WAVLI WESTERN NIGHT!
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
Roosters Country Cabaret
# 4 -19040 Lougheed Highway, Pitt Meadows, BC, V3Y 2N6
Phone: 604 465-5552 | Fax: 604 465-2357
Tickets - $10
Tickets include 2 slices of pizza and a beverage of your choice!
Live country music band – huge dance floor!
TRY YOUR HAND AT THE MECHANICAL BULL!
WAVLI Silent Auction table will be up through the evening to bid on!
(Auction donations to Deb Miyashita please! )
Come have a fun night of music, food, dancing and socializing!
Wear your best Western gear – cowboy hats optional (but great!)
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Where is the next generation of interpreting educators? - Karen Malcom
Where is the next generation of interpreting educators?
by Karen Malcolm
As we mark 20 years of interpreter education at Douglas College, my thoughts can’t help but turn to the future. Our current educators have been doing this work for a long time, and are all of a similar generation. That generation will eventually retire, and I wonder, who will be waiting to take our places and continue to prepare interpreters for the field? Perhaps it may be you! I would like to offer some thoughts about the skills and credentials an educator needs, and what the work entails.
First off, teaching interpreters is incredibly rewarding work. Watching the professionals who provide quality service in the field, and knowing I was part of helping them learn the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, is so satisfying. Most interpreters, I believe, have strong ideas about what constitutes best practice. Being an educator allows you to act on your convictions by shaping the education of new interpreters.
Students ask great questions and I feel that I grow in understanding and improving my own work as I articulate my reasoning for my own practice. In addition, I get to work with other colleagues who are also passionate about interpreting. There is a constant sharing of new ideas, new research and new resources. Working in an educational institution provides access to the library and on-line academic resources, as well as the collegiality of teachers in other fields of study, who share their understanding of teaching and learning. It is stimulating!
Requirements for interpreter educators
Interpreting skills and community respect
We all know the field of interpreting continues to grow and develop, and the requirements for educators have continued to change accordingly. When I started teaching, the main requirement was “good” interpreting skills. The assessment of what those “good” skills were was subjective, because we didn’t have national certification yet in Canada. Educators were individuals who were well known in the Lower Mainland and/or nationally, and who had contributed to the Deaf community and interpreting community both.
That requirement still stands. Without community support for the educators in the program, it can’t succeed. We need community support in so many ways; in advisory capacities, as Deaf role models, as twins, and as practicum supervisors, to name just a few.
But assessing interpreting skills has become more objective with the implementation of the Canadian Evaluation System. I would urge every person considering becoming an educator to participate in the TOI workshops, and to ultimately obtain the COI. This is an objective demonstration of having reached a level of interpreting skill that is recognized across the country.
Academic qualifications
Academic credentials were seen as something to strive for twenty years ago, but were not required. When I first started teaching at Douglas in 1988, there was one person with a Bachelors degree among the teaching team of 5. (It wasn’t me. I ended up returning to school to complete a Bachelor’s degree, and then to continue on to get a Masters. In fact, three other current faculty all completed degrees while also teaching, or are in the process of doing so.) In our current teaching team of four, we now comprise a team with two Bachelors degrees and two Masters. So one of the considerations for those wanting to teach is continuing your academic study and securing degrees. While we don’t yet have a BA program in Interpreting, it is possible to take the diploma from Douglas and transfer into either of two Bachelor degree programs offered through Athabasca University, and we also have an unofficial transfer precedent set with the University of the Fraser Valley and the University of Calgary. Some valuable areas to consider studying include education, adult education, linguistics, sociology, anthropology and community studies. I encourage people to consider graduate studies as well, even to as high a level as a PhD. One day we will have Bachelor programs in interpreting in Canada, and we will need people with PhDs to teach in them!
There is a graduate program offered online through Northeastern University, located in Boston, which is specifically geared for teaching interpreting. Our colleague Debra Russell is one of the faculty. It prepares students to actually teach interpreting. Of course the drawbacks are the expense, since Canadians are considered to be foreign students and pay correspondingly higher fees, and the on-line format, which does not necessarily suit every student’s learning needs.
Western Oregon University, which is just south of Portland, Oregon, has a Bachelors in Interpreting, and are considering establishing a Masters in Teaching Interpreting, so that will be interesting to watch for. But of course, staying in Canada and taking a Masters in Adult Education or Sociolinguistics, or other fields, can also be very useful.
Teaching interpreting
If you have established good community ties, obtained certification, and also have academic qualifications, how do you actually learn to teach interpreting? Those who have studied adult education will have the principles of lesson planning, curriculum development, and planning and leading learning activities that work successfully for adults. Those who have studied in other areas can take the Provincial Instructors’ Diploma Program, which is offered on a part time basis at Vancouver Community College, and provides an introduction to the elements of successful instruction and assessment. Still, the actual teaching of interpreting can remain a mystery. Fortunately, the field of interpreter education is maturing, and there are more and more publications and resources to use. The Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT) offers monthly online newsletters, that often include teaching ideas, and hosts conferences biennially where a vast array of presenters comment on ways to prepare interpreters for a wide range of settings and challenges. Their website is www.cit-asl.org.
It is likely thought that the way new educators are being prepared will still need to be through mentorship. We need new people to start to work with existing faculty, and to be mentored through the process of teaching interpreting. Shadowing teachers in the classroom, and starting to act as an assistant, is one possible route. We haven’t done this yet at Douglas, but are considering offering this in the future. We would not be able to offer any guarantees of employment, and would also need to know that you are commencing with the steps listed above to prepare yourself as an educator, but if you are interested, or have further questions, please contact me at malcolmk@douglas.bc.ca.
Conclusion
I hope that listing these requirements does not present too daunting a picture, or discourage those who are interested. It’s important to remember that some of these steps can be occurring simultaneously. For example, you can be working as an interpreter, developing expertise so that you are ready to pass the TOI, and at the same time be a part-time university student. The flexibility of interpreting allows for combinations of work and study. And there is still time to develop your abilities too. We may be an aging faculty, but we still have some good years left, so there will not be a complete turnover of educators within the next decade. Nonetheless, these changes WILL take place, and I hope some of you will plan to become the educators of the future.
by Karen Malcolm
As we mark 20 years of interpreter education at Douglas College, my thoughts can’t help but turn to the future. Our current educators have been doing this work for a long time, and are all of a similar generation. That generation will eventually retire, and I wonder, who will be waiting to take our places and continue to prepare interpreters for the field? Perhaps it may be you! I would like to offer some thoughts about the skills and credentials an educator needs, and what the work entails.
First off, teaching interpreters is incredibly rewarding work. Watching the professionals who provide quality service in the field, and knowing I was part of helping them learn the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, is so satisfying. Most interpreters, I believe, have strong ideas about what constitutes best practice. Being an educator allows you to act on your convictions by shaping the education of new interpreters.
Students ask great questions and I feel that I grow in understanding and improving my own work as I articulate my reasoning for my own practice. In addition, I get to work with other colleagues who are also passionate about interpreting. There is a constant sharing of new ideas, new research and new resources. Working in an educational institution provides access to the library and on-line academic resources, as well as the collegiality of teachers in other fields of study, who share their understanding of teaching and learning. It is stimulating!
Requirements for interpreter educators
Interpreting skills and community respect
We all know the field of interpreting continues to grow and develop, and the requirements for educators have continued to change accordingly. When I started teaching, the main requirement was “good” interpreting skills. The assessment of what those “good” skills were was subjective, because we didn’t have national certification yet in Canada. Educators were individuals who were well known in the Lower Mainland and/or nationally, and who had contributed to the Deaf community and interpreting community both.
That requirement still stands. Without community support for the educators in the program, it can’t succeed. We need community support in so many ways; in advisory capacities, as Deaf role models, as twins, and as practicum supervisors, to name just a few.
But assessing interpreting skills has become more objective with the implementation of the Canadian Evaluation System. I would urge every person considering becoming an educator to participate in the TOI workshops, and to ultimately obtain the COI. This is an objective demonstration of having reached a level of interpreting skill that is recognized across the country.
Academic qualifications
Academic credentials were seen as something to strive for twenty years ago, but were not required. When I first started teaching at Douglas in 1988, there was one person with a Bachelors degree among the teaching team of 5. (It wasn’t me. I ended up returning to school to complete a Bachelor’s degree, and then to continue on to get a Masters. In fact, three other current faculty all completed degrees while also teaching, or are in the process of doing so.) In our current teaching team of four, we now comprise a team with two Bachelors degrees and two Masters. So one of the considerations for those wanting to teach is continuing your academic study and securing degrees. While we don’t yet have a BA program in Interpreting, it is possible to take the diploma from Douglas and transfer into either of two Bachelor degree programs offered through Athabasca University, and we also have an unofficial transfer precedent set with the University of the Fraser Valley and the University of Calgary. Some valuable areas to consider studying include education, adult education, linguistics, sociology, anthropology and community studies. I encourage people to consider graduate studies as well, even to as high a level as a PhD. One day we will have Bachelor programs in interpreting in Canada, and we will need people with PhDs to teach in them!
There is a graduate program offered online through Northeastern University, located in Boston, which is specifically geared for teaching interpreting. Our colleague Debra Russell is one of the faculty. It prepares students to actually teach interpreting. Of course the drawbacks are the expense, since Canadians are considered to be foreign students and pay correspondingly higher fees, and the on-line format, which does not necessarily suit every student’s learning needs.
Western Oregon University, which is just south of Portland, Oregon, has a Bachelors in Interpreting, and are considering establishing a Masters in Teaching Interpreting, so that will be interesting to watch for. But of course, staying in Canada and taking a Masters in Adult Education or Sociolinguistics, or other fields, can also be very useful.
Teaching interpreting
If you have established good community ties, obtained certification, and also have academic qualifications, how do you actually learn to teach interpreting? Those who have studied adult education will have the principles of lesson planning, curriculum development, and planning and leading learning activities that work successfully for adults. Those who have studied in other areas can take the Provincial Instructors’ Diploma Program, which is offered on a part time basis at Vancouver Community College, and provides an introduction to the elements of successful instruction and assessment. Still, the actual teaching of interpreting can remain a mystery. Fortunately, the field of interpreter education is maturing, and there are more and more publications and resources to use. The Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT) offers monthly online newsletters, that often include teaching ideas, and hosts conferences biennially where a vast array of presenters comment on ways to prepare interpreters for a wide range of settings and challenges. Their website is www.cit-asl.org.
It is likely thought that the way new educators are being prepared will still need to be through mentorship. We need new people to start to work with existing faculty, and to be mentored through the process of teaching interpreting. Shadowing teachers in the classroom, and starting to act as an assistant, is one possible route. We haven’t done this yet at Douglas, but are considering offering this in the future. We would not be able to offer any guarantees of employment, and would also need to know that you are commencing with the steps listed above to prepare yourself as an educator, but if you are interested, or have further questions, please contact me at malcolmk@douglas.bc.ca.
Conclusion
I hope that listing these requirements does not present too daunting a picture, or discourage those who are interested. It’s important to remember that some of these steps can be occurring simultaneously. For example, you can be working as an interpreter, developing expertise so that you are ready to pass the TOI, and at the same time be a part-time university student. The flexibility of interpreting allows for combinations of work and study. And there is still time to develop your abilities too. We may be an aging faculty, but we still have some good years left, so there will not be a complete turnover of educators within the next decade. Nonetheless, these changes WILL take place, and I hope some of you will plan to become the educators of the future.
Two Hours – Two Interpreters? How did we get there? - Deb Miyashita
I have never been one to mince words, and the focus of this article will likely do nothing to ameliorate that perception in people’s minds. J As a COI (borderline pass for sure, but COI never-the-less) with 33 years experience, I was recently challenged for taking 2 hour assignments by myself. “We’ve negotiated a teamer for those assignments – why are you doing the meetings by yourself – you’re affecting our professional standards!” I was told in a phone call. “Because I can – and easily,” I replied.
After I hung up the phone, I looked long and hard at the situation and vowed to monitor my ability to concentrate, my error rate, the impact on the meeting of having only one interpreter and what situations a single interpreter seems to be quite adequate for a 2 hour assignment. I came to the conclusion that I was providing satisfactory interpretation service, was not becoming unduly fatigued (in fact I sometimes find it more tiring to work with a newer interpreter and support them than to just go on “auto pilot” and do the job myself) and the consumer(s) were getting good service at half the price.
Why then has the norm in our field become Two Hours – Two Interpreters, I asked myself? When did this policy creep in and under what situations does it make sense or not make sense? Several possibilities occurred to me.
Perhaps new or recent grads cannot process information with the speed or ease of a more seasoned interpreter and need the support of a teamer to do a good job. If this is the case, should I be charging more because I CAN do some 2 hour assignments (certainly not ALL) by myself with ease? Should they be charging less? If I get $40 an hour, perhaps newer interpreters who need the support of a teamer should charge $20 each, thereby covering the assignment with alacrity and not costing the consumer double to make up for their lack? Or maybe this has nothing whatsoever to so with money?
Perhaps I am deluding myself into thinking I am doing an adequate to good job alone without benefit of a teamer? The feedback I get from the consumers is not supporting this presumption, and most regular consumers of interpreting services are trained to call a 10 minute break each hour (regardless of whether they have one or two interpreters). I’m good at advocating for my own breaks as well. I find it easier to clarify a missed point or perception with the speaker directly than turn to a teamer who has likely missed the same thing I have or was on “screen saver” and not attending to the speaker anyway – by the time I’ve looked to a teamer for support, it’s often too late or awkward to stop the speaker for clarification. Hmm??? Curious and more curious!
I decided to do a quick Google Search – Two Hours Two Interpreters – and came up with the following quotes.
The Canadian Hearing Society booking policy states “Assignments of two hours or less may be covered by one interpreter, provided the material is not overly technical, fast-paced, or involves numerous individuals participating in rapid interactions. In these circumstances, even for a period of less than two hours, two interpreters may be needed. Regardless of the number of interpreters present at an assignment, a minimum 10-minute break is required after each hour of interpreting.”
The Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services interpreting policy reads “Interpreting is a very taxing activity, both mentally and physically. Research has shown that an interpreter's ability to mentally process the message and interpret it accurately diminishes drastically after approximately 20 minutes of interpreting. Additionally, the rate of repetitive motion injuries among sign language interpreters is very high. Therefore, when an assignment is over 2 hours, two interpreters will be scheduled; they will relieve each other approximately every 20 minutes, to ensure that the message is interpreted accurately for the full length of your assignment.”
Both these policies state two hours or MORE, two interpreters.
Deaf Expression Inc. states, “One-on-one and self-paced meetings can use a single interpreter for the full two hours. Because of the slower pace and less formal situation, an interpreter will usually have some natural down time and the opportunity to take a break if necessary.” They do go on to talk about repetitive strain injuries and mental fatigue in more demanding settings and suggest a thorough assessment of each assignment before the decision to send two interpreters is made.
Interestingly enough, spoken language interpreters also have policies around numbers of interpreters. ATIO (Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario) states the following:
For simultaneous or whispered Interpretation
i. for meetings with two working languages, working both ways in a single booth:
o maximum 40 minutes 1 interpreter
o maximum 3.5 to 4 hours 2 interpreters
o maximum 6 hours 3 interpreters
o maximum 8 hours 4 interpreters
And across the water in Australia, the policy is the same. Echo Interpreting in Boronia Vic, Australia have the following statement in their policy online, “
Assignments consisting of large groups or complex information under two hours duration may require a second interpreter and this will be at the discretion of Echo Interpreting and will be negotiated at the time of booking.”
Please don’t misunderstand me – I realize there are some 30 minute meetings or settings that require 2, 3 or more interpreters. But for our every-day type of community meetings, are we not doing the Deaf community a disservice by demanding 2 interpreters automatically before we see if the assignment couldn’t be well served by a single interpreter? I do and I’m interested in other people’s feedback and opinions.
Happy interpreting,
Deb Miyashita, BA, COI
After I hung up the phone, I looked long and hard at the situation and vowed to monitor my ability to concentrate, my error rate, the impact on the meeting of having only one interpreter and what situations a single interpreter seems to be quite adequate for a 2 hour assignment. I came to the conclusion that I was providing satisfactory interpretation service, was not becoming unduly fatigued (in fact I sometimes find it more tiring to work with a newer interpreter and support them than to just go on “auto pilot” and do the job myself) and the consumer(s) were getting good service at half the price.
Why then has the norm in our field become Two Hours – Two Interpreters, I asked myself? When did this policy creep in and under what situations does it make sense or not make sense? Several possibilities occurred to me.
Perhaps new or recent grads cannot process information with the speed or ease of a more seasoned interpreter and need the support of a teamer to do a good job. If this is the case, should I be charging more because I CAN do some 2 hour assignments (certainly not ALL) by myself with ease? Should they be charging less? If I get $40 an hour, perhaps newer interpreters who need the support of a teamer should charge $20 each, thereby covering the assignment with alacrity and not costing the consumer double to make up for their lack? Or maybe this has nothing whatsoever to so with money?
Perhaps I am deluding myself into thinking I am doing an adequate to good job alone without benefit of a teamer? The feedback I get from the consumers is not supporting this presumption, and most regular consumers of interpreting services are trained to call a 10 minute break each hour (regardless of whether they have one or two interpreters). I’m good at advocating for my own breaks as well. I find it easier to clarify a missed point or perception with the speaker directly than turn to a teamer who has likely missed the same thing I have or was on “screen saver” and not attending to the speaker anyway – by the time I’ve looked to a teamer for support, it’s often too late or awkward to stop the speaker for clarification. Hmm??? Curious and more curious!
I decided to do a quick Google Search – Two Hours Two Interpreters – and came up with the following quotes.
The Canadian Hearing Society booking policy states “Assignments of two hours or less may be covered by one interpreter, provided the material is not overly technical, fast-paced, or involves numerous individuals participating in rapid interactions. In these circumstances, even for a period of less than two hours, two interpreters may be needed. Regardless of the number of interpreters present at an assignment, a minimum 10-minute break is required after each hour of interpreting.”
The Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services interpreting policy reads “Interpreting is a very taxing activity, both mentally and physically. Research has shown that an interpreter's ability to mentally process the message and interpret it accurately diminishes drastically after approximately 20 minutes of interpreting. Additionally, the rate of repetitive motion injuries among sign language interpreters is very high. Therefore, when an assignment is over 2 hours, two interpreters will be scheduled; they will relieve each other approximately every 20 minutes, to ensure that the message is interpreted accurately for the full length of your assignment.”
Both these policies state two hours or MORE, two interpreters.
Deaf Expression Inc. states, “One-on-one and self-paced meetings can use a single interpreter for the full two hours. Because of the slower pace and less formal situation, an interpreter will usually have some natural down time and the opportunity to take a break if necessary.” They do go on to talk about repetitive strain injuries and mental fatigue in more demanding settings and suggest a thorough assessment of each assignment before the decision to send two interpreters is made.
Interestingly enough, spoken language interpreters also have policies around numbers of interpreters. ATIO (Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario) states the following:
For simultaneous or whispered Interpretation
i. for meetings with two working languages, working both ways in a single booth:
o maximum 40 minutes 1 interpreter
o maximum 3.5 to 4 hours 2 interpreters
o maximum 6 hours 3 interpreters
o maximum 8 hours 4 interpreters
And across the water in Australia, the policy is the same. Echo Interpreting in Boronia Vic, Australia have the following statement in their policy online, “
Assignments consisting of large groups or complex information under two hours duration may require a second interpreter and this will be at the discretion of Echo Interpreting and will be negotiated at the time of booking.”
Please don’t misunderstand me – I realize there are some 30 minute meetings or settings that require 2, 3 or more interpreters. But for our every-day type of community meetings, are we not doing the Deaf community a disservice by demanding 2 interpreters automatically before we see if the assignment couldn’t be well served by a single interpreter? I do and I’m interested in other people’s feedback and opinions.
Happy interpreting,
Deb Miyashita, BA, COI
Times of Change - Message from WAVLI President
TIMES OF CHANGE
Hi Members, by the time you read this it's possibly after the April AGM which was our Election AGM, so maybe I am no longer the President (today is March 1st, so hard to predict!). Either way, I'm either grateful for the experiences I've had over the last two years of my term and wish all the best to the new President, or, if I'm still President, I'm looking forward to many new and exciting things over the duration of my next term.
We've all heard the familiar saying that "change is hard" but I feel that the next few years will bring some significant welcomed changes with our organization. At this point the 2007-2009 board has made some progress on the work with title protection, we've also revamped the website, designed new directories, new membership cards and had well over 10 professional development opportunities bringing in presenters from various locations as well as continuing to learn from our own local talent. We've had the first curriculum Deaf Interpreter training modules and had some great activity from some of our committees, specifically the K-12 Educational Committee that works in partnership with CAEDHH and hopefully we'll see some exciting change within the specialization of educational interpreting over the next few years.
I wanted to take an opportunity to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the board members who have served with me over the past two years and all the members who took the time to connect with me and offer their feedback and suggestions to make WAVLI a stronger organization.
Here's looking forward to lots of change over the next term as well!
Susi Bolender
President
Hi Members, by the time you read this it's possibly after the April AGM which was our Election AGM, so maybe I am no longer the President (today is March 1st, so hard to predict!). Either way, I'm either grateful for the experiences I've had over the last two years of my term and wish all the best to the new President, or, if I'm still President, I'm looking forward to many new and exciting things over the duration of my next term.
We've all heard the familiar saying that "change is hard" but I feel that the next few years will bring some significant welcomed changes with our organization. At this point the 2007-2009 board has made some progress on the work with title protection, we've also revamped the website, designed new directories, new membership cards and had well over 10 professional development opportunities bringing in presenters from various locations as well as continuing to learn from our own local talent. We've had the first curriculum Deaf Interpreter training modules and had some great activity from some of our committees, specifically the K-12 Educational Committee that works in partnership with CAEDHH and hopefully we'll see some exciting change within the specialization of educational interpreting over the next few years.
I wanted to take an opportunity to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the board members who have served with me over the past two years and all the members who took the time to connect with me and offer their feedback and suggestions to make WAVLI a stronger organization.
Here's looking forward to lots of change over the next term as well!
Susi Bolender
President
WAVLI 2008 Award
Congratulations to Jami Nystrom the 2008 recipient! She was awarded at the recent Spring AGM on April 4th. Here are some of the things that were said about her contribution to the field:
If this person has not been nominated before, I’m sure you would agree her impact on our professional field need to be recognized. Here are some of the highlights:
Graduated in 1989, 20 years of experience
While she is one of the most talented and skillful interpreters, she also has a supportive and humble attitude.
She has a wicked sense of humour that can lighten even the toughest of times, she combines that with an incredible amount of compassion for everyone she comes into contact with.
She is open and willing to mentor practicum students and new graduates
every year. She also has been involved with the twin mentoring program at Douglas College for many years.
She creates a safe learning environment for everyone to work in, and from my understanding, has recently began a mentorship program for new interpreters to work with seasoned interpreters.
She supports interpreters and encourages them to reach their full potential.
She is the chair of the AVLIC DRP committee.
She successfully fought for fair wages for interpreters working at VCC. This supported interpreters and coordinators across the country in their efforts to set up competitive contracts ensuring that post secondary students are able to get interpreters for their classes.
She was also instrumental in the fight to save the ASL Deaf studies program last year.
I feel that Jami Nystrom needs to be recognized for all of her efforts and work that she has done for our community through the years. In my opinion, she is definitely deserving of this year's WAVLI award.
If this person has not been nominated before, I’m sure you would agree her impact on our professional field need to be recognized. Here are some of the highlights:
Graduated in 1989, 20 years of experience
While she is one of the most talented and skillful interpreters, she also has a supportive and humble attitude.
She has a wicked sense of humour that can lighten even the toughest of times, she combines that with an incredible amount of compassion for everyone she comes into contact with.
She is open and willing to mentor practicum students and new graduates
every year. She also has been involved with the twin mentoring program at Douglas College for many years.
She creates a safe learning environment for everyone to work in, and from my understanding, has recently began a mentorship program for new interpreters to work with seasoned interpreters.
She supports interpreters and encourages them to reach their full potential.
She is the chair of the AVLIC DRP committee.
She successfully fought for fair wages for interpreters working at VCC. This supported interpreters and coordinators across the country in their efforts to set up competitive contracts ensuring that post secondary students are able to get interpreters for their classes.
She was also instrumental in the fight to save the ASL Deaf studies program last year.
I feel that Jami Nystrom needs to be recognized for all of her efforts and work that she has done for our community through the years. In my opinion, she is definitely deserving of this year's WAVLI award.
Title Protection Update
Ad Hoc Committee: Suzie Giroux, Cheryl Palmer, Sara MacFayden, Susi Bolender, Barb Mykle-Hotzon
Our application for Title Protection is inching its way towards Victoria even though we had another brief setback. Last year’s bylaw changes regarding membership categories and criteria still did not satisfy the registrar’s office. In response, we had our lawyer draft some suggested changes that we edited and presented to the membership on April 4th at the annual general meeting. Fortunately, the motions concerning the bylaw changes all passed and we can go ahead with submitting those changes. Once approved, we can send in our application for Title Protection. The titles we will request protection for are:
Registered American Sign Language-English Interpreter
Registered Sign Language Interpreter
Registered Visual Language Interpreter
Once a title is granted under Section 10, section 89(1) states: “no person other than a qualified member of that society has the right to use, in connection with an occupation or profession the person practises that is similar to the occupation or profession represented by that society, the name of that society or the word or combination of words or initials designated under section 88 (3), in a way that identifies the person as a qualified member of that society.” In brief, not only is the specific title protected, but any variation on that title is also protected.
The reason Title Protection is so important to attain is because it will protect our consumers. Interpreters who are not members of a professional association are not obligated to adhere to a code of ethics nor a dispute resolution process such as ours. Once our application is approved, the real work of educating our consumers and the general public will begin!
Our application for Title Protection is inching its way towards Victoria even though we had another brief setback. Last year’s bylaw changes regarding membership categories and criteria still did not satisfy the registrar’s office. In response, we had our lawyer draft some suggested changes that we edited and presented to the membership on April 4th at the annual general meeting. Fortunately, the motions concerning the bylaw changes all passed and we can go ahead with submitting those changes. Once approved, we can send in our application for Title Protection. The titles we will request protection for are:
Registered American Sign Language-English Interpreter
Registered Sign Language Interpreter
Registered Visual Language Interpreter
Once a title is granted under Section 10, section 89(1) states: “no person other than a qualified member of that society has the right to use, in connection with an occupation or profession the person practises that is similar to the occupation or profession represented by that society, the name of that society or the word or combination of words or initials designated under section 88 (3), in a way that identifies the person as a qualified member of that society.” In brief, not only is the specific title protected, but any variation on that title is also protected.
The reason Title Protection is so important to attain is because it will protect our consumers. Interpreters who are not members of a professional association are not obligated to adhere to a code of ethics nor a dispute resolution process such as ours. Once our application is approved, the real work of educating our consumers and the general public will begin!
Welcome to the New WAVLI Ripple BLOG
WAVLI has listened to your feedback and after discussions with the Newsletter committee we've decided to test out "blogging" for this edition of the WAVLI Ripple. Many members said that once the Ripple went to an online only version newsletter, they weren't reading it as much any more. We've discussed the blog idea and are going to try it out in the hopes that it's more accessible to members, more frequently updated with articles, information and events for our members.
We're open to feedback as always and we'll see if the blog is the new way to go for The Ripple!
Happy Reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)