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New Hampshire Registry of Interpreters for the DeafNew Hampshire Registry of Interpreters for the DeafNew Hampshire Registry of Interpreters for the DeafNew Hampshire Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
NHRID NEWSNHRID NEWSNHRID NEWSNHRID NEWS NHRID Logo Designed By
Connie Clanton
Spring 2008Spring 2008Spring 2008Spring 2008
Your Executive BoardYour Executive BoardYour Executive BoardYour Executive Board
~President~~President~~President~~President~ Deb McKinney
~Vice President~~Vice President~~Vice President~~Vice President~ Aimee Stevens
~Treasurer~~Treasurer~~Treasurer~~Treasurer~ Shannon Grundy
~Secretary~~Secretary~~Secretary~~Secretary~ Christine Berube
~Member~Member~Member~Member----atatatat----Large~Large~Large~Large~ Shawna Chrostowski
~Member~Member~Member~Member----atatatat----Large~Large~Large~Large~ Celia Michau
~Member~Member~Member~Member----atatatat----Large~Large~Large~Large~ Cylyn Reviczky
~NHAD Representative~~NHAD Representative~~NHAD Representative~~NHAD Representative~ Glenys Crane-Emerson [email protected]
~Student Representative~~Student Representative~~Student Representative~~Student Representative~ Bethany Pike, UNH~M
News From the Board...News From the Board...News From the Board...News From the Board... NHRID will be holding its annual election meeting on Tuesday, June 3, from 6-8pm at NDHHS, 57 Regional Drive, Concord NH. Below are the current nominations, there are still some current board members who have yet to decide whether they are able to continue.
President: Aimee Stevens
Vice President: Shannon Grundy
Secretary: Jayne Zedon
Treasurer: Amy-Jean Leblanc
Members at Large(3):
1) Shawna Chrostowski
2) Heather Geisser
3) Sarah Chase It’s not too late for nominations! Anyone interested in being nominated for (and please don’t be shy about nominating yourself) or nominating someone else for a position, please contact me at [email protected]. Please note that officers of NHRID must be members of both NHRID and RID. I look forward to hearing from interested members. Thank you. Aimee Stevens NHRID Vice President
NHRID Newsletter EditorsNHRID Newsletter EditorsNHRID Newsletter EditorsNHRID Newsletter Editors Amy-Jean Leblanc Celia Michau
Springtime in D.C.Springtime in D.C.Springtime in D.C.Springtime in D.C.
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I recently had the opportunity to take a trip to Washington DC and took work at Gallaudet while visiting the area. It was a beautiful week down there, temps in the high 70's. I did not miss the snow piles that just wouldn’t go away in parts of NH!
Construction for the new Sorenson Building is definitely underway. The building, when complete, is going to house the ASL Linguistics Department, Audiology Department, and others. I. King Jordan was spotted on campus, apparently a rare sighting since he left his position as President. I was told he is teaching courses at Gallaudet, but they are on-line classes, so actually seeing him on campus was a treat. There is talk that the Board of Trustees will begin meetings to discuss a new Presidential search process sometime this summer. Robert Divilla, in the mean time, is Gallaudet's 9th President and seems to be making great strides in uniting the Gallaudet commu-nity. Some of you may remember Amanda Pernisi, a graduate of UNHM. Well, she is still working as a Gallaudet Staff Interpreter and is doing great! In addition to NIC, which was added to her list of titles, she is looking to add "home owner" to that list as well. She is actively looking at houses in the northern Virginia area. Some of you may also know Christina Linehan (now Larock, as she is a new bride), a graduate of NECC, has also joined the staff at Gallaudet and is working in the Interpreting Department. Both Christina and Amanda send big hellos to everyone in Mass and NH!
~Submitted By Shannon Grundy
UNH~ManchesterUNH~ManchesterUNH~ManchesterUNH~Manchester: Rayne Coleman, Bethany Pike NECCNECCNECCNECC: Deaf Studies Associates: Sign Language Interpreting ODeaf Studies Associates: Sign Language Interpreting ODeaf Studies Associates: Sign Language Interpreting ODeaf Studies Associates: Sign Language Interpreting Option: Donna Costello, Sunny Crosby, Shannon Crowley, Amy Lavoie, Christina Lettre, Megan MacDonald, Colleen O'Shaghnessy, Louise Reidy, Arlene Spence. Deaf Studies Associates: American Sign Language Option: Deaf Studies Associates: American Sign Language Option: Deaf Studies Associates: American Sign Language Option: Deaf Studies Associates: American Sign Language Option: Linda Marple, Jodie Plourde, Kara M. Thibault
Deaf Studies: Sign Language Interpreting Certificate: Deaf Studies: Sign Language Interpreting Certificate: Deaf Studies: Sign Language Interpreting Certificate: Deaf Studies: Sign Language Interpreting Certificate: Genevieve Copley, Eva Faria, Jennifer Garney, Linsay Greenlay, Elizabeth Johnson, Jennifer Ryan, Jenna Sacco, Arlene Spence.
Proudly Submitted By: Jack Hoza, Pax McCarthy, Diana Mele
Congratulations Class of 2008!!Congratulations Class of 2008!!Congratulations Class of 2008!!Congratulations Class of 2008!!
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NHRID General Meeting Minutes: March 8, 2008NHRID General Meeting Minutes: March 8, 2008NHRID General Meeting Minutes: March 8, 2008NHRID General Meeting Minutes: March 8, 2008
Meeting Called to order 10:10 AM Attendees: President- Deb McKinney, Vice President- Aimee Stevens, Treasurer- Shannon Grundy, Secretary- Christine Berube, Members at Large-Celia Michau, Cylyn Reviczky and Shawna Chrostowski, NHAD Represen-tative- Glenys Crane-Emerson, Student Representative from UNH-M- Bethany Pike, Betsy Johnson, Rayne Coleman, Lesley Garey, Toni Robbins, Julia Emley, Jodi Lefort, Terry Linehan, Krista Brown, Rachel Farrell, Sandy Unger December meeting minutes were approved. President's ReportPresident's ReportPresident's ReportPresident's Report The NHRID Board in conjunction with the NHAD Board held a Parliamentary Procedures Workshop in February for Board members. Louis Rivas ran the training, which was highly beneficial. Due to this training, the Board will run the general meetings more effectively. All committee reports, as well as Board reports, will be submitted to the secretary in writing, to be kept on file. Region I Conference Call- A Board member was not available to participate in the Conference Call, so a report stating the NHRID highlights was sent to Jeremy Brunson (President of Region I). House Bill 1166- NHVR as authorizing agency regarding state rates for NH Interpreters. Thank you to the NHRID Board for the letter of support on this issue. NH Interpreter Conference- A conference for Interpreters in NH is in the works, Shawna will report with further details on this issue. DCYF Interpreter Requirements- DCYF is requiring specific information and credentials of interpreters who work with their agency. NHRID Board is working with Tracy Tarr (HHS) to inform DCYF of the existing Licen-sure requirements of NH Interpreters. The Board feels that NH Interpreters already have requirements that must be met in order to work in NH. Having more would be cumbersome. Vice President's ReportVice President's ReportVice President's ReportVice President's Report All NHRID members can access the NHRID Yahoo Group List. New members will be added to the group. Members can access the website to get information on meetings. Treasurer's ReportTreasurer's ReportTreasurer's ReportTreasurer's Report Budget update, see spreadsheet. Secretary's ReportSecretary's ReportSecretary's ReportSecretary's Report NHRID Minutes will be more concise (due to Parliamentary Procedure workshop) and will be posted on the NHRID Website, as well as in the Newsletter. Committee ReportsCommittee ReportsCommittee ReportsCommittee Reports Licensure BoardLicensure BoardLicensure BoardLicensure Board: Meeting was postponed until 3/11/08. Discussion of volunteer interpreters in the state- the Licensure law was discussed and found to be inapplicable; anyone is allowed to volunteer their interpreting services. The LB will check with Massachusetts regarding their new Licensure Law, for comparison. VR Advisory BoardVR Advisory BoardVR Advisory BoardVR Advisory Board: Meeting was cancelled. 2008 State Plan is in the works. The bylaws have been changed. The annual retreat is being discussed. There is a Handbook for new members. Lesley's term is up, and a new VR Advisory Board Representative is needed. Finding a replacement is in the works.
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Chair's Report:Chair's Report:Chair's Report:Chair's Report: Our advisory board still has several openings. We are in need of a representative from the interpreting community and are looking forward to having a nomination from NHRID. Please have the nominee send a resume and letter of interest to H. Dee Clanton. We are in the process of revising our by-laws and will be taking a vote for their approval, next week. We are fine tuning our 2008 State Plan and will be calling for a vote within the next couple of weeks. We have an annual business meeting in September. We have not decided on a date yet but we are looking forward to a mini-retreat for our members. Our next meeting will be held on Mon. June 2nd, 2008 from 2:00 to 4:00PM @ The Walker Building on Fruit St, Concord. This is an open meeting so guests are welcome. State ScreeningState ScreeningState ScreeningState Screening: There is an RFP out for the responsibility of running the tests. The RFP can be found on the VR website. MIAB (Medical Interpreter Advisory Board):MIAB (Medical Interpreter Advisory Board):MIAB (Medical Interpreter Advisory Board):MIAB (Medical Interpreter Advisory Board): Amy-Jean will be working with Susan Wolf-Downes on a project. State Interpreter ConferenceState Interpreter ConferenceState Interpreter ConferenceState Interpreter Conference: September 19-21 at Lake Shore Farm in Northwood, NH will host the NH In-terpreter Conference. Eileen Forestal will be the presenter. The time and topic will be determined at a later date. PDC (Professional Development Committee)PDC (Professional Development Committee)PDC (Professional Development Committee)PDC (Professional Development Committee): The Professional Development Committee is becoming active again! Upcoming Events: March 15- 9:30-4:30 at NDHHS- Classifiers and Use of Space in Medical Inter-preting, Presenter- Jim Lipsky September 19-21- At Lakeshore Farm, Northwood, NH- Time and Topic to be determined, Presenter- Eileen Forestal. In the Works... "What am I Doing Here?- The Art of Discretion", Presenter- Lynette Reep (Date and time TBD) "Schooled in Discretion: Empowerment Tools for the K-12 Interpreter", Presenter- Lynette Reep (Date and Time TBD) NH Interpreter Gathering- one-day facilitated event to bring NH interpreters together. Presenter, Date and Time TBD. The PDC is always open to suggestions for workshop topics and presenters. Let us know what you would like to see offered in NH. We can be contacted at Jodi- [email protected] and/or Terry- [email protected]. Working on training for the EIPA. Willing to work with Kim Pelke on this. At June meeting, Terry will talk about General Studies CEU's. NHAD RepresentativeNHAD RepresentativeNHAD RepresentativeNHAD Representative: NHAD would like a representative from NHRID to be present at the NHAD meet-ings. Contact the NHAD Board if interested. NHAD would like to have a closer relationship with NHRID, having a social event could help aid this. MembershipMembershipMembershipMembership: NHRID currently has 26 members. Six members are new to NHRID. Reminders will be sent out via email to those who were members in 2007 but who have not yet renewed their membership for 2008.
Page Page Page Page 5555 Spring 2008
Dee Clanton arrived at 11:30 to discuss the NH Interpreter Handbook. The Handbook for Interpreters and the Certification Handbook have now become one. VR has six copies. Thank you to NHRID for their letter of support on HB521A. This Bill overrides the ADA, but is not yet in the Handbook. There is ongoing discussion of who is responsible to pay for interpreting services. Clarification on this issue is needed in HB521A. Request for NHRID to write a letter of support for HB166; the NHRID Board will discuss this matter further and report back to Dee. VR will change the payment to interpreters for college jobs. If an interpreter is booked for an entire semester of work with a college, VR will not pay for mileage and travel time, since this is an ongoing job. Old BusinessOld BusinessOld BusinessOld Business: Having general meetings interpreted: NHRID is responsible to provide interpreting services at general meet-ings, yet interpreters are not willing or available to interpret the meetings. Should NHRID continue to have meetings interpreted, or provide interpreting services when requested? Issue is tabled. New BusinessNew BusinessNew BusinessNew Business: Kim Pelkey is a staff person at NDHHS who is working with the Department of Education. Grant money is available for professional development for interpreters who want to receive training for the EIPA. NDHHS Referral Dept. is working on developing a list of interpreters who are interested in subbing in the school sys-tem, EIPA training is required. If interested in taking the EIPA or receiving training materials, see Kim Pelkey. Interpreter Survey: A survey has been sent out to NH Licensed Interpreters. No results have been looked at yet. A date to meet and discuss the results will be determined. A reminder to fill out the survey will be sent out to Interpreters. State Rates: NHRID agreed to have state rates reviewed every two years. July 2008 will be two years since last reviewed. The subcommittee will have a report ready for the June meeting. See Aimee if interested in being on the committee. Shannon motions for NHRID and NHAD Board members to set up a social BBQ event for the summer of 2008 for the Deaf and interpreting communities in NH. Aimee seconds. Motion passes with a 2/3 majority. 3 oppose, 8 agree. AnnouncementsAnnouncementsAnnouncementsAnnouncements: ** There will be a movie showing on April 13 from 2-4 for $5. Manchester will be showing "I am Legend" with captions (provided by Sorenson) There will be an interpreter meeting on March 18 at 5:30 PM at Barnes and Noble in Manchester. Chance for interpreters to get together and discuss the work. **There will be a meeting of the Task force on Deafness on Friday March 14 at 1:30 at the Legislative Office Building in Concord. A NHRID member is encouraged to attend. Kash Coupon: Toni Robbins wins the Kash Coupon! Aimee motions to close the meeting. Terry seconds. Motion passes. Meeting adjourned at 12:17PM.
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Sign Language Interpreters At High Ergonomic Risk Sign Language Interpreters At High Ergonomic Risk Sign Language Interpreters At High Ergonomic Risk Sign Language Interpreters At High Ergonomic Risk
~Submitted by H. Dee Clanton
Science Daily (Apr. 19, 2008) — Sign language interpreting is one of the highest-risk professions for ergo-nomic injury, according to a new study conducted by Rochester Institute of Technology. The research indi-cates that interpreting causes more physical stress to the extremities than high-risk tasks conducted in in-dustrial settings, including assembly line work. It also found a direct link between an increase in the mental and cognitive stress of the interpreter and an increase in the risk of musculoskeletal injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. The research, conducted through RIT's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is one of the first to catalog the effect of signing on interpreters and show a correlation between mental and cognitive stress and increased ergonomic risk. The results of the study are available in the March 2008 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Ergonomics and were also presented at the 2007 biennial conference of the Registry of Sign Language Interpreters. "The impact of repetitive stress in industrial and office settings has been well documented, but there is less data on the risk of ergonomic injury to sign language interpreters," says Matthew Marshall, associate profes-sor of industrial and systems engineering at RIT and a leader of the research group. "Our findings indicate that interpreters may actually be at a higher risk of injury than other professions." Marshall notes that the impact of injury on interpreters and its effect on retention is a major issue in the deaf community because any reduction in the interpreter population would have an adverse effect on the full so-cietal participation of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. "Gaining a better understanding of the factors contributing to interpreter injury can show us ways to inter-vene and reduce the risks," adds Steve Nelson, director of access services for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. "Informed intervention can help drastically reduce injuries and keep much-needed skilled in-terpreters at work." In developing its findings, the RIT team studied a group of interpreters and measured the physical impact of signing over a fixed time period, utilizing metrics developed for industrial settings. The team found that wrist velocity and acceleration during interpreting, factors used to measure physical impact, were more acute than the high risk limits for industrial workers. In addition, an increase in mental and cognitive stress led to a 15-19 percent increase in wrist velocity and acceleration during interpreting. Marshall will next look to enhance this data through additional studies placing interpreters in a wide variety of settings. The information will assist in furthering understanding of the impact of sign language interpret-ing on repetitive stress, while also assisting organizations in developing better training programs to reduce ergonomic risk. "The ultimate goal is to enhance knowledge of the impacts of interpreting and help make the profession more conducive for workers," notes Marshall . Adapted from materials provided by Rochester Institute of Technology. Web address: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105449.htm
What’s Up??What’s Up??What’s Up??What’s Up??
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Editor’s Note: Our apologies to Erin Thompson-Foote and Aimee Stevens for omitting the pictures they sent for the winter edition. Enjoy the “then and now” pics below!
Luke (left, at 5 1/2; right, at 8 1/2 months old) has reached many important milestones…in January he got his first two teeth, he rolled over for the first time and he started eating solid foods. It's amazing how
quick he grows and learns and does new things… but he is growing up too fast!
Happy Birthday to.....Happy Birthday to.....Happy Birthday to.....Happy Birthday to.....
Bethany Whiton - May 24
Amy-Jean Leblanc - June 8
Did we miss your birthday?
Please share your date so we can all celebrate!
NHRID thanks Susan WolfSusan WolfSusan WolfSusan Wolf----Downes Downes Downes Downes for all
her hard work on the NDHHS auction! What a great turn-out and we all had a wonderful time!
Meet Zoe! She’s Erin Thompson-Foote’s adorable Akita and she’s growing by the minute! She’s lost her black puppy coat (left, at 3 months) and is now sporting a beautiful mix of
colors (right, at 6 months). Congratulations, Erin!
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NHRID NewsletterNHRID NewsletterNHRID NewsletterNHRID Newsletter Deadlines!Deadlines!Deadlines!Deadlines!
July 21July 21July 21July 21
October 20October 20October 20October 20
[email protected]@[email protected]@nhrid.org
Fire Prevention PresentationFire Prevention PresentationFire Prevention PresentationFire Prevention Presentation Free Continental Breakfast!
Free presentation and training to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community!
WhenWhenWhenWhen: Saturday, June 14, 2008 TimeTimeTimeTime: 10am-12pm
WhereWhereWhereWhere: Northeast Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services, 57 Regional Dr., Concord, NH WhoWhoWhoWho: Relay NH & Captain Rousseau from the NH Dept. of Safety
Come & learn how to help yourself & your family be safeCome & learn how to help yourself & your family be safeCome & learn how to help yourself & your family be safeCome & learn how to help yourself & your family be safe.
ASL interpreters will be provided.
Please contact Rosemary if you need CART.
If you want to come, please contact: Rosemary Hill (Relay NH Outreach Specialist) [email protected], 603-224-1850x206 Voice, 603-224-0691 TTY
Remember Ethic Ally??Remember Ethic Ally??Remember Ethic Ally??Remember Ethic Ally?? We hope she doesn’t become a one-hit
wonder! Please send your interpreting questions and ethical
dilemmas her way at [email protected].
All submissions are 100% confidential!
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News From NECCNews From NECCNews From NECCNews From NECC
~Submitted by Diana Mele
I would like to share one "first" here in the Deaf Studies (DST) Program. An "Appreciation Gathering" is being hosted by the Staff and Faculty of DST Program to honor our Practicum Supervisors on April 5th. A light buffet will be served and over 30 Supervisors will join a social venue where they will have the opportunity to interact with one another and DST Faculty/Staff and share ideas/ experiences of the mentoring process. Additionally, the Gathering was purposefully planned to coincide with the Peter Cook Performance in the evening and Guests will also be given a complimentary admissions ticket for the show which will begin following the gathering. Another "first" was a new opportunity for DST Senior class to tour the MCDHH Dorchester office facil-ity where state screening takes place. A wonderful presentation was prepared for us by Janice Cagan-Teuber, Evaluation & Screening Coordinator in the Department of Interpreter and Cart Ser-vices. Janice helped to "de-mystify" the process by showing students each location where the testing materials are viewed as well as detailing the actual process involved. Students welcomed the opportu-nity and spoke highly of the experience. We are also excited to share that we added an great event to one of our interpreting classes which we hope to make an annual event. It was called "Mock Interpreting Day" and 10 Guests from the Deaf Community graciously agreed to join us and pair with two interpreting students each. The entire campus-wide Community of Staff/Faculty was also invited to participate. The activity involved student interpreters safely interpreting 5-10 minute intervals at numerous desig-nated sites campus-wide. The sites were marked with a large pink Interpreter Symbol which aided in cueing both students and Deaf Guests. Such safe "hearing sites" included places like the campus fitness center, library, admissions, tutorial centers, advising center, computer center, etc. It was a very nice way of increasing sensitivity for our hearing colleagues on campus while simultaneously supporting student learning. I have attached pictures if you would like (Guests included: Pax McCarthy, Deb McKinney, David DelPizzo, Suz Bedrosian, Madeline Olio-Ruano, Sabrina Dennison, Annie LeBlanc, and Karen Powers) Lastly, Northern Essex is in the process of fully integrating all Deaf related programs and ser-vices under the structure of a newly established Center for Deaf Services and Studies. We have initi-ated a nationwide search for a Fulltime Director of Deaf Studies and Services to lead this new entity on campus. We look forward to sharing new developments with the Deaf and Interpreting community in future.
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My Interpreting Life: The Long ViewMy Interpreting Life: The Long ViewMy Interpreting Life: The Long ViewMy Interpreting Life: The Long View ~By Lianne Moccia
When I moved to Lebanon, NH in 1982 from Arizona with IC credentials in hand I started to get phone calls about interpreting work. My name must have been on some list, somewhere. I wasn't ready. I hadn't met any Deaf people. I hadn't met any interpreters. I did some scouting around and found RID meetings in both NH and VT. I went alone, afraid, insecure. The NH meeting was a bit chaotic, sparsely attended. The Vermont scene was welcoming, energetic, and supportive so I cast my lot with the Green Mountain state. (It would be at least a decade or more before I dove into the NH interpreting world.) I went to my first job with baby spit up on my shoulders. As I got off 91, nervous, lost, I realized I hadn't yet combed my hair that day. In fact, I didn't have a comb. I went to a gas station and bought one of those black, Acme $.29 plastic things and dragged it though the tangled mass. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was frantically scanning my mental ASL-English gloss dictionary. Would I know the vocab? Did I know the sign for this or that? Could I sign fast enough? It was all about sign-word substitution, keeping up, getting to the end of the job and getting home without talking about the actual interpreting work. Why was I doing this? Someone called me, begged me to take the job. Was that the same as saying I was qualified? For the next many years (10-15+) I was brought into the profession by interpreters who had come before and people in the Deaf community, almost all of whom were supportive, patient, interested in having more interpreters available. I got scooped up by a small cadre of Vermont interpreters who were regularly traveling out of state, driving to the DC area to study at the Bilingual Mediation Center where presenters and workshops challenged every previously unchallenged belief, value and assumption I had. Out the window went the ASL-English dictionary, replaced by the goal of equivalent message. Revolutionary and elusive. During those years, I had a clear sense of where I stood on the skill continuum. The days, pre-referral service, meant that all jobs (all phone calls left on answering machines with little tapes in them!) came directly from agencies, organizations, individuals. In the evenings as I returned each call, I asked the caller if this was a regularly occurring job, which interpreter(s) did it, etc. The operating principle was continuity of interpreter and some kind of a skill pyramid. If more seasoned interpreters were not avail-able for the assignment, I would then call one or more of them and ask their opinion about whether or not I should take the job. Over time, as I carved out a small space for myself, others afforded me the same professional courtesy. The space I carved out for myself was, indeed, small. I recently found an account-ing of my earnings from interpreting over the years. In the first year I grossed $1638. Year II, $4412. It was six years before I hit the double digits, barely. I understood that I was building my experience, my reputation and my workload. At that time, I didn't consider it a "business". When Vermont began the discussion of how to set up a referral agency, the then pool of interpreters was leery. How could we continue the high quality of informal "referral" that we had been operating, maintain independent business practices, at the same time as we honored the wishes of Deaf Vermonters who were eager for a more efficient way to locate interpreters? We also understood that state and private personnel were even more eager to solve the problems they were experiencing searching for and hiring interpreters. Colleagues in other states reported many drawbacks when working with referral agencies. The founding bylaws of the Vermont Interpreter Referral Service (VIRS) were carefully crafted by researching policies and procedures in neighboring states, by talking with Deaf community members, and by considering the perspective and interests of hiring agencies and organizations. Quality, consistency, preference of Deaf consumers, cost-containment were all hallmarks. There was even the inclusion (at the insistence of the 51% Deaf board members) of the provision that work be referred only to nationally certified interpret-ers. The service reflected the practices of the free-lance community at the time. When NH followed suit several years later, a parallel planning process ensued.
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As I think about my current work scene, many things have changed. Certainly there are many more interpret-ers, many more qualified and dedicated interpreters. Some moved here from other parts of the country; some left Vermont and NH to get training and then returned; still others have chosen the more challenging route of developing requisite skills within more rural areas. One used to be able to count the number of certified inter-preters on two hands. Today I attend an interpreter workshop or meeting in NH or VT and see unknown faces. Consider how technology has shaped our current daily experience! I remember: along with that answering machine cassette, I purchased a bulky TTY with plastic cover--sure signs that I was a "working inter-preter." I decided to use the technology---I wanted to have control of it, not it of me. I remember the first time I got paged on my pager and then drove to a high point on the highway to a place where my "bag" cell phone had reception to return the page and found out that a job had been cancelled. It was wonderful to turn around and drive home, saving time and money for all of us. Today 95% of all jobs arrive via email. Most interpreters are texting via cell phones or pagers. This technology, which offers expediency and ease, has also brought other consequences. I have begun to feel I'm in a race to respond. I found myself thinking lately, "Oh, I'm at a job working. By the time the job finishes, it will be too late to respond to requests. How many jobs will I have missed?" Imagine experiencing working as an impedi-ment to getting work! There are fewer phone conversations; I know the referral people in both states less well than in the days when we talked many times a day. The whole process of how the work is parceled out seems more a clerical skill and less a complex decision informed by judgment and discernment. How has this ability to be in touch so quickly with so many affected the quality, continuity, and long-range effectiveness of service? How has "fill rate" influenced the process? Affected decisions about "qualified"? How does less contact, or, different contact, with colleagues, hiring entities, Deaf people, and referral personnel affect our knowledge of each other? (I will leave the whole question of long-distance interpreting for another discus-sion. Can we deliver quality service remotely?) Do we still feel collegial, respectful, and responsible to each other and to Deaf people? How much do we feel entrenched in the need to get work, pay a mortgage, and fill our schedules? Can we work without the relationships that used to seem so essential to being an interpreter among interpreters? And, if we do "work" without those supportive and sustaining relationships, how does the "work" feel? I don't want to live in the past, nor mourn its passing. I want to hold on to the years of experience I have as I meet my teammates, our consum-ers, approach my assignments, render that equivalent message. I want to recognize the language and world knowledge skills of young practi-tioners, learn from them. I want to engage in discussions of our work, its challenges, and its rewards. I want to learn and use the new tech-nology when it enhances my life and work, not when it controls it.
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Beyond the Standards Beyond the Standards Beyond the Standards Beyond the Standards –––– Part IIIPart IIIPart IIIPart III ~Submitted by Jodi Lefort At the end of March the third part of this legal training series took place. The focus for this weekend was on preparation. This will culminate in a mock trial at the final session at the end of May. Many people that know me know that I do not interpret in medical settings. My reason is two fold; not understanding much of the information and not being comfortable around blood. When we were handed the case file for the upcoming trial, a murder trial no less, it took me a bit of time to orient myself. It was a wake up call that I will not be able to completely avoid medical settings if I am going to be interpreting in the legal setting. I have been fortunate to not have faced this before, but it seems my time has run out! All of the participants are divided into 6 groups, mainly by geographical region [with the ex-ception of the CDI’s]. I believe the goal was for us to be grouped with interpreters that we have worked with or will work with in the future. Each group will be expected to prepare for and interpret a complete trial. On the first day of the weekend, we will meet all of the players that have been hired for the trial, from Deaf community members to a local judge. Not only do we have to prepare for the trial, there is a lengthy group homework assignment that is due a few weeks before the next session. Personally, my group has gone cross-eyed having edited our work so many times! The hope is that we have now created some working documents that we will be able to use without needing to recreate the wheel. I had a bitter sweet moment on this weekend … the privilege of having a glimpse into how a Deaf person sees things while at the same time being sad, mad and embarrassed that we hear-ing interpreters still do not get it right [myself included]. Why is it that we think it is okay to use spoken English in a room that has even one Deaf person in it, especially given that EVERY-ONE in the room is bilingual? It is so ironic how we would be the first to complain about someone else doing it, but feel it is perfectly fine for us. There are as many excuses as there are people, unfortunately, none of them good enough. It has made me think about my actions, how they continue to affect my Deaf friends/colleagues, and how we continue to grind the op-pression wheel without the blink of an eye. I hope that the next time I am in a mixed setting, I am mindful of what I am doing. Overall it was a good weekend … Erin and I even took an unexpected scenic walk through Boston to go to dinner! I am both nervous and anxious about the upcoming weekend. There is still much to be done before then [rereading the case information and having questions/issues ready for the final preparation]. Stay tuned for all the exciting details of how the trial went!
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I recently had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly to Los Angeles to observe and mentor with several legal/court in-terpreters in the area. The most unique aspect of this obser-vation was that the client was a deaf district attorney for Orange County, litigating a case in reference to gang activ-ity at the Westminster Superior Court. The case consisted of three co-defendants from the alleged “213” gang in Orange County. Charges ranged from assault with a deadly weapon to stalking to conspiracy.
Although I was only present for a portion of the trial, I was nonetheless able to get a real flavor for the California Justice System, its court procedures, criminal codes and the intri-cate interaction of the various court officers and other court room players. Several things stood out as unique and in con-trast to aspects of legal interpreting here in New Hamp-shire. For one, there is a strict dress code. Suits and ties are a mainstay, emphasizing the level of professionalism with which interpreters are required to maintain. Secondly, spe-cial deference is given to “the people” through its prosecu-torial team and the jury. Upon entrance and exit of the jury, the team would stand to show its respect for the monumen-tal task with which they had been charged.
As one would guess, the attorney required pure translitera-tion, as every word uttered was crucial for her to be able to properly litigate the case and represent the people of Cali-fornia. The pace of the proceedings, including testimony of three witnesses/expert witnesses, was often dizzying, but the interpreters handled things with poise, professionalism and an accuracy that boggled the mind!
Motion hearings and the jury instruction session were the most challenging, as much of the terminology used by those present would be unfamiliar to the average interpreter. This group of interpreters was not only highly professional, but also highly trained, as one would expect. Teaming behaviors were subtle, yet unmistakable, and switching of teams had to be timed just right so as not to disrupt the flow. At no time during the presentation and discussion of motions were the interpreters allowed to switch. In addition, though each court is different and personalities vary, I found the judge and attorneys in this case to be quite personable. Despite the violent nature of the case, the air in the courtroom was often light and humorous.
I was amazed at the volume of cases, the long lines at the metal detectors and fine-pay windows (which, because of the mild weather, were located outside). Hours of operation were from 9-12 and 1:30-4. Nice long lunches must be the California way!
Chance of a Lifetime in CaliforniaChance of a Lifetime in CaliforniaChance of a Lifetime in CaliforniaChance of a Lifetime in California
~Submitted By Erin Thompson-Foote
Overall, I feel that it was an extremely valuable experi-ence for me. And although New Hampshire does not experience cases of the same nature, nor are there any deaf attorneys, the same general legal procedures and protocols were in place. It’s comforting to know that, as different a world as California is from New Hampshire, the American Justice System is consistent in many ways across the country. Long live the Law!
The second purpose of my trip was to attend part two of a workshop which was offered here in New Hampshire entitled: “Basic Narcotics and Drug Identification for Legal Interpreters”. In this workshop, we had a more in-depth view of various weapons, both lethal and less-lethal. The second half of the workshop focused on drugs and drug paraphernalia. The workshop was pre-sented by the El Monte, California Police Department in conjunction with Southern California RID. I was able to glean a few ideas for a possible part two of our own here in New Hampshire! One added benefit of my trip was the sunshine…It was an average of 75 degrees dur-ing my time there, and I even snuck away to the beach one day for a walk and some fresh seafood at the local fish market. How can you beat that? For anyone who’s looking to ditch the winter blues, I suggest a business trip to a warmer climate. Remember, it’s all tax deducti-ble, tan or no tan!
Spring 2008Spring 2008Spring 2008Spring 2008
NHRIDNHRIDNHRIDNHRID P.O. Box 5432P.O. Box 5432P.O. Box 5432P.O. Box 5432 Manchester, NH 03108Manchester, NH 03108Manchester, NH 03108Manchester, NH 03108----5432543254325432
~Khalil Gibran Khalil Gibran Khalil Gibran Khalil Gibran
