Startling news has been shared by an anonymous source, interpreters are being taught something the community does not know about. People are feeling like there are so many interpreters out there that either don’t care about their job or don’t know how to do it adequately. To the community, an interpreter is to be a facilitator of the message meaning they take the message and send it to the next person helping conversations happen. While an interpreter is one of the most important additions to the community because they are a bridge to the hearing world, too many have taken advantage of that and guided things the way they want it to go.
Doesn’t it seem strange that interpreters don’t correct the hearing person when they don’t look at the deaf person? Ever caught an interpreter use eye contact and body language to seemingly guide the answers in directions that is “correct”? Why does it seem okay that they don’t always say what is being signed or interpret what is being said 100%. These are all part of their training and that is why many people detest the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). There is a whisper among the interpreter community and many interpreters will come out and deny it.
They are being told to be a consultant because deaf people are not taught “common sense” RID has been contacted and we have requested them to contact us back with any statement they may have. Interpreters are a third party and a uncontrollable variable. Too many times, people are having to report violation of code of ethics to RID and nothing is being done. There is no real procedure in ensuring interpreters have the right kind of intent when they take a job or become an interpreter.
Situations have popped up in every imaginable scenario where hearing people are frustrated too. They want to be communicating with this community and sometimes the bridge they have is a rickety one at best. A man at one hospital shared a story saying that he had gone out of his way to support a patient who sat in the waiting room and waited four hours for an interpreter to show up. During that time, they bonded more than they did when the interpreter got there. The patient would sign for long periods of time and then the interpreter would only say yes or no. This man knew that there was more being said to him but because he didn’t know sign, he was unable to get the whole story.
Why are these people deciding our relationships for us? Why isn’t the community taking control back? What does RID have to say about behavior that interpreters who are being certified under them, are getting away with?
We have put forth the attempt to contact RID and out of courtesy gave them 48 hours to respond. They have not been available for comment.
