webexplorer

I thought that it would be interesting for you to read about my situation.

A couple of years ago, I had four different intepreters at my high school for two years. They had to quit their job because of no benefits. I don't blame them. My older sister, Julie, became a non-certificated interpreter for two years. She is so wonderful. We had a hard time to deal with the school department because there was a shortage of interpreters in my area. They finally allowed her to be the intepreter. After I graduated from HS, she interpretered a young hearing kid, who cannot talk at all, knows sign languages for one or two year(s). She worked so hard to earn her money without a benefit.

Julie started her own Cape Cod Bed and Barn business. She teaches people (both adults and children) how to take care of her horses and give them riding lessons. She also provides people to rent her cabins and bring their own horses. That's about it. (http://www.capecodbedandbarn.com)

Deafness

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VamPyroX

That's very nice of her. It does upset me when all interpreters want is more benefits. Jeez.

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Deaf258

Watch what you say, buster! One of my pet peeves is Deaf and hearing people have a lot of misconceptions of interpreters and their roles on the job. Over the summer, I took an RID approved workshop about interpreting. I learned one main thing: Interpreters ARE underpaid! With or without benefits, they are still underpaid! If interpreters are paid 35 to 50 bucks an hour, they only get to see less than 14 bucks income and profit in return!! They have a lot to worry about, working the right number of hours, making sure the evaluation and licensing fees are paid for, to sign up and pay for the workshops to get the required earned credit units for recertification every two years or so, paying any of the medical bills incurred from interpreting, paying for the gas to travel from one interpreting assignment to another, paying for the parking fees at business or school parking lots.. The list could go on! More than half of what interpreters make goes back to making sure the interpreters themselves are certified. It sure doesn't seem to be fair, but that's the way it is right now. The workshop's presentator researched that if things were fair 100% for interpreters, they would be working the top paying jobs in the world, earning approximately 90 dollars an hour plus benefits! End of the line: Interpreters are underpaid, period. They have every right to bitch and complain about having no benefits or not earning enough income on the job! After I took that workshop, I had better respect for the interpreters and made myself shut up about them complaining about low pay and no benefits.

Imagine them having to work 15 to 25 dollars an hour? Now, that's slavery!

javapride

i can understand how u feel deaf258 some are underpaid whilist others are just greedy for money in a sense, i have come across several interpters who just are greedy for money and don't care abt other interpeters and some of them aren't certifed interps and they just get paid directly by the company some poeple just hand them business cards and say CALL me don't call the agency cuz all u will get is high bill i ll be fair and make sure we get fair duty done, only in the end is a lousy interpeter but is already paid on her job done... So its ridculous basically..... whilist I won't care abt the benfits all i care abt is poeple getting thier information across. underpaid or not I rather information first before money. cuz i want to be sure my clients gets the best of the best and i don't give a damn about the money all is going to do is be gone anyway. so not need worry abt money when i can worry abt my clients needs.

lfreed

deaf 258, i see your point. i've been an interpreter for about 7 years and make about 25 dollars an hour. i make less freelancing believe it or not. the state of fla. in compliance with the DOE are renewing standars for terps by the year 2007. the rough draft basically says all terps must be licenced and have a BA in something. i'm pretty much covered, but think about all the terps who have been doing this for years that aren't on track to achieve these credentials. it's not the deaf/hh population that is turning me away from this wonderfully fulfilling profession, but it's the hearing jerks that think they know what's best for the deaf/hh people. i'm just glad i'll always be able to interpret for my brother. with his smarts he'll be taking care of my old but someday. nice thread people.