking towards that, how does your previous eperience with CIT and CCIE benefit you? How do you envision managing RID’s recent fiscal crisis, and moving forward so that instead of keeping RID on a plateau, it can begin to excel again? What do you feel you can contribute to this process? CB: I feel that is so important to work with this home office. I have been a member of RID for a while but I realized that it’s important for me as a person not to complain about things related to RID. Many people wonder about what’s going on, but for me, it’s time to actually get involved with no more complaining. It’s time for me to help the organization move forward and VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
progress. In my involvement with CIT as treasurer in 1998, I was taught about 501c organizations and how they work. Then when I became treasurer for CCIE, I learned about better budgeting. I ‘m new with RID’s processes but I’ve watched for a long time and I’m learning a lot. I believe in working with this home office to become more transparent for the members, to let them know what’s going on, so that they know what’s happening. I look forward to working with the Affiliate Chapters and coordinating our efforts towards RID’s success. Of course, that’s the real goal - unity. JW: RID has always emphasized the importance of transparency, so that members will know what’s going on and how we are serving them, so I like what you said about that. Thank you again. CB: Thank you!
Member at Large (MAL):
Len Roberson, Ph.D.; SC:L, CI & CT
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ello! I am Len Roberson and I’m from Florida. I am your newly elected Member At Large on the RID board. Thank you all for your votes to help me become the new MAL, I am truly very excited. Right now, we are here at the RID LEAD Together Conference 2017, which has been really cool. We’ve had a lot of great conversations and interactions with members about how we can include our different members and recognize how we can begin to plan for positive change, especially with our member sections, all of which gets us excited about moving towards the future. While this is the first time for me to be facilitating as part of the RID Board, I have also worked with the FLA RID affiliate chapter for many www.rid.org
INCOMING BOARD
video: https://youtu.be/sulguVrUaZg
years up to this point. I have served the organization in many ways but I look forward to serving the general RID membership and I’m very eager to start. So far the Board has been really helpful with preparing me to take on the role of MAL. As we have our first board meeting this afternoon, I hope to learn all the specifics that their vision includes. I know that my position as Member At Large includes my interaction with the members, our organization, and working with the different member sections to help with the member relationships and connections with our board to support activities and active conversations. I really want to focus on what our members’ goals and visions for the future are. I hope to move forward with the intent of positive change. I want to help with communication efforts between members, affiliate chapters, member sections, and really open the doors that lead to progress and improved communication. What I am noticing now here at conference is that many people are ready and excited to start that shift towards positive change. Again, to see many different members included in so many different ways, regional and state affiliate chapters included in Board discussions. We’re able to spread ideas and realize “WE ARE RID”. It’s not about pointing fingers and saying They are RID. No. We are RID and we need to work together towards progress. There were many different presentations at conference this week allowing for ideas to be shared among the audience. Ideas to think about and internalize. Now members can go away from conference with these ideas. Just this morning, our small groups discussed 21
INCOMING BOARD how we can include our regional groups, how we can include leadership, and how we can change the thought process from THEY to WE and how we we can do it together. I will be involved in the next two years here at RID to work with our members to make sure we are ready.
of action to become interpreters, and I also love publishing and research. I’m involved with RID’s certification committee. I am also currently the editor for JOI (Journal of Interpreting)- the RID publication for academic research articles. I’ve been doing that for six years now, serving as co-editor.
I’ve worked as an educational interpreter for many years and I’ve been certified with RID for 25 years. I have three deaf children, eight total. That’s right EIGHT children, and I love my family. I love to work with aspiring interpreters, love to help plan their course
Again, in closing I am Len Roberson and I am very excited to get to work with you all! Thank you!
Deaf Member at Large (DMAL) Branton Stewart CDI, CLIP-R
Branton’s Deaf-of-Deaf background and his priceless sense of humor make him a wonderful addition to RID’s Board of Directors. Welcome to our new Deaf Member at Large!
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Vice President (VP)
Sandra Maloney M.A., CI & CT, SC:L
We are excited to see Sandra’s influence spread from Region III to all across our organization! Welcome, Vice President Maloney!
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
RID CARES
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CRITICAL LENS
A Critical Lens
Jonathan Webb, PhD Lecturer, American Sign Language Department of World Languages and Cultures, Iowa State University dialogues centering on our attitudes, practices, and approaches.
video: https://youtu.be/5CCAX1K48vw
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ello, my name is Jonathan Webb. I have been here at the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf National Conference this week and I’ve had the opportunity to present on the concepts of Power and Privilege. Yesterday, I was involved in a Plenary presentation and today I presented on my own, specifically touching on the action continuum. Many practitioners find themselves in a stupor as to what to do when they begin to awaken to the System. This state is further exacerbated when one realizes that the System is like unto Russian nesting dolls systems are nested within other larger systems and the unpacking of one automatically necessitates the unpacking of another.
I couldn’t help but notice after the first session and the ensuing group dialogue, that participants had a great deal of energy around the concept of “Resistor”. People began to consider the notion of neutrality as illusory in nature - I would agree; neutrality is an impossibility. Knowing this, as interpreters we must first recognize that audism seeks to colonize people who are Deaf. The question is, do we allow this? Speaking as a hearing interpreter, I have power, and I have privilege. So do I allow that system of dominance to enact destruction on the community? Another question I might pose is directly related to RID governance: Do we continue to play out the supremacy of Whiteness or do we ensure that other people have a voice and power in this association? Another important point in relation to acting as a Resistor was that in doing so we make space for others. With this newfound space, people who have been “othered” have greater freedom to do the work in which they are engaged.
As we have talked about unpacking these systems and how we react to them, I have been thoroughly impressed. To be completely transparent, I have wondered for quite some time if and when interpreters would be ready to engage in a deep and critical analysis on these particular topics. I confess this work is not easy. And so I believe the question “Are we ready?” is a valid one. However, I have been thrilled to see the reaction of the conference participants this week. It is abundantly clear to all of us that we are more than ready. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention there are a number of us who have been ready for this dialogue for a long time. We are happy to see that our membership, in general, is courageous enough to engage in these difficult 24
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
CRITICAL LENS
A Critical Lens
Jonathan Webb, PhD Lecturer, American Sign Language Department of World Languages and Cultures, Iowa State University After today’s presentation, the word that seemed to strike people most deeply was “Accomplice”. Several practitioners questioned what that word meant and its application. Again, we have to consider the system of audism in which we all live, and the fact that Deaf people are confronted by audism on a moment-bymoment basis. The System is designed to colonize and assimilate Deaf people into the idea and the identity of hearing-ness. With this comes the rejection of Deaf people’s culture, language, and everything else that defines their beautiful community, all for the goal of hearing supremacy. As such, the Deaf community is in constant resistance to the system of audism. Expectedly however, when I used the word “Accomplice,” many participants were taken aback due to its common negative connotation. Yet, in the word of social justice, the term “Accomplice” means something more. In the world of social justice, many marginalized communities have begun to hold a skeptical eye towards self-proclaimed allies. In this context, some allies are seen as saying the right things, yet often speaking for the marginalized member of society, instead of with the person. And while literally “using your voice” for good is indeed a good thing, what marginalized people in society are more often seeking is someone who stands in action and solidarity. So the work of an Accomplice is to recognize the suffering of a marginalized individual and their desire to not only navigate the system of oppression, but subvert it for their own liberation. As Accomplices, we go further by displaying a willingness to stand and act with them in that work. As an Accomplice I must actively support and work to help subvert the system of audism so that Deaf people have a better chance at equity in our society. Again, I’ve been very pleased at the level of discourse and engagement I’ve seen at the conference. I’ve seen nothing but a willingness to dive deep into the heart of these important matters. I have absolute respect www.rid.org
and gratitude for those engaged in this work, and frankly, it’s made the travel, the time, the energy, and even the jitters well worth it. Thank you so much for being part of this. I appreciate you.
About the Author: Jonathan Webb, PhD; CI & CT, NIC-Adv Facilitator, Writer, Activist, Educator, Mentor
Jonathan started learning ASL in 1986 and somehow got tricked into his first interpreting assignments in 1993. He has specialized in Visual/Gestural Communication, Mental Health interpreting, and the fine art of questioning everything. He has degrees in Interpreting, Liberal Arts, Deaf Education, and Theology, with post-doc work in Clinical Psychology. Hobbies include ocean and beach time, poetry, visualizing an emancipated world, and arguing for the sake of arguing. He’s partnered with his best friend who happens to be an amazing interpreter. They share three children he is convinced will change the world- for the better! 25
REGION UPDATE
JW: Hello! We’re here at the RID 2017 Conference, and we’re excited to interview with our Region V Representative, Mish Ktejik. Where are you from, Mish? MK: Hi! Well, I now live in Portland, Oregon, but I grew up in Wisconsin, and I lived in Washington, DC for seven years before moving to Portland. JW: And how long have you been a member of RID? MK: Since 2004 - That’s when I first joined as an RID member. Then I became certified in 2009. I’ve filled various volunteer roles in RID since then. JW: Wow. But you are new to the Board, am I correct? MK: I am the newest member of the Board, until Monday. On Monday we have a few transitions of Board members. Then I’ll become one of the seasoned Board members! JW: So what’s your experience with the Board? How have you interacted with others on the Board, and what do you feel is your unique contribution to Board discussions? MK: I don’t know if I can say what I add to the Board because really I’ve learned so much from them. Honestly, it is a wonderful group. The Board is comprised of volunteer leaders from different fields, different states, different backgrounds, and they come together and are able to honestly engage with and learn from each other. I do think the Region V perspective contributes. As a region, we are very motivated, and that resonates with me - I’ve always been a very involved member. Many of Region V’s members look to the Board for support and want to become involved as well. 26
video: https://youtu.be/_gFQ5bBnPbU
JW: So I want to talk about your region. It is the biggest of the five regions. It includes the Mountain West, the Northwest, California, Alaska, and Hawaii. With so many different backgrounds, opinions, and needs, how do you work to accommodate all of your members? MK: There is a lot of diversity in perspective, a lot of variety. Accommodating all of that perfectly would be impossible. But I do try to work with it. My goal is communication. I want to hear my members’ opinions, bring them to the Board, and collect information from the Board to bring back to my region. So really I feel like the greatest service I can do is facilitating the information exchange between the members of the region and the Board.
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
REGION UPDATE JW: So last night was your Regional Caucus. Tell us, how did that go? What were the main goals for the Caucus and what was discussed? MK: It was wonderful! Historically, Regional Caucuses have tended to be serious discussions and lectures. This conference is already very serious with a lot of deep discussion, intense brainstorming, and
strategic planning. So, our members decided that we wanted the Caucus to be more light and fun. We had a great spread of food, with lots of desserts, and we had one big announcement - that next year, the Regional Conference will be held in Vancouver, Washington! It will be July 11-14; hope to see you there! So that was our announcement. But we also discussed legal interpreting, the lack of legal interpreters and what they need. Many Deaf clients don’t have interpreting support in legal situations. So we discussed that briefly. Then, after that, you know, we just partied! There was a lot of socializing, eating, chatting, and raffle prizes. It was such a fun night! Many people felt that it was a good and relaxing time.
come into the caucus last night I was shocked. It was a completely full room. Wow. JW: So why do you feel like this conference is special? Or what do you think it adds to the conference to have it here, in Region V? MK: I know that my region is very passionate about being involved in RID. They really want to see change and improvement. This conference is for that reason - to get the members involved, to develop leadership skills, to brainstorm and to discuss. That perfectly matches our Region, we welcome that kind of discussion and so it really fits well with the membership here in Salt Lake City. The Utah Affiliate Chapter has done a lot of work to support the RID conference, and there have been many volunteers helping out - thank you so much for your support! We also have Sorenson here in Salt Lake City and they are a huge sponsor for this conference. We’re grateful for their donations. I’m just thrilled that this is the location of the conference and experiencing a National Conference in Region V has been really good for me. I am looking forward to conference. Thank you Headquarters and thank you to the volunteers for their support at this conference. It’s been wonderful. Thank you. JW: Thank you!
JW: And you really do have so many people here for Region V! MK: You’re right - in fact, I think we beat all of the other regions. We had about 150 people. I admit, I expected less, so when I saw the flood of people www.rid.org
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MAKING HISTORY
MAKING HISTORY!
Former Vice President Erica West Oyedele becomes first interpreter of color to lead conference Business Meeting. Interview courtesy of Adam Ledo, Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
ever presided over our business meeting. That’s special. AL: He said that since RID’s founding in 1964, this was the first time a person of color, a black interpreter presided over a RID business meeting. How did that make you feel?
video: https://youtu.be/AOUxlFMw9SQ
EWO: I felt really honored to have the opportunity to do that, and to be honest, I was not able to process my feelings in that moment. It wasn’t until the closing of the business meeting that Jonathan Webb came up on stage and gave the remarks as mentioned earlier, and it made me feel
AL: Hello from the RID national conference in Salt Lake City. Sadly, today is the final day. Let me introduce myself, I am Adam Ledo, current FRID President. I’m here with the RID outgoing Vice President, Erica West Oyedele (EWO). I hope I got the spelling right. EWO: Yes, you got it right. AL: Phew! As I said, her term as Vice President is almost complete; however, something special happened yesterday. During the second day of RID’s business meeting, President Walker abdicated his responsibility of running the meeting to represent the headquarters office; in turn, this responsibility fell to Erica. We already posted a message and shared a livestreamed video of this. Jonathan Webb went up on stage and shared these comments: Jonathan Webb: Melvin announced yesterday that Erica would be taking on the responsibility of running the business meeting. There is a strong representation of interpreters of color at this year’s conference. Many of us were sitting together when the announcement was made, and we immediately recognized the significance of this moment. From RID’s inception in 1964 until today, this is the first time an interpreter of color, a black interpreter, has 28
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
MAKING HISTORY a lot of different emotions that I was not able to fully understand. At the end of his comments, Jonathan shared how he and a few others engaged in a community conversation and decided to acknowledge that I was the first person of color/ interpreter of color/black interpreter to preside over the business meeting. It wasn’t just a few people, but rather a group of people, who were moved to action and decided to elevate the specialness of that moment, because of the value of community and collectivism. That is something that is important to me.
AL: Throughout the conference, we have repeatedly discussed the importance of having leaders who represent all of us, and leaders who we can see ourselves in. In that regard, what do you think was the greater significance of that and why do you think we should share it with everyone? EWO: Sure. First though, I want to back up for a moment. I saw your livestreamed video on Facebook from yesterday, and I want to thank you for it. It was important that you did that, and let me explain why. Yesterday, the Interpreters & Translators Of Color (ITOC) held their member section meeting. During that meeting, we talked about the importance of acknowledging us and celebrating us. Often times, we don’t want to be cast into a spotlight, but when we are quiet about our achievements, then our stories are not told. A few years ago, Legacies and Legends was published, and that book is significant and inspiring. It shares the stories of the important contributions to our field through the years; however, there is virtually no mention of persons of color. They were mentioned more as a footnote www.rid.org
than a true acknowledgement. We have to do better at recognizing and capturing moments, such as the one from yesterday, and I thank you for capturing it. That’s another reason why yesterday was so significant. AL: I felt honored to be a part of and witness to that special moment in history yesterday. I think that book you mentioned might need to publish a second edition and add this event. Now I’m going to shift the conversation a bit. Yesterday, Erica and I spent quite a bit of time chatting and we had a very enjoyable conversation. In our discussion, we shared that we are both introverts and that is a personality trait that seems somewhat prevalent with other interpreters. I think that is something else that is important to share. Would you mind talking a little about that? EWO: I like socializing with people, but it is exhausting. A conference like this, even without the honorable moment, would be very emotional for me because I have to be “on”, suppress my discomfort and just keep going. It becomes important for me to figure out how to take care of myself. Introverts are often task-oriented people and we are good at getting things done, which is important for this type of organization. We have a lot of members that want a lot of different things from us. Having people who
Members from ITOC Join Together at the 2017 Conference in SLC 29
MAKING HISTORY are able to engage with our members is important, but it’s also important to have people who thrive at getting things taken care of. It takes a certain kind of energy to get up in front of others or to interpret in front of larger crowds. I think many introverts have that ability, but we are focused on the task in those moments. That requires a different kind of energy than actually interacting and socializing, which drains my energy much quicker. Then, I have to go find a place to hide, which admittedly I did a few times this week. Usually, I didn’t have enough time to go up to my room, so I would hide in the bathroom or even behind one of the curtains. I had to take care of myself and make sure that I had the energy and comfort to continue doing my job. AL: Thank you for sharing that. Many times, I’ve had the same experience. So what happens next for you? At noon today, you will no longer be the VP, so what will you do now? EWO: Well, I have 2 main focuses, but I’m sure
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there will be several other things that I will do. First, I was going to say new, but I have a “not so new” 14-month-old baby at home, and I plan to focus on my family. The second is my new job with Project CLIMB, which provides legal training to interpreters of color, Deaf interpreters, CODAs and heritage signers. The project focuses on those communities and aims to bolster their skills and qualifications in the legal interpreting specialization. Lastly, I would add self-care. This week we talked a lot about prioritization and how often we forget to prioritize ourselves. I often take care of others first, so I’m going to prioritize myself too. AL: Great! I look forward to seeing you thrive even more. Thank you for your time and thank you for letting everyone see you. It’s important. Thank you. EWO: Thank you to everyone. Spanish Translations can be VIEWED HERE http://www.fridcentral.org/FRID-Blog/5010610
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
www.rid.org
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MEMBER REFLECTION
PCRID
GINA D'AMORE, president of Potomac Chapter Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (PCRID) reflects on Conference and the new power statement of: WE are RID! there, I saw many PCRID members and I have already begun discussions with those persons about bringing the workshop to PCRID. After my experience at RID, I feel like the organization is moving along in the right direction, moving towards a positive future. Towards the end of the conference it became clear that WE are RID and that we can make change in RID if we want to. What used to feel hierarchical and ivory tower with regard to the RID Board and leadership, now seems very egalitarian video: https://youtu.be/4_80bj6TGa8 made up of peers and colleagues. It is clear that the ello! I wanted to share my thoughts on the most RID board and leadership sincerely want to work with recent RID conference with all of you. Wow. their constituents as equals to help make change for the First, I should let you know that I went to the 4-day Deaf better. Amazing. interpreter conference beforehand. Then immediately went to the RID conference. I must admit that I was There is something else that I’d like to just put out there going into RID on the defensive; the Deaf community for your consideration. Something that really impressed has been restless and full of angst with RID as of late. me! Whereas the Deaf community has felt pretty Regardless, I went, ready to defend the Deaf community, disenfranchised with regard to RID, and particularly but then realized that it was not needed. Wow, I mean it feeling obstructed from accessing RID inner workings, was a really great experience. Their training, conference which has made affecting change difficult in the past, process, leadership, and planning I’ve just got to say I can see now that the door is opened and it hasn’t just it was all exceptional. I particular, the PPO (power, cracked open but it’s actually blown wide open to and privilege, and oppression) workshop there were several for us. And it seems as though it is not just the Deaf great speakers, firstly there was Wing Butler, Carla community to step up and get involved – go through that door, but I also sense more openness being extended Shird, and Jonathon Webb and Heather Harker. to the hearing interpreters who may have felt the same All of the speakers throughout the sessions in the way in the past. There was a sense of coming together Leadership track really worked in coordination and each in this conference between the two groups and I was presentation flowed into the next adding more and more thoroughly impressed. Unity among Hearing and Deaf layers and building on the previous session. I mean, interpreters to truly became one; we weren’t there to WOW! I want to share my innermost thoughts on this just talk about the field of interpreting, but also life with all of you and say that I feel as though I’ve grown, issues and many other topics. There was a great level personally, from this experience. The training itself was of engagement and information sharing between the very in-depth, it involved a lot of self-reflection and self- communities and individuals with real exchange among analysis, it applied to my leadership style and my past colleagues. experiences, and I feel like it’s relevant and applicable Finally, I will let you know that it was not easy for me to all of you, too. I want to say that I believe that to make this vlog, because, in many ways, my feelings I am eager to bring that workshop experience and those on these issues are quite personal, but I feel like I need insights to you and share it with the PCRID members. to share this information with each of you. I am so very I have really good news, too. I’m not the only PCRID ready to work with all of you, ready to share with you member who attended the RID Conference. While and ready to move forward. Thank you!
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
INSIDE SCOOP
VIMS Partners
A SHARED CONNECTION OF PASSION FOR OUR PROFESSION Brandon Arthur, Street Leverage Founder
array of diverse individuals here at conference. The spirit of cooperation has been very strong throughout my experiences with RID conferences. I’m impressed with how presenters can connect with participants, and also how participants can collaborate with each other. That collaboration is what is giving birth to a completely new discussion that I haven’t seen at an RID Conference before, so it has been quite an encouraging experience. video: https://youtu.be/qOVfAARGF38
RID: Tell us about your experience with RID and working together for the past 2 conferences BA: I was thrilled to come to the RID conference here in Salt Lake City. It was impressive that as a whole we were able to set aside the topic of interpreting, and focus on the principles of leadership and how we, as a field, can and need to improve. How we can analyze our leadership skills and continue to progress? What an important discussion to have - and that discussion allows space for the next evolutionary transition within RID… so this has been a really powerful experience and place for me. I’ve certainly benefitted and I think so have the wide
www.rid.org
video: https://youtu.be/r9txc6DSx44
RID: How do you think the conference has impacted you and the other members involved? BA: In coming to this RID Conference, you see a lot of similarities to past conferences but also a lot of discussion in regards to People of Color, and how we can continue to be inclusive of diversity. We were truly able to take advantage of the unique opportunity to witness their experiences, their skills and passions; it was very touching. For use - for me, I saw that space opening to include a greater fulness of dynamic progress as RID goes on. RID will become more rich, will have new experiences and because of that RID will be more welcoming on a global scale… so that was thrilling and has been really wonderful.
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LEADERSHIP TRACK
Leadership Track Group Facilitators: The Gift of Collective Leadership Anna Witter-Merithew CSC, SC:L, OIC:C, SC:PA, CI and CT Interim Executive Director
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ollective leadership exists when everyone takes responsibility for the success of an event, effort, or organization, and everyone works cooperatively to achieve common goals. It requires an organization to distribute leadership responsibility among those who have expertise, capability, and motivation. In many ways, RID has a long and rich history of collective leadership through which volunteer leaders from every level of the organization, along with HQ staff, work together to move the organization forward. Sometimes our efforts in working collectively are more successful than others. Working collectively and cooperatively in a successful and productive way requires a great deal of planning and structure. Because it is a process that is dependent on humans - like all human systems - there will be flaws, requiring ongoing evaluation and improvement. An inspiring example of RID collective leadership at its best was during the Leadership Track of the LEAD Together Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, July 20-24, 2017. The purpose of the Leadership Track was to create an opportunity for members and volunteer leaders to come together and discuss how we might work to resolve the important issues facing RID and move forward in a positive direction. This discussion occurred 34
youtube link: https://youtu.be/HnwXtEO1P64
at a critical time, as RID is beginning to emerge from a period of significant organizational crisis and working to create a sustainable path for the future. Every person in attendance exhibited collective leadership! The speakers laid a powerful foundation from which the participants engaged in discussion and offered specific recommendations for how RID can address concerns and issues and advance RID’s mission at the local, state, and national level. In this VIEWS, President Walker’s article addresses next steps for the process that began in Salt Lake City. It is very promising. There is one particular group of individuals who need to be acknowledged and thanked for their work during the Leadership Track of the conference—the small group facilitators. The work of this group began many months ago when they completed an open call for applications, followed by a screening process that is described in the February 2017 VIEWS (p. 13). Preparing required that the facilitators take pre-and posttests for the small group discussions, complete a series of five training modules (about eight hours of time commitment), participate in a conference VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
LEADERSHIP TRACK follow-up webinar, review conference materials in advance, and attend a meet-and-greet in Salt Lake City prior to the conference. Then, the facilitators were to be present every day of the conference, attending each presentation so that afterwards they could support and lead their peers in the discussion and recommendation process. In total, there were about 50 facilitators who supported 30 table discussions with an average of 9-10 people per table. About eight groups also participated remotely in locations all across the United States. The table facilitators and meta-facilitators were absolutely amazing and served as a cornerstone for the Leadership Track process! Below is a list of the individuals who served as facilitators—both onsite and remotely. We extend to each of them our gratitude for their selfless contribution and service to their peers and colleagues, their support of our common good, and their dedication to moving RID forward! Bravo! Many of these individuals have indicated an interest in continuing to serve as a resource within the organization, making themselves available to support local or state groups interested in replicating the Leadership Track process. To that end, we will be creating a directory of trained group facilitators that will be posted on the RID website for reference. Again, hats off to this fantastic team of members who helped make the 2017 RID LEAD Together Conference such a success!
2017 LEAD Facilitators Region I Andriana Alefhi, NY Janice Cagan-Teuber, MA Kelly Decker, NY Daniel Maffia, NY Denise Martinez, MA Lewis Merkin, NY Nancy Sullivan, NJ Joan Wattman, MA Kip Webster, NY Region II Heidi Adams, FL Pam Collins, MD Ruth Dubin, GA Chris McGaha, AL Su Kyong, MD Denise Perdue, MD Len Roberson, FL Brenda Sellers, TN Lisa Weems, MD Robert Weinstock, MD Jennifer Witteborg, VA
Region IV Stephanie Criner, TX Paula Gajewski Mickelson, MN Jo Linda Greenfield, CO Emmett Hassen, AZ Lucy James, TX Amy Kroll, CO Deborah Martinez, TX Paula McCluskey, NM Michelle Mire, AZ Holly Nelson, UT Sonja Smith, TX M’Leah Woodward, NM
Region V Deborah Arment, ID Stephanie Chao, CA Vicki Darden, OR Dawn Duran, UT Jan Fried, HI Christina Healy, OR Elisa Maroney, OR Natalie Page, AK Steven Peterson, UT Region III Amanda Smith, OR Arlyn Anderson, MN Jennifer Storrer, UT Judy Cain, IL Elizabeth Jean-Baptiste, OH Damon Timm, CA Julie Lehto, MN Richard Laurion, MN Angela Malcomson, IL Sandra Maloney, MI
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success!” – Henry Ford
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SKILLS TRACK
On The Right Track Meet the 2017 LEAD Together Teaching Teams who provided professional tools for development to our Skills Track participants
Teaching Team 1: Message Coherence Christine Multra Kraft
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video: https://youtu.be/2LLKmIoPINc
ello, I’m Christine Multra Kraft (CMK). Today was my first round of teaching prosody as it relates to message coherence. I will be teaching 2 more sessions over the next 2 days. I really enjoyed today- it was a great group and lively discussions. We opened our discussion by reviewing spoken English prosody specifics, such as how to transition between ideas, how to emphasize information, how to carry out my communication goals. If my goal is to persuade, or to explain something, or to convince someone of something, or to exhort, or to give instructions; whatever my communication goal is will affect my prosodic choices and I work toward carrying it out using Spoken English prosody. The same happens with ASL; as interpreters we need to learn and use native ASL prosody techniques. ASL prosody includes body movement, facial cues including mouth and eye movements/changes. How ASL users make transitions, emphasize information, call attention to something can be through pauses or holding signs. We can choose the question forms we use; prosody is connected with our syntactic choices, in how we structure information. The only way to find out is to study native ASL users. This morning we watched and analyzed the prosody used
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in a video of a native ASL user teaching a procedure. Next we all practiced giving instructions in ASL using the same prosodic choices then followed up with interpreting a procedural video, again using those ASL prosodic cues. We discussed both procedural and narrative elements of prosody, including closeup details on how something like setting up referents and maintaining cohesion including what ASL users expect to see in different discourse genres such as continued use of depicted action. When interpreting, either English-ASL or vice versa, both English and ASL prosodies informs the other. Interpreters need to produce target language utilizing prosodies expected by that audience. It’s fascinating to explore the differences between the two and figure out how we can utilize our knowledge. Plus it sure was fun; in one of the exercises – we worked our way up through skill and understanding development – we first watched video to identify prosodic techniques, then we used the techniques to communicate information, then finally we interpreted similar information working to utilize good ASL prosodic choices. Everyone challenged themselves this morning with good follow-up discussions. I wanted to add one more thing: interpreting actually communication - involves constant two-way interaction. As interpreters, we read our audience for communication cues, checking to see if our choices and our produced message is understandable, if our consumers are ‘with’ us as we construct the message. It’s a dance of getting the feedback from the audience, and then we adjust our interpretation accordingly. Our prosody choices are based on what we think the audience will understand based on their experience, background, and way of viewing/understand the world. It is the challenge– interpreters can’t just output information, it’s essential we connect with our Deaf consumers and make prosodic choices VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
SKILLS TRACK Teaching Team 2: Spatial Structuring/ Discourse Mapping Patty Lessard & Marlon Kuntze
video: https://youtu.be/oVD1Bn-E-9k
PL: Hi! I'm Patty Lessard. LK: Hi! I'm Lon Kuntze. PL: We started working together when I would have questions and would ask Lon's advice in order to set up my curriculum, and we went from there.
at those interpreters at the "top" and wonder why ALL of the interpreters can't be as equally skilled. That requires someone to provide the necessary education in order for those interpreters at the bottom to elevate their skills. Sure, each field has individuals who possess innate skill, but we also have those who can build upon their existing skills. That is our goal; to teach those latter individuals that they can learn. Really, our topic is not related to interpreting, or sign. For example, the National Science Foundation is involved with rockets, aviation, amongst other things. It's necessary to realize the bigger picture here, and have that "aha!" moment to understand that many things can apply simultaneously to one singular topic. So, this isn't really related to signing per se, but really about the thinking of sign and interpreting production. The two of us have become very interested in cognitive processes.
LK: My background is in language acquisition, literacy development, cognitive processing, and learning. The various aspects incorporated with how language is acquired. The two of us worked together a lot - she has interpreted for several courses I've taken, and during our interactions we've discovered some common interests. PL, as a working interpreter and an interpreter educator, has often been able to exchange a lot of information with me over the years.
LK: Learning ASL as a second language - the problem isn't really related to learning the language itself, but learning the grammatical structure and all of the linguistic complexities. Understanding and comparing the modalities of learning spoken and audible language to ASL is critical; it requires a different way of thinking.
PL: He asked me why it was that some interpreters are not able to handle the demands of conference interpreting. This pyramid is structured with those interpreters at the top being able to seamlessly and effortlessly handle the linguistic challenges allowing the consumer to fully understand the content with few areas of weakness. What do you think?
LK: Right! The goal here is not for people to watch us and think so much about the content and work arduously to understand it. That isn't necessary.
PL: If the interpreter doesn't, then it means the Deaf person is the one actually doing the interpreting.
PL: That's right!
LK: We see the basic structure of ASL and how it is learned - from here, we see the various perspectives. "That makes sense!" So, clearly the gap in knowledge in the field of linguistics, interpreter training, and other programs proves challenging to confront. That is what the two of us have discussed a lot and has ultimately lead to why we are here presenting. PL: Also, that pyramid - people often express awe www.rid.org
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SKILLS TRACK Teaching Team Teaching Team 3: Depiction in ASL Randee Pascall-Speights & Miako Villanueva
RPS: We want interpreters to leave our workshop with techniques and ideas they can use in their work and share with their local interpreting communities. ASL and the deaf community are rich resources, and it's great to be able to enhance participants' discoveries of those riches. We look forward to seeing you at one of our future workshops!
Teaching Team 4: Receptive Fingerspelling Brian Cerney & Anna Cerney video: https://youtu.be/oTwJbNRiwJc
RPS: Hello! My name is Randee Pascall-Speights. I am a full-time freelance CDI. MV: Hi! I’m Miako Villanueva. I am a freelance interpreter and a professor at Gallaudet University. RPS: We are here as presenters in the skills track at the RID Conference, and, as always, it's great to be teaching together as a hearing and Deaf team. This is not our first time presenting together; we’ve co-taught several workshops in various locations. Teaching together as a deaf and hearing team provides a rich and vital opportunity to bring together my insights as an ASL native user and her perspectives as an English native user, and enhances how we think about and teach about interpreting. MV: The workshop we are teaching here is on a topic we have taught before in other places and in various depths: we've done it as a day-long, as a two-day workshop, and in other iterations. The topic we focus on is "depiction" which is crucial for interpreters to understand how they are conceptualizing meaning and the various options they have for expressing concepts. Within the depiction frameworkwe incorporate Randee’s native ASL and perspectives, as both a deaf interpreter and consumer, to present lots of different ideas and examples to support interpreters in expanding their range and becoming more comfortable with their ASL expressive skills. There is an excellent group of participants in the skills track, and we've had an awesome experience presenting here at the RID conference! 38
video: https://youtu.be/R9_O0I3IE74
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ello! We’re here at RID conference where interpreters, hearing and Deaf, gather for this amazing experience. This is my first experience teaching a fingerspelling class in this setting. This class really benefits the students by exposing them more to receptive fingerspelling. I’ve seen many parallels in teaching the Skills Track to my exprience teaching in a college setting. Fingerspelling training really helps students to become more exact and more attentive to fingerspelling. This helps to get rid of the tendency for interpreters to be complacent about fingerspelling and therefore inaccurate in their interpretation. This workshop can directly benefit them by helping them build their receptive skills in noticing handshape and finger positions for diverse clients and with both left and right hands. This workshop also helps interpreters to give better expressive feedback to clients so that the clients can feel more confident in signing. I believe this workshop will help RID interpreters to be more successful. VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
SKILLS TRACK Teaching Team Teaching Team 5: Lexical and Conceptual Semantics in ASL Sarah Hafer & Wanda Riddle
video: https://youtu.be/LE56i6SUsxc
SH: This is our first time presenting together. Wanda came from Washington, DC and I came from Washington state. So we’ve been working together from opposite ends of the country with a three hour time difference. It’s been really tough to reconcile our busy schedules. Finally when we arrived yesterday we were able to sit down together and go over the final details of our presentation. When we taught today for the first time, it was amazing how smooth it went! I felt that it was easy to bounce off each other, and we were always on the same page. Interacting with each other and with the audience really just felt natural - I’m happy it worked out so well.
example, intransitive verbs and transitive verbs. In English, intransitive verbs can’t be directive. But in ASL they can. This changes how we can play with the meaning of the word and rearrange our sentence structure. Often, a person’s first language will influence their second language - of course. But for English speakers, it means that they typically feel that verbs in sign have the same rules as in English. So in this workshop we’re giving them different tools to be able to dissect their language use and how they can improve it. WR: This is related to what Sarah said, but I always think the most important thing to emphasize in my presentations so that the students will understand is conceptualization. I will type a word and ask them to sign it. Many times they will fingerspell it - this is exactly what I want to avoid. That the word means its finger spelled counterpart. Words have concepts: we can expand and explain the true meaning of the word. That’s what conceptual semantics is. It means building the meaning from the ground up and creating cognitive links to the meaning of the word, instead of using the fingerspelling. I really want to nip that practice early, and help students to take a step back and think about the ideas behind the words. This is so important for interpreting in the future because when they do experience some block, they can use context and surrounding meaning to help explain instead of dumbing down the word to something more simple, or more English. The concept should be exact to the word. So those are my suggestions for our students.
WR: I feel the same. We also share a background in linguistics and in interpreting. Sarah is a CDI and I am a DI. So it felt like we really seemed to know the direction we were going and worked out really well. Most of my experience has been teaching alone in local venues. It’s the first time I’ve had to collaborate via remote technology with a coworker. I’m really pleased with how it’s gone and I look forward to SH: We’re so glad to be here presenting. Thank you! working with Sarah more. You know, the topic of semantics is so complex and nuanced, I feel like a three hour workshop just doesn’t cut it! SH: Right. It’s just a touch on the subject, offering students enough to go home and look for more information and workshops in the future. I feel like with team teaching, if I missed or forgot something, Wanda was able to help fill in the gaps. What I really hope the students will be able to remember and take away from this workshop is that some verbs have the same rules in English and ASL. Others don’t. For www.rid.org
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SKILLS TRACK Teaching Team 6: Interpreting Techniques: Achieving Semantic (and Dynamic) Equivalence Pauline Ballentine & Tamar Nelson
into consideration dynamic equivalence, mental processing time, and clarifying techniques - from here we want the students to go home and consider the information learned in this workshop and how they can use that to improve their interpreting skills. PB: Exactly!
video: https://youtu.be/_w2cST4PMtc
PB: In this workshop, we talked about several areas related to Semantic/Dynamic Equivalence very lightly. Semantic Equivalence relates to the meaning of a message. We also addressed Dynamic Equivalence and how it relates to the various applications of signs. Our goal is for the students to understand this, be able to apply it to their experiences, and to offer expansion later in research. TN: That's right! I agree. We want people to say, "It's nice to be exposed to this new information." Others may say, "That word made me contemplate different aspects of interpreting." For example, taking
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
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CALL FOR PAPERS
For the VIEWS Style Guide, visit www. rid.org/publications-overview/views. Or Click Here
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VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 3
NEWLY CERTIFIED Certification awarded between 2/10/2017- 8/10/2017 National Interpreter Certification Region I- Northeast
Olivia Andert Adrienne D Bradley Elizabeth Anne Curtis Natalie Dunkelberger Jennifer Hand Annie Huttenlock Leana Ehrlich Jelen Lisa Marie Kinsman Sara Hayes LaBella Shannon Moore Leah J Norman Erin Quinn Emily Jean Rogers Jane Wade Emily Zaleski
Region II- Southeast Cheryl Pearl Blackmon Stephen Cain Alison Cason Patrick Michael Coble Shannon Davies Bryan L Davis Gina Jo Davis Hope Diehl Catherine Donnalley Kimberly Duncan Jesse Durand Meghan Shannon Elder Keiron Gillespie Connor Eoin Gillis Sarah Lynn Guillory Amanda Hoot Jennifer Jones Dana Lynn Kelly Rebekah Katelyn Knodel Daniel LeMay Caroline M Lusby Sarah L Lutvak Holly May Kara-Renee Pepin David Phillips Erin R Powell Crystal Roof Laura Prickett Sangha Kenneth Joseph Scanlon Leilani Solomon Haley Tanner Daniel Strazzulla Vega Caitlin Ramsey Wolford www.rid.org
Region III- Midwest
Madeleine Anne Bobrick Henrietta Burton Christina Dammarell Brandi M Evans Heather Goldman Rachel Hartland Samantha Heberling Ashley Jackson Sarah Margaret Knoespel Carolyn Mariapain Molly Mathis Natalie J. Mikolajczak Bridget Rae Mitchell Gideon Lee Scott Ellen Sullivan Scott Richard Lee White Henry J Yandrasits Angie Zenisek
Region IV-Central
Sophia Tova Bohall Amy Cresap Jessica Tamra Drake Taylor Hardcastle Kristalle Ashlee Hubler Nicolle Hutchinson Raphael A. James Kali Janda Shelly Louise Jones Joel Kamen Chelsea Kobylarz Stephanie Koutavas Juliana Ladd Celina Ann Salloum Martin Andrew Watkins Jane Zimet
Region V-Pacific
Laura Agajanian George Balayan Chelsea Bridges Amanda Lea Carso Elizabeth Cecile Dowell Joryn D Elowen Raquel Elizabeth Grimm Dawn Herrick Christopher Jueschke Holly A Kohler
Region V-Pacific (cont...) Derrick L. Low Robert Jacob Malka Anthony Monroy Francescia Paxton Karen Pendleton Jennifer Grace Quaintance Malcolm Alexander Reed Michael Rose Michelle Seeley Carleen Lauren Shaw Hillary Christabel Terisa Smith Christine Stubblefield Katelyn Thesing Michelle Tindall Laura Turley Melissa Wells
Specialist Certificate: Legal Region II- Southeast John W. Krpan
Certification Reinstatement REGION II- Southeast Blair Chadwick Kimberly Holbrook
REGION III- Midwest Michele Lehner
REGION IV- Central David Peeples Lynda K. Nix Phyllis Perrin Wilcox
REGION V- Pacific Kim A. Larkin-Florida
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