Maria

A friend of mine sent me this. I just watched this video in a few minutes ago. I think it would be interestin' to share this with you guys, because of this issue that could happen to some deaf people nowdays. Please, share with us what you think of this.

Enjoy !

Deaf Insights: Two-Faced ASL Interpreter? Experience Finish you?

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Deafness

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Angel

interesting, it hasn't happened to me yet , but I feel bad for this guy through...

Liebling:-)))

I will view this video when I am home from work...

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*sniffing you*

J'explique

Haven't happened to me personally yet.

Opal

Never happen to me, I feel sorry for this man.

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LakeTahoe

No it never happened to us...

At our wedding we hired an interpreter and my mom invited her to lunch with us and she turned it down. I told her I think she's either busy going another appt to interpret or she already had a plans afterward. My mom said, "OK". I respected my wonderful interpreter.

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Phillips

Geez!! What an anus!! > Interpreter!!! Sheesh!!!!

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***Enjoy life today, Yesterday has past and Tomorrow may never come.***

Oceanblue7

That stinks poor guy that this hearing friend took advantage of him.

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Ps.103:12 He washes our sins away into the ocean

SxyPorkie

yeah...I agreed with you all.. that interpreter is big asshole....

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Life Goes On!!

Maria

It never happened to me, either. I am surprised when it happened to one person. That's very unfortunate for him. I know it hurts when it comes to end the friendship like this and I don't think it is fair to him. He worked hard patiently and that " work hard " should be rewardin' to him by havin' an interpreter to join and have a good time with him. Sadly, it doesn't happened.

I am hopin' that some interpreters will watch this video and learn somethin' by not to cut off the friendship with deaf clients/or customers.

I've met one DVR hearin' guy in Alaska and he knows sign language fluently. Me and a friend of mine came to visit him when he was playin' guitar in some lounges. We chatted and had a good time together. Of course, we don't bring the issue in when it is about job related or whatever. We talked about his guitar that he was playin'.

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Reba

As an interpreter, I've never had to drop a friend for professional reasons. Deaf friends that I had before I became a terp are still my friends. I've also met and made new Deaf friends since becoming a terp. I attend many Deaf "happenings", especially silent dinners. I attend the weddings and funerals of Deaf friends, as a friend. There is no ethical reason to dump friends or avoid making friendships. Interpreters just need to know their boundaries, and how to separate "terp time" and "off time". Whatever happens during interpreting assignments stays in one "pile", and whatever happens between friends stays in another "pile". A terp can be professional and ethical without being a cold fish.

Think about other professionals who have to maintain ethical standards of confidentiality, such as doctors and lawyers. If a doctor's good friend becomes his patient, does the friendship stop? No. A real professional knows how to handle relationships correctly.

Tousi

There it is, folks! The only answer we need! Lol...good going, Reba!

Terpreter

"Worth $100,000" hahahahahahahaha.

GarnetTigerMom

Poor fella, It never happens to me either. But if an interpreter you believe is a two face, the poor guy should have said something to that interpreter to be fired. Tsk!

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GarnetTigerMom

"The rain may be falling hard outside,
But your smile makes it all alright.
I'm so glad that you're my friend.
I know our friendship will never end."
-- Robert Alan

Reba

I don't know about getting the interpreter fired BUT I do know that bad opinions of individual interpreters can spread fast throughout the local Deaf community, and that terp won't be on many "please call" preferred lists.

GarnetTigerMom

Ah you got a point there. It sad if the interpreters make mistake with the commuity of the deaf and go behind their backs. But as long the interpreters know that they have a job to do and not get involved way too personal on somone that needs help for interpretering service. You are right it can spread pretty fast like wild fire in the deaf community.

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GarnetTigerMom

"The rain may be falling hard outside,
But your smile makes it all alright.
I'm so glad that you're my friend.
I know our friendship will never end."
-- Robert Alan

Kaitin

Reba

I was reading some of the postings at the video link. This one caught my eye:

"Oh I remembered that 3 of the interpreters did informed me that their OWN Interpreter Agency did WARNED them not to social with some of us in Deaf Organizations and Deaf Clubs."


The agency that I work for encourages terps to be involved in the Deaf community. We actually get more "points" toward our pay rate if we join more Deaf organizations.

Maybe it's a Southern thing.

Interpretrator

I was taught that hearing interpreters owe the deaf community for our education in ASL. It doesn't matter whether our teachers were deaf or hearing, because somewhere along the line, ASL was passed along to our teachers who taught us. (Of course it's a sorry interpreter who never learned any ASL from a deaf person!)

As such, it is part of our ethical responsibility to donate our time back to the community. I've done things like working at Deaf Expo or volunteer interpreting.

So there's that aspect of it, that we don't turn our backs on the community once we are out there and earning money (I won't say "a living" because I never did) as interpreters.

To me this is the same situation and this interpreter is turning his back on the "community" (probably not ONLY this guy but obviously he was very important to this person becoming an interpreter) by distancing himself like that.

My teacher told a story about seeing a deaf friend at a party. A week or two earlier, she had interpreted for this friend, in a totally professional context, at a doctor's appointment. When she approached her friend at the party, she said "I haven't seen you in so long! What's been going on?" I thought it was a great example of how professional interpreters can have friends as clients and keep the two realms separate while maintaining confidentiality.

One of the comments on that video struck me, about how this friend possibly doesn't understand the Code of Ethics or doesn't know how to apply it to what CAN be an ethically sticky situation of having a friend for a client. Some people do go overboard in the interest of maintaining professionalism, and that can be excused. But I don't think it takes a great deal of intelligence or sensitivity to realize that turning one's back on a friend like that, especially one who had such an impact on one's interpreter education, is really uncalled for.

I hope the interpreter discusses this with more seasoned colleagues and realizes that he made an error in "reassigning" his friend in that way.

seki900

I think it is an agency thing. Maybe they get worried that the terps will start free lancing and then where will they be?

I suppose from an Agency perspective if a terp socializes at deaf events, why they are just giving there services away for free and we aren't getting our cut.

Or maybe I am just being cynical. I hope I am just being cynical.

Etoile

Aside from the fact that it was probably a figure of speech, why do you find this funny? I would say that learning about ASL and deaf culture from a deaf person is practically invaluable. Of course it is more beneficial if it's in conjunction with an ITP, but I wouldn't underestimate the value of what this man taught his friend.

I guess I just don't understand the attitude behind your response to this thread.

Etoile

One thing this man's friend does not seem to realize is that if he is a friend, he shouldn't take the interpreting job in the first place! Sure, many terps interpret for their friends now and then, I do it all the time. But if it is going to be something serious or confidential, that friend shouldn't be accepting the assignment. They have a conflict of interest because they are friends with the client. Friends FIRST = stay friends.

Interpretrator

That sounds pretty mercenary to me but I'll say this, there are definitely some agencies that are in it primarily for the money.

Another idea is that an agency could be overseen by someone without any knowledge of the deaf community or Deaf culture, and who doesn't realize what a slap in the face this is to deaf people.

For example, some interpreting agencies are run by other service organizations, and also there are some companies that do all kinds of spoken-language interpreting and also have sign language interpreters. In both cases a person like this could have control over unwise policies due to lack of special knowledge of the deaf community.

Liza

What a shame... of course, I can understand the necessity to have boundaries in relationships with clients (a must in all fields of work, anyway), but turning back on someone who took the valuable time to teach and even support 'em? That is an embarassment to the interpreting industry. No wonder some peeps run away from some ASL students. It's not nice being a tool or a joyride, and then be treated like someone else's unwanted cousin or embarassing secret.

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Liza

I agree.. time and sharing experience are priceless! I'll say that interpreter friend got top quality 100% field training and personal tutoring time. Far more expensive than classroom tuition with 15 aspiring interpreters?

Such Deaf mentors should be given all the credit and recognization....

If people wanted me to teach them sign language, I'd tell them to take a class. I could not believe that my co worker wanted me to take 15 minutes of my time to teach her sign language everyday!! Sure, maybe a few mins.. but 15 mins!!! That is just audacity and cheap. As if I don't have tons of work to do! I do make an exception for my significant other and family, though.

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gadgetki

this interpreter should be fired??? good question.

I have similiar experience like this. since poor deaf man taught this interpreter very well. later interpreter changed the heart about money.

as if interpreter refuses to work with deaf client and just want money, deaf clients can file complaint against this interpreter for refuse to interpret. I believe it can be 75% chance to get fired which this interpreter refuses to work with deaf clients.

once complaint to RID or deaf community service center, they may suspend interpreter certification and possible termination too. if RID fails, all of you will go to court and wait for vertify which interpreter is found guilty... Interpreter is required to pay $100,000 for damage

if interpreter says "I don't have this kind money" it means you have a right to take everything what you want for your satisfication from interpreter because interpreter's lawyer is no longer protecting the interpreter from deaf client and court order is full take action.

Garrett

Etoile

This is not accurate. The lawyer does not protect the interpreter from anyone at anytime. If a deaf client tried to take action directly against an interpreter, the victim could sue for assault, theft, or whatever else the person did to them. It is NOT the deaf person's business to "take everything they want for their satisfaction" like you said. That is something the COURT must do. I would bet that if the deaf person went anywhere near the interpreter to try to "get something back" it would backfire on them instantly. If the interpreter does not have $100,000 it is NOT the deaf person's job to figure it out. The COURT does that.

Also, the very idea that somebody could be fired and taken to court for taking the Code of Professional Conduct TOO SERIOUSLY just astonishes me. The vlog describes a personal issue, it has nothing to do with following the rules. The deaf man cannot sue the interpreter because he won't be friends anymore.

Terpreter