deafbajagal

I'm curious about something. I've seen several interpreters on this forum who say they are hard of hearing AND they are interpreters (or studying to be interpreters).

How does this process work? I'm assuming they mean they are planning to be or are "regular" interpreters as oppose to being Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs). If you have some hearing loss, how do you guarantee that you are receiving all of the linguistical information in order to output the information?

Please do not take offense to my question - as no offense is intended. I'm just very curious and would like to know. Thanks.

Deafness

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Byrdie714

It also raises the question of: do you want your interpreter to be HOH?

moonflower

i never met any interperters who are HOH mostly i met are hearing shrugs

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Secretblend

When I was in 9th grade, the school hired a HOH to be interpreter for me and another classmate. I hated the fact that she had to face the teacher while we had to have our back to teacher and board and watch her. We petitioned the school to replace her cause it wasn't working out. I felt it was best for us to face the teacher while being able to see the interpreter.

Luckily for us, the school listened to us and made the change. The new interpreter was with us till we graduated from H.S.

inochi

I had an interpreter from high school, she had mild hearing loss in one ear and normal in the other. She never appeared to have difficulties in understanding the speech from teachers. She worn a hearing aid. Her signing was very beautiful and solid. That was the only time I have experienced in working with a hoh interpreter.

Byrdie714

Good god! Seriously?

All I know is that I had an interpreter that was HOH one time and she continually interrupted the presenter for clarification.

It was embarrassing and the presenter point-blankly asked her if she had her hearing aids on!

Secretblend

That would be embarrasing alright. I'm sorry to those I might offend but what really is the point of putting a HOH to interprete to a HOH? To me, that just defeats the purpose of getting an interpreter.

Byrdie714

Exactly.

deafbajagal

See, that's what I've been wondering. If a person doesn't hear well - how do they know if they are getting all of the messages in order to "render the message faithfully?" Again, I mean no offense. I'm sure there are excellent HOH terps out there. How do they do it? Do the memorize the script? Do they hear just enough to know what the speaker is saying?

deafbajagal

Oh, geez.

deafbajagal

Cool!

Etoile

I think most people here know I am HOH and an interpreter. I know at least one other person on this board who is a HOH interpreter, but they will have to speak up, I can only answer for myself.

Yes, I am a "regular" interpreter - I interpret between ASL and spoken English. The way I guarantee that I am receiving all the information is to use hearing aids. Before I got my hearing aids, I had to work very hard to understand...for about a year after my accident I struggled a lot while working. I had to concentrate much harder, try to peek at the speaker for clues when possible, and turn the volume WAY up for VRS. And yes, I stopped to ask for clarification, but not a lot more than I did before the accident made my hearing worse.

The doctor had told me my hearing would come back, so for most of that time, I didn't think it would matter. I thought it would go back to normal! So I kept on struggling, and I would come home exhausted just from trying to hear well enough to interpret. I eventually figured out that the doctor was wrong, my hearing wasn't coming back. So I went to an audiologist, had an audiogram and other tests done, and got hearing aids. I had to pay for them myself, and they were very expensive...but if I didn't have them, I couldn't continue to work as an interpreter. It was just too much effort to do that for a long time.

With my hearing aids, I can hear just about as well as I could before the accident. I am as close to "normal" hearing as I will ever get, thanks to my hearing aids! I am confident that I am getting all the information, because I can hear it with my hearing aids. And of course, if I think I have missed something, or misunderstood, I will ask for clarification. All interpreters do that, even those with perfect hearing!

Other HOH interpreters will have different answers, of course. I know at least five other HOH interpreters, four in my area and one in another city. I'm sure there are more elsewhere! I'm not offended by the question...I can understand why it would be of concern to someone that their interpreter MIGHT miss some information. A lot of people are confused because they think all interpreters are hearing, but I have never had anybody ask for a different interpreter because I am HOH.

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VamPyroX

I've had an interpreter at RIT that was hard-of-hearing. Cool guy.

I guess it depends on how well they can hear and understand what's being said.

I can hear pretty well, but not 100% or 95%. So, I wouldn't make a good interpreter.

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Sunshinelady

to me, the rules in Germany is not admit for an Interpreters hoh. I agree with the rules.

If an interpreters, who has get hearing degrading, so have to quit a job.

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Etoile

Why should someone who has been an interpreter for many years, has all the training, has the certifications, loves the job, and can use HA or CI, have to quit their job?

Personally that's why I spent $5700 on my HA's. Because I love my job. I have been through training, I have CI/CT certification, and I don't want to stop being an interpreter. If somebody told me I have to quit, I would be pretty angry. I am a GOOD interpreter. There is no reason for me to quit.

Sunshinelady

I do understand, what you means. If you have good hearing of both, then you have lucky. But, I can explain you. If one deaf is going to the court and meet an interpreter. one interpreter have a bit not good hearing, Do you need them for translation at the court, what if interpreter don't understand often, what the court says. I would be confused, what is next??...... Hell no!!!!

so, the same thing the models has a long time their job for model magazine. suddently, a person got an accident and face mess up, lots of scars. Do you think, They stay the job in the model?!?! No!!!

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HoHGuyOhio

I think I'm one of the other HOH interpreters that Etoile is referring to. And she and I are in similar boats. :-)

I grew up with chronic ear infections that gradually took their toll on my hearing. To be more specific, I have a sloping high frequency hearing loss. My hearing is a little below normal in the low frequencies, and tapers off to a moderate/severe hearing loss in the middle and high frequencies respectively.

Because I grew up speaking English and my hearing loss was pretty gradual, my brain learned to make up for the deficiencies in my hearing. It eventually got to the point where I was struggling in certain situations (women and children with higher-pitched voices, rooms with poor acoustics, a large number of participants, etc). I now have two hearing aids that I wear in those situations. I don't wear them all the time because I find them uncomfortable. But I notice that I can't understand the TV without looking at it (I lipread more than I ever thought I did) if I don't have my hearing aids on.

How does this impact my work? Not much, really. I haven't had any negative reactions from deaf consumers. I wear my HAs when I need to, and I don't wear them when I don't. But I always have them with me.

EDIT: I also have a VERY hard time understanding people who speak accented English (southern, English, especially Asian and African people who speak English with an accent).

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HoHGuyOhio

One other thing...

I've been questioned occasionally as to why I call myself "hard of hearing" when I function more as a "hearing" person. That question used to not really bother me, but I thought about it a lot and it really is part of my identity. It DOES have a measurable impact on my life. "Hearing" people don't wear hearing aids. I don't want to be called hearing impaired. And I'm not deaf (Deaf some days, but never deaf).

Being hard of hearing, I find, is probably less understood than being deaf. People understand deafness (the absence, real or perceived, of sound). People understand hearing. But they don't understand why I can hear some people, but not others. How can I expect them to understand it when I don't always understand it myself.

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Byrdie714

Interesting point-of-view.

Byrdie714

Not to start a flame war but I wonder about your statement in the bold.

Why do you find wearing HA's uncomfortable in your line of work when it's a neccessity? Is it wearing them while interpreting, knowing that the deaf client may question your ability to hear the conversation/situation?

I been in situations where I had to question the interpreter's ability to hear the dialogue of what is going on and 75% of the time--they were right but I missed out on the 25%.

Not fair for the client.

Anij

I think he means they are physically uncomfortable at times - not that he's embarrassed etc by them.

I wear my BTE HA when I "need it" (whatever that means - I lived without it for 20years lol) - and remove it when I don't as well. In the summer when it's really hot, I only wear it if I need it to help me navigate a hearing environment, but for shopping in the mall, walking outside, or hanging out at home I don't wear my HA because it gets hot and itchy.


Just my 2 cents

deafbajagal

Did you say $5,700! OMG!

deafbajagal

Interesting! Very interesting indeed. Thanks for sharing.

Etoile

Yes, very expensive! But they work, and that's what counts. I would not be able to be an interpreter anymore if I didn't buy them.