Terp needs your advice, please!

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La Terp

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Hello, Everybody,

I'm a interpreter who needs your advice (I am certified). Thank you for taking the time to read this post!

I'm working in an environment that is different than any interpreting that I've been involved in before. Here is some background:

1. Mixed group of deaf and hearing participants, most hearing. All participants have been sent to this group and *must* attend -- they can't get out of it.
2. Hearing people are in power positions. Other hearing and deaf are young adults.
3. All hearing know some sign language -- fingerspelling or SEE sign mostly.
4. The group dynamic is relationship based -- relationships must be in place for work to be accomplished.
5. Hearing are very very proud of the fact that they know sign.
6. The agency where this group takes place has never had experience with a certified interpreter before, they always used signing staff to "interpret."
7. They have an unwritten rule that during groups everyone must sign and speak at the same time.

My problem is that, because of this signing and speaking rule, the hearing in the group don't want me to interpret. Like I said they are very proud of the fact that they "know sign." They feel that interpreting interferes with their relationships with deaf participants because they are not communicating directly. They are not accepting my information: you can not sign and speak at the same time and be understood clearly by someone whose language is ASL.

Because of the nature of this situation I am not able to ask deaf participants if they would like interpreting or if they want the hearing people to continue signing themselves. So I am asking you:

What would you want?

Please give me some guidance so that I can provide the best services possible, respecting all individuals involved but supporting the mission of the agency so that the deaf people can achieve their goals and go on with their lives.

Thank You!

Elizabeth
 
Hired by...

I was hired by the organization that runs these groups. Management truly wants interpreting to happen so deaf participants can succeed in reaching their goals. In all other groups I interpret there, hearing people respect the service, allow me to interpret, and don't make a fuss about putting their hands in their pockets and not signing. It's just the hearing power-players from this one group -- they will not stop signing and let me provide the service.
 
La Terp said:
I was hired by the organization that runs these groups. Management truly wants interpreting to happen so deaf participants can succeed in reaching their goals. In all other groups I interpret there, hearing people respect the service, allow me to interpret, and don't make a fuss about putting their hands in their pockets and not signing. It's just the hearing power-players from this one group -- they will not stop signing and let me provide the service.
Click to expand...

Maybe you need to get a book and read while you are waiting for the hearing power group if they need help to understand the deaf group. But if they want to sign and speak out loud at the same time with the deaf participants, then it is frown on. As for the Deaf participants in the group, they don't mind if you would interpret them with signs if the hearing group are not understandable. I don't know how much signs the hearing group knows like advanced ASL or sign language so that they can sign clearly and correctly to make the Deaf participants understand what they are saying. This is my opinion. There is no right or wrong way there. :dunno:
 
Wow, this is like one of those certification test scenarios. :lol:

That is one way to approach it. You can break it down the same way you would do a best practices rubric. Have you tried that?

It's too bad you can't have more time with the deaf participants to determine their preferences. I'm assuming that whatever they've been doing on their own at these meetings in the past has not been adequate or else management wouldn't have made this arrangement for you to interpret. :hmm:

Your client (the one paying) is the management above this group (the consumers)? I would try to deal with management and let them pass the word to the group members. Management needs to tell members that, "Hey, we're paying big bucks to this terp, and we want our money's worth. The terp is the professional, and the way it was explained to us is that you hearing guys should speak normally, and you deaf guys should sign normally. The terp will do the interpreting. If you have any grief with this you can let me know but I'm telling you right now that our organization abides by the ADA, and we want all parties to have the best access to communication possible."

(Paraphrased, of course. :) )

It should be emphasized that the content and interaction of the meeting is what's most important for the participants to focus on. The mode of communication is for you to facilitate, which frees the others to concentrate on their objectives.

One more question.

You mentioned that the hearing participants sign to the deaf participants but you didn't say how the deaf participants communicate with the hearing. Do they speak, sign, or sim-comm? Will you be voicing for them?

I hope I make sense this late at night. :|
 
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