Anij

AB I'm not sure how you'd go about this ... but you might want to annon. call RID and local places and ask about health insurance and all that ... you might also want to ask if there are restrictions (medical - such as bi-polar) that might prevent certification ? - I know that there are certain things which you must "pass" such as a criminal records check, a child abuse check and all that stuff .. you might want to investigate all that at this point. Once you know what you're dealing with - what kind of health care is available etc - that will take a huge load off your shoulders and help you know what you are really dealing with.

Just comes ideas ... but do it annon.

(do the Interpreters who've gone through the "system" agree or disagree with this suggestion?)

Deafness

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jillio

Check the thread you started in General Chat. I think I may have been able to provide you a starting place.

Reba

None of the agencies that I've worked for or with have done background checks on me, and that includes substitute interpreter in public schools. It probably varies from place to place.

Insurance coverage by private agencies varies widely. Government agencies and public schools probably offer standard coverage. AB's state might offer specific coverage plans for "disabled" employees.

Interpreting can be very stressful, and involves delicate interpersonal situations. If a person can't handle the stress or emotions or confidentiality of interpreting, then that is something to seriously consider. A terp needs to set aside personal feelings and almost become a non-entity on the job. Some people can't handle that much anonymity.

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Anij

Thanks ... I wasn't sure - I know here for many occupations you there is crimal records check, child abuse check as well as medical reports which are requested

Etoile

Yep. You get to brush it all off after the assignment, but you do have to be able to handle those situations while you are in them. Your own feelings are unimportant when you're on the job.

I have never heard of any criminal checks or anything like that, don't believe I've ever had one in association with interpreting.

Interpretrator

Reba is so right on about all of this. Please see what I posted in the other thread.

interpreter

the only one I had related to interpreting is vrs.

Etoile

You had a background check pertaining to VRS? I sure didn't.

interpreter

and a drug test

Etoile

Wow, I definitely didn't have that. Then again, hiring for my VRS center is done by Gallaudet Interpreting Services; perhaps they have different practices than the company at large.

AquaBlue

Working as a VRS (Video Relay Service) Terp must be a hard gig, right? I mean always signing, non-stop...one call after another. Busy, busy, busy...all the time.

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Etoile

Yes indeed. I personally can only work a 6-hour day because when I work 8-hour days, I get home too exhausted to do anything. I know many of my co-workers often work even more than 8 hours in a day, but for me I just can't do it. It's a truly grueling job.

AquaBlue

Stupid question #1: Can two signers, both using a videophone, communicate manually to each other from across the country for free and without a VI?

Stupid question #2: Would such a job be a good starting point, as far as employment, for newbee CI's? Or is working for an agency best for the new CI looking for his/her first opportunity?

Not-so stupid question #3: I understand (not sure) that most VI services are government financed- being the law and all. Would working for such a state run agency, with quality benefits such as top-notch medical insurance, be the ideal choice for me personally in regards to my potential problem with my illness?

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Ariakkas

yes

i would say....no. althought thats how i did it, i wouldn't recommend it to other new terps. Agencies, are definately the best. the reason VRS is so much harder, in my opinion, is the level of voicing that is required. in all my other interpreting situations, voicing is little to none. Voicing in a VRS situation is critical, not to mention you are also working in an intimate register, which alot of people aren't comfortable with, but happens to suit me just fine.


its been my expierence, that most of all itnerpreting jobs are part-time/freelance/contract. in these situations, there's no benefits....vacation, sick, health ins...nada. Most places you work however do have staff positions with benefits, but are quite limited in the number of positions they have available.
the benefits to each type of employment are quite significant, as are the downsides.

part-time/freelance you set your own schedule, and accept for deny jobs on an individual basis, and dont have to do anything you dont want to do. however, no guaranteed hours, no benefits.

contract is guaranteed work for the duration of your contract, no benefits usually

full-time has beenfits, guaranteed hours, but absolutly no flexibility in hours, and often no discretion in what or where you interpret.

AquaBlue

In regards to all postions available for Terps (question #3), would an entry-level position permit me to affort a modest living (where daily expenses are comfortibly met) and, at the same time, be able to pay for individual health insurance (high cost in Florida) for my medical treatment and drugs? A general, ballpark answer would be fine.

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Etoile

Yes, videophones work this way too. However, videophones are expensive for hearing people - deaf people can usually get them free.
Only if you have really outstanding receptive skills. Working in VRS requires a lot of experience in understanding all different kinds of people.
I'm not sure what you mean here. VRS is not run by the government, it's funded by the FCC but it's run by competitive private companies. Also, state-run organizations don't typically have top-notch benefits. There are interpreting jobs working for state governments, but I wouldn't go for one just because you think it will have great benefits.

Yes, if you are qualified, you would certainly get a decent salary, and if you didn't have benefits, you would be able to buy your own health insurance. That's exactly what I've done in the past. You're right, pre-existing conditions are pretty tough, but you can usually find somebody. I have pre-existing conditions too and I was able to do it when I was working freelance.

Ariakkas

i live in a part of the country that is considered *ridiculously* cheap to live in....and im just now entering the field, but i have years of expierence in Deaf culture. but in terms of money, im doubling on an hourly basis what i was making before, doing unskilled labor...

itnerpreting is a service industry, you wont become rich, but you wont starve either.

AquaBlue

Just out of curiosity, would the uncertified Terp (generally speaking) struggle financially? In general please (as a whole) and regardless of region and type of work performed.

If you would like to give me a figure, please PM me that info and do not post such a (estimated) figure if you feel uncomfortable doing so. I would like to get an idea so as to paint a better picture of my future as a Terp (CI or not). Thanks.

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Ariakkas

like i said, you wont be rich. but you will be able to afford the nessecities.

AquaBlue

Okay. Good to know.

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AquaBlue

I have this bad habit: when I study material I enjoy- like ASL- I read on that subject exclusively. This would cause me to neglect other passions like recreational reading- novels and other non-fiction books. I am not balanced when my interest is high for one thing. Does this happen to you or is it just me?

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Etoile

I'm sure it happens to many people. However, I think diversity of interests is a good thing. This is something I have already thought about regarding you - it just seems like you are overloading yourself with information and not taking the time to relax and do other things.

AquaBlue

What I need is a short break from ASL. That might do me some good. But that's not the hard part. The hard part is to stop thinking about it.

I am the kind of person that loves to learn new things. I hate it when I do not know something important. It bothers the hell out of me. If someone asks me a question for which I do know the answer, I spend the rest of the day trying to answer it...it would consume my mind.

I do not know why I am the way I am, but I do know that it's not normal.

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Etoile

No such thing as normal, AB. I'm certainly not! In many parts of America I am considered quite radical and deranged.

AquaBlue

You want to hear something totally nuts. I took a two-day holiday to central Florida and on the drive up and back, a four-hour drive each way, I practiced my fingerspelling. That's just crazy.

The thing is that I never feel satisfaction with things...I am always thirsting for more and more. I think that I can never be too good at what I do. That I know too little about the subject/skill I am learning. Good god! What madness.

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Etoile

Why on earth would you think that's crazy??? That's a GOOD time to practice fingerspelling. When I was learning Cued Speech, I practiced that in the car too. You have some funny ideas about what's obsessive/crazy, because that's perfectly normal!

Reba

Being skilled as an interpreter requires more than just being a fluent signer and voicer. Terps need to also have working knowledge in a broad range of topics and current events in order to interpret effectively. So keep up your education and reading in areas other than signing and Deaf culture.

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Reba

When Hubby and I go on long driving trips, and he's driving, I sign to all the songs on the radio.

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AquaBlue

Tell me more Reba.

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Reba

More what?

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