If this is your first time working with a Sign Language interpreter, you may be nervous and unsure of how to interact during their presence. Well, not to worry! You’ve taken the first steps of educating yourself about the role of an interpreter and learning exactly how communication is facilitated. Here are a few good and bad ideas to note during the process:
- Good Idea: Gather any research you can about how to interact with a deaf person: with or without an interpreter.
Bad Idea: Try to interact with a Deaf person without any researched knowledge about Deafness or Deaf communication.
- Good Idea: Provide the scheduled interpreter with as much detailed information about the upcoming assignment, as far in advance as possible. This helps the interpreter with further preparation to ensure successful communication and share any potential ethical conflicts prior to the assignment taking place.
Bad Idea: Leave out important details concerning the upcoming assignment, leaving the interpreter ill-prepared.
- Good Idea: Use the interpreter as a means to incorporate deaf individuals into spoken conversations. Interpreters are there to assist with the facilitation of communication between deaf/hearing interactions. Use them!
Bad Idea: Speak directly to the interpreter as if the deaf person doesn’t exist.
- Good Idea: Address the deaf person directly, using singular phrases exactly as you would your hearing consumers. This is the person you are ultimately conversing with.
Bad Idea: Talk to the deaf person using the third person and instruct the interpreter to “tell him/her…” The interpreter relays everything stated in the manner that you state it. Using the third person leads to further confusion.
- Good Idea: Ask the deaf person to explain how the interpreting process works.
Bad Idea: Ask the interpreter about their job during the interpretation process.
- Good Idea: Make respectful eye contact with the deaf person while speaking to them.
Bad Idea: Stare at the interpreter while engaging in a conversation with the deaf consumer.
- Good Idea: If you’re curious about how to sign something, ask a deaf person.
Bad Idea: Deliberately say or request profanity words to only watch the interpreter sign them.
- Good Idea: State your message clearly so the interpreter can successfully communicate.
Bad Idea: Speak to the deaf person like they are uneducated.
- Good Idea: Speak friendly to the interpreter, and utilize his/her professional services to converse with the deaf person.
Bad Idea: Befriending the interpreter.
- Good Idea: Plan for the interpreter to sit or stand near the person speaking the most.
Bad Idea: Sit the interpreter next to the deaf person, or place the interpreter behind other people. Deaf people need visual proximity to the interpreter at all times.
- Good Idea: Speak as clearly as possible, without slowing down your natural utterances too much.
Bad Idea: Mumble, shout, or over-enunciated words thinking this will help the interpreter.
- Good Idea: Ask the deaf person to explain something if you do not understand.
Bad Idea: Ask the interpreter to explain what the deaf person is trying to say, eliminating the deaf person from the conversation.
- Good Idea: If you know Sign Language, use it when appropriate.
Bad Idea: Start signing the alphabet, fingerspelling, or signing random words when the interpreter is present to facilitate accurate communication.
- Good Idea: Feel confident using the interpreter during private conversations with the deaf person.
Bad Idea: Worry that the interpreter is not to be trusted. RID Certified interpreters are held to a professional code of conduct, which details ethical responsibility and client confidentiality.
- Good Idea: Understand that though ASL interpreters aim to provide objective interpretations, they are also cultural mediators and allies and will advocate for the deaf consumer as necessary.
Bad Idea: Ask the interpreter for personal opinions. Ask them to not interpret something you said, or expect the interpreter to overlook an oppressive action towards the deaf consumer.
- Good Idea: Pay attention to the deaf consumer you are interacting with.
Bad Idea: Look at other people, your phone, or out the window during the conversation.
- Good Idea: Hire a professional, skilled interpreter who has the appropriate credentials and background to facilitate effective communication. Search for Deaf or Sign Language interpreter-owned agencies that specialize in communication for the deaf.
Bad Idea: Hire a person who only knows basic sign language, without any deaf cultural knowledge or extensive interpreter training.
- Good Idea: Take advantage of the wealth of information on Deaf culture and deafness. There are plenty of books and articles to take an interest in.
Bad Idea: Expect deaf people or sign language interpreters to teach you everything about deafness or its culture.
- Good Idea: Know your legal responsibilities of providing language access and reasonable accommodations, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Bad Idea: Expect the Deaf person to pay for or bring their own interpreter.
- Good Idea: Learn how to hire a high-quality interpreter and which type of situation requires the presence of an interpreter.
Bad Idea: Deny deaf people equal access to communication in your business, organization, or establishment.
