Sign Language Interpreters - World Federation of the Deaf

(WASLI WASLI is committed to developing the profession of sign language interpreting worldwide)
Seminar on the Global Education
Pre-Planning Planning Project on the Human
Rights of Deaf People
Liz Scott Gibson
WASLI President

1986 - Survey on sign language
interpreter training & provision
Dr Bencie Woll
‣ Very few full time
SLIs
‣ Most worked unpaid
‣ Most friends/family
of Deaf people
(80% UK; 90% Spain;
80% Germany)
‣ Less than half had a
SLIA

EFSLI
‣ 1998 - with support
of ECRS
‣ 1993 Constitution
ratified
‣ Advice/information/
standards/training

‣ 2005 WASLI
established
‣ Aim: to advance
the profession of
SLI worldwide
‣ Values: human
equality & mutual
respect

‣ Encourage the
establishment of
national
associations of
sign language
interpreters in
countries that do
not have them
‣ Be a support
network for
existing national
associations of
sign language
interpreters

‣ Share information
and be a reference
on interpreting
issues
‣ Support the work of
sign language
interpreters working
at international
events such as
conferences,
sporting events and
other gatherings

‣ Liaise with spoken
language interpreter
organisations and
other organisations
having common
interests
‣ Work in partnership
with Deaf and
Deafblind
Associations on
sign language
interpreting issues

‣ Committed to
international co-
operation and
responsibility (in touch
with 118 countries)
‣ Working together will
mutually empower
people in the
developing & developed
world

(e)
U.N. Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities
‣ Provide forms of
live assistance and
intermediaries,
including……
professional sign
language
interpreters……
Article 9
Accessibility

Definition of ‘professional’
‣ One who:
‣ Engages in extensive study
and training offered by
established organisations
and institutions, usually at
higher education level.
‣ Has mastery of specialised
knowledge
‣ Undergoes a process of
certification or licensing

‣ Holds membership in a
professional
association
‣ Works to standards of
accountability
‣ Abides by an ethical
code

Ethical code
‣ Contract between a
professional body &
the communities it
serves
‣ Provides
boundaries for
acceptable
behaviour &
practice
‣ Defends the rights
of all participants

Fundamental principles
‣ Confidentiality
‣ Impartiality
‣ Maintenance of standards and
continuing education
‣ Professional conduct & solidarity

Code should have :
‣ prescriptions
(what should &
shouldn't do,
behaviour, ideals
to which
profession
aspires)
‣ sanctions –
consequences for
non-compliance

‣ If no enforcement,
ethical codes do not
advance profession
or protect public
‣ Need for a clearly
articulated &
effective protocol
for monitoring
adherence to code

Comments
‣ Not adequate
‣ Low quality
‣ Signing skills
limited
‣ Average
‣ Satisfactory

‣ “Interpreters are after
money and are not
professional. Any
novice can service a big
meeting, but in the end
they always fail”
‣“The The negative attitude
of the general public
towards the interpreting
profession prevents
interpreters from
performing better”

‣ “The interpreters use a version
of our sign language which
many members of the Deaf
community do not know. For
that reason our opinion of the
service provided is very poor”
‣“There There is no general
consensus between
interpreters and the
organisations of Deaf
people. There are violations
of norms & ethics that also
affect the situation”

‣ Tensions around control of
interpreter services which
surface when interpreting
becomes a formalised
profession. Struggles in
deaf/hearing partnership
constant in many countries
‣ Padden & Humphries
‣Codification in dictionaries
separated the language from
users - changed traditional
patterns of language learning &
transmission
‣(PaddenPadden & Humphries)

You asked for:
‣ How to set up
training
‣ How to accredit
‣ How to deliver
services
‣ How to agree a
Code of Ethics

WASLI/WFD Joint Statement
‣ Work with NADs to
establish SLIAs
‣ Increase learning
opportunities for
professional SLIs
‣ Joint working &
transparent
communication • Support to developing
countries

‣ …recognises the
primacy of NADS to
chart the political,
cultural &
educational
development of
signed languages in
their country,
including the
dissemination of
sign language
dictionaries and
teaching materials

WFD Vision 2020
‣ Full participation is
enabled because all
Deaf people have
full access to
interpreting
services, and
interpreters are
professionally
trained & qualified.
‣ Governments take
responsibility for
financing training
programmes and
interpreters costs.