tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6688086065606261492024-03-13T13:50:27.084-07:00Welcome to the WAVLI RIPPLESuzie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09032057185181970186noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-34587574871092669442010-12-29T14:31:00.000-08:002011-01-05T06:57:52.908-08:002011 January Ripple<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>In This Issue</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">In Memory of Leona...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Deaf Access Office<br />Blast from the Past!<br />Interpreter Travels<br />Thank you from byDania</span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Preferred Interpreters</span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>In Memory </strong></span><br /></div><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Leona Parr-Hamel<br />April 18, 1964 - December 12, 2010<br /></p></span></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/TRu7_1CL0lI/AAAAAAAAABI/X-rQ2jL_wQo/s1600/157082_124199314311346_100001638356447_162011_7668643_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 351px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 272px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556241270534034002" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/TRu7_1CL0lI/AAAAAAAAABI/X-rQ2jL_wQo/s400/157082_124199314311346_100001638356447_162011_7668643_n.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p align="left">Many WAVLI members will have already heard this news via text message, FaceBook, phone call, or in person.<br /><br />It is with a sense of great professional and personal loss that I let WAVLI members know that, after a brief, valiant fight with cancer, Leona Parr-Hamel has passed away.<br /><br />Leona was a pillar in the Vancouver Interpreting and Deaf communities.<br /><br />My last professional discussion with Leona showed her depth of caring for this profession; a direct quote "For WAVLI, I would be willing to do just about anything". And that is what we have seen Leona do time and again. She is already missed!!<br /><br />The many comments from her family and friends have been tied to Leona's laugh, her infectious sense of fun, and her supportiveness to all those she met.<br /><br />The Celebration of Life service for Leona will be held as follows:<br />Massey Theatre<br />735 8th Ave, New Westminster, BC.<br />Saturday, January 8th at 1pm.<br />Interpreters (and DB Interpreters ) will be provided.<br /><br />If you have questions, please contact: interpreter@shaw.ca<br /><br />Wishing you all peace in your hearts as we come to terms with loss at a time of celebration.<br /><br />~Jessica Siegers, WAVLI President<br /></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Deaf Access Office</span></strong><br /><br /></p><p align="left">Imagine a world in where sign language interpreters are the norm, not the exception. Agencies, hospitals, police officers and schools do not put off or haggle about bringing in interpreters or making everything accessible. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? No worries- the Deaf Access Office fairies are here to make it a reality!<br /><br />We are working towards this goal as a community but in the meantime we are focused and dedicated to educating and advocating to the general public, service providers and other organizations for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind community.<br /><br />Paige Thombs, Melissa Campbell and Kristen Pranzl (who will be off on maternity leave for the next year) have been working hard towards making this vision a reality. Over the last year, Paige, Melissa and Kristen have started and finished several large projects and collaborated on other projects with other service providers and agencies.<br /><br />Some of the more notable results DAO has had this year is finally getting the Insurance Corporation of BC to recognize their responsibility to pay for sign language interpreters and to make it policy. DAO will be working on developing a “cheat sheet” that we can send to various ICBC offices around BC to use as a quick reference when they need to book sign language or oral interpreters for meetings or appointments.<br /><br />DAO is also permanently on the training curriculum for the police recruit training at the Justice Institute of BC. To date, we have presented to approximately 7 classes of recruits and will continue to present as the curriculum rotates. We were also invited to train the whole New Westminster Police Department which counted for a total of seven workshops. This led to a partnership between a retired police officer who is now advocating in his community to get E-Comm to accept text 911 calls. Also, DAO hopes to do training for the Vancouver Police Department.<br /><br />Some of you may be aware about the court services training project that DAO tacked starting about two years ago. We have since presented to most of the court services offices in B.C. and we will be building on this as we will be presenting at the Judges and Justices of Peace conference in November of 2010. This is exciting for us because we are starting to reach out and educate more and more individuals in various roles and this is beginning to lead to more opportunities and networking which will result in more people being aware of services, resources and their obligations to make the community accessible for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind and interpreting communities.<br /><br />We encourage any community member or ally to contact us if they have an idea of a project that we can collaborate on, as well as if they experience any accessibility issue and want our support. Again, I would like to emphasize that the Deaf Access Office is focused on accessibility issues and projects but we are also able to address individual requests if needed.<br /><br />Contact us!<br />Kristen Pranzl (return date in 2011) kristen.pranzl@gov.bc.ca<br />Paige Thombs: paige.thombs@gov.bc.ca<br />Melissa Campbell: melissa.campbell@gov.bc.ca </p><br /><br /><br /><p align="left"><strong>Blast from the Past!</strong><br /></p><p align="left"><strong>from the February 1996 issue of <em>The Ripple</em></strong><br /></p><p align="left"><strong>Am I the Only One? </strong></p><br /><p align="left">by Jan Humphrey<br /></p><p align="left">Professions are marked by several identifiable features:</p><br /><br /><p align="left">*a theoretical base and required education or training;<br /></p><p align="left">*professional licensing or certification process; and<br /></p><p align="left">*"professional demeanour" which refers to conducting oneself in a professional manner<br /></p><p align="left">It is the latter descriptor which I am addressing in this article. I realize I have been in the field a long time and perhaps my definition of "professional demeanour" reflects my age and the battle scars earned as our professiona has emerged, but I believe a part of professional demeanour involves our choices regarding attire. Specifically, I believe interpreters should dress in a manner befitting professional status. This is an even more serious concern given the fact that most people we interact with in the larger community often assume we are volunteers, family members, or do-gooders. They are largely unaware of the training required to acquire a second language and to develop interpreting skills necessary to deliver equivalent messages between English and ASL, or our professional associations and certification system. Thus, the majority community still does not associate Sign Language interpreters with "professional" occupations.<br /></p><p align="left">I believe it is incumbent on each of us as practitioners to reflect professionalism in the selection of our attire. Last summer I walked past a class of adult students being taught by a woman in her 50's. She was dressed in a skirt and blouse or dress -- I have never seen this woman in slacks. She was standing, presenting a combination lecture and class discussion around the topic at hand. I was astonished to see one interpreter dressed in <flip-flops><flip-flops>, shorts and a tank top and the other looking like she was about to wash the windows at her house, dressed in a T-shirt and ragged jeans.<br /></p><p align="left">Yes, I know some lawyers (and other professionals) who wear blue jeans and runners but they don't dress that way in the courtroom or when representing their already established and respected profession to the larger community. </p><br /><p align="left">Unless we are interpreting for a picnic or in certain settings, blue jeans should not be part of our work ensemble -- including those interpreters who work in educational settings. Likewise, there are limited settings where runners are appropriate. Of course, practitioners can over-dress to the discomfort and embarrassment of others, as well. I am not saying you should dress in formal attire to interpret for that Deaf individual getting one week of training in the paper mill or meat packing plant. </p><br /><p align="left">I implore my colleagues to think twice about the image they engender for all of us when you show up at a job:</p><br /><p align="left">*in a hotel where speakers are dressed in suits and ties/dresses with heals - and you have on stretch pants, a t-shirt, and "dress" runners;</p><br /><p align="left">*in a lawyer's office to interpret a meeting - and you show up with mustard stains on your shirt from eating a hot dog in your car or mud on your shoes from leaving for your appointment; </p><br /><p align="left">*in a preschool, interpreting between a Deaf teacher or preschool child as they play on the floor, do fingerpaint, and make paper mache - and you show up in hose, heels, and a skirt that restricts freedom of movement (or suit, tie, vest and pants that likewise restrict movment or activities at hand). </p><br /><p align="left">Our choice in clothing reflects whether or not we take ourselves and our responsibilities seriously. It reflects on the amount of peparation and thought I have given before doing a job. Selections in clothing reflect whether I have made an investment in acquiring some of the basic "equipment" for professional practice -- an ensemble of clothing appropriate for various settings, which communicates professionalism to others I encounter. And yes, it reflects my understanding of my responsibility to helping the larger community develop respect for my professional field and my fellow practitioners. </p><p align="left"><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Interpreter Travels</span></strong> </p><br /><br /><br /><p align="left"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 326px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 221px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556253887773921298" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/TRvHeP6l0BI/AAAAAAAAABo/UIsUOAl9zqQ/s400/HPIM1352.JPG" /><br />It was my first trip to South East Asia. My husband, Joe was invited to be the keynote speaker at the South East Asian Catholic Pastoral Workers for the Deaf Conference in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. I went along as the interpreter. Most of the participants were deaf representing 12 different countries. It was amazing to see the different sign languages and it was truly a team effort to make sure everyone understood the workshops. At one point we had the presentation given in ASL, voiced to English, then orally interpreted in Korean to a Deaf participant who then interpreted into Korean Sign Language! We also had a hearing Sister who is fluent in Chinese sign language and did all the interpreting for the Hong Kong/Macau group. It was really a wonderful experience and we all enjoyed learning each other’s signs. It was a revelation that even in the basic Catholic Mass itself, we all use different signs. I learned many beautiful new signs.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 304px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556250705310647282" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/TRvElAUOA_I/AAAAAAAAABY/6GavC_gfwcE/s400/HPIM1313.JPG" /><br />After Malaysia we headed to Bangalore, India where Joe had worked over thirty years ago. At that time as a young man Joe lived for one year in Bangalore where he introduced sign language at the school for the deaf, all the programs had been oral up to that point. Joe also set up a deaf leadership program along with Fr. Harry Stocks. To Joe's amazement many of the deaf students, now all grown up showed up to meet "White Joe" as he is affectionately known there. One of the most touching moments was when a man brought his own deaf son who is now ten, the same age that the man was when he met Joe. The man introduced his son to Joe saying "this man saved me, he taught me sign language and showed me that you can be a proud deaf person". It was overwhelming. That man now has a successful career. Two of Joe's other students are now teachers of the deaf. Many other deaf people came out to meet Joe; they had never met him but had heard “The Legend of White Joe" and his work in India long ago. Joe was given a list of questions from the Bangalore deaf community; they are hoping he will return to work with them! One person said "We do not care that you are white, or that you are old, we need you". It was very touching.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 304px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556250862792564114" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/TRvEuK-1XZI/AAAAAAAAABg/eieowVSuEBE/s400/IMG_3196.JPG" /><br />After Bangalore we headed to Singapore where Joe spoke at the Singapore Association of the Deaf on the recent ICED conference, as well as his Doctoral Thesis "Sign Language Interpreter Shortage in California: Perceptions of Stakeholders". In each community we visited we were overwhelmed with the kindness of the deaf communities. We also realized how very fortunate we are in the Western world. The three weeks we were in Asia flew by. It truly is a small world.<br /><br />Submitted by Eleanor McLaughlin<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><p align="left"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Thank You</strong><br /></span><br />byDania Designs sends out a big THANK YOU to all of the support we have received over the years since the inception of this two woman jewelry-making team. We are getting busier and busier with our new ventures.<br /><br />Our accomplishments include being the exhibitors of the month at Hycroft Mansion and being nominated one of the top 30 jewelry designers in Vancouver. Most recently we have been invited to participate in the Vancouver Wedding Show and Vancouver Fashion Week.<br /><br />Our trip to Nepal in May also boosted us into a whole new level with handmade silver jewelry with high-quality semi-precious stones. We have designed some amazing new Toggle Charms, Earrings and Rings. There will be more designs to come!<br /><br />We look forward to more exciting times and want to express our gratitutde for all your support. Check out www.bydania.com for upcoming events and join us on Facebook under byDania Designs Ltd and Twitter under bydaniadesigns.<br /><br />Thanks again,<br />Dani & Tania<br /><br />byDania Designs<br />Hand-Made Jewelry<br />www.bydania.com<br />designs@bydania.com<br />Dani 604-857-3264<br />Tania 604-762-6264 </p><br /><br /><br /><p align="left"><br /></p><p align="left"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 426px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 279px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558462251234965986" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/TSOf965HOeI/AAAAAAAAAB4/YpQibOmkqzg/s400/mompreneur.jpg" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-5290716203389481102010-06-13T15:08:00.000-07:002010-07-31T09:52:19.398-07:002010 July Ripple<div align="center"></div><div align="center"><strong>In This Issue</strong><br /><em>Editor's Note</em></div><div align="center"><em>Presidential Musings<br />Welcome to the Community</em></div><div align="center"><em>Nova Scotia's AEIP</em></div><div align="center"><em>Blast from the Past!</em></div><div align="center"><em>Reflections on AVLIC 2010</em><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/TFRPwnk7eBI/AAAAAAAAABo/AX-SE_aIHtg/s1600/BARBIE.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500108741602408466" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/TFRPwnk7eBI/AAAAAAAAABo/AX-SE_aIHtg/s320/BARBIE.JPG" /><br /></a><p align="center"><br />photo by Ava Hawkins</p><p align="center"><strong>Congratulations to Barb Mykle-Hotzon!</strong></p><div align="center"><strong>Recipient of the 2010 AVLIC R.W. Letourneau Service Award</strong> </div><br /><strong></strong><strong>Editor's Note</strong><br />By Suzie Giroux<br /><p align="left">As we find ourselves sandwiched in the middle of summer, this issue of the <em>Ripple</em> bids a fond farewell to my co-editor Wanda Sinclair. Living in our nation's capital, it has been, to say the least, a challenge for Wanda as she spread herself evenly and thinly between a commitment to the <em>Ripple, </em>a commitment to SLINC, and most importantly, a commitment to her growing family with the newest addition of a beautiful baby boy.</p><p align="left">Wanda, a personal thank you for working with me on the <em>Ripple</em>. You have a creative genius in your mind and peaceful resolve in your heart. </p><p align="left">A special welcome to the new WAVLI Board, to Karen Malcolm's new found freedom in her retirement from teaching at Douglas College, to Sara MacFayden's new position at Douglas College, to our Jane Pannell in her new position as AVLIC's Administrative Manager, and to the 2010 graduating class of Douglas College. A special welcome to Spring Herold as well who joins the <em>Ripple</em> committee in helping fill the void that has been created with Wanda's resignation.</p><p align="left"><br /><strong></strong><strong>Presidential Musings</strong><br />By Jessica Siegers<br /><br />First of all, thank you for your confidence in my ability to be WAVLI’s president. This is a role I take most seriously. My gratitude to the members of WAVLI’s Board who support me in my role, and who do all behind the scenes work, as well as the leading and guiding that inspires interpreters across our province and even our nation.<br /><br />I was elected in a momentous year. 2010, while being mathematically intriguing, is important for many reasons. As Susi Bolender reported at the beginning of this year, BC in 2010 is BUSY.<br /><br />BC hosted the Winter Olympic Games, and WAVLI members were amongst the volunteers who helped put on a magnificent show to the world! There have been, and continue to be, many other provincial, national, and international events in BC that are keeping our members on their toes, with their fingers flying.<br /><br />WAVLI members have also had frequent opportunities to immerse themselves in professional development. Our Pro-D co-chairs have done a laudable job of organizing and running workshops, both hands-on and lecture style. The pilot run of the WAVLI Professional Development Series was a success, having such presenters as Anthony Natale and Terry Janzen. If you have missed the first half of this year’s professional development, DO NOT WORRY, there is more to come!<br /><br />The AVLIC 2010 conference “Small Steps, BIG Difference” saw WAVLI well represented in our nation’s capital. Amidst soaring temperatures and humidity at percentages that would garner any student an “A”, AVLIC members digested, discussed, disagreed, and deliberated. The Code of Ethics, respect, professionalism, and mentoring all held the stage as we were reminded of our roots as interpreters, our source of language learning, and what it means to be “part of”. I came away from Ottawa thankful that I live in BC – the ocean breeze, the professionalism of our community and the opportunities for growth offered by our provincial chapter all combined to emphasize how fortunate I am to have grown up on the West Coast, both literally and professionally. </p><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 139px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500099426528020722" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/TFRHSaOISPI/AAAAAAAAABY/UKkICtw0b4M/s200/ottawa.bmp" /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">photo by Sharon Darling</span></span></p><p align="center"></p><br />As we reflect on what we have learned in our practice and from our colleagues so far this year, we must also keep in mind that which is yet to come. A WAVLI Special Meeting on October 16, the WAVLI Gala on November 6, workshops, perhaps an announcement or two (still waiting on tenterhooks for the pronouncement of Title Protection), and isn’t Christmas coming up soon???<br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p align="left"><br /><strong>Welcome to the Community</strong><br />A warm WAVLI welcome to the graduates of the Class of 2010! </p><div align="center"><em>Jenn Wilson, Sarah Zelitt, Karly Sandboe, Megan Merritt, Alison Corrigan, Carissa Putra, Brittany Robertson, Kevin Layne, Bryan Corry, Tammy Pyper, Apryl Morrison, </em><em>Donna Rose, Wendy Luchtmeijer, Melissa Stewart, Laura Bamsay, Kari O'Brien</em></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em></em></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482386295556848130" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/TBVZSfQiugI/AAAAAAAAAA0/u5jhWikKeVc/s400/Class_of_2010_ILY.jpg" /><br /><div align="center">We look forward to working with you! </div><br /><p><strong>Nova Scotia Community College's ASL/English Interpretation Program</strong><br />By Denise Smith<br /></p><br /><p>I was asked to share a description of our ASL/English Interpretation Program (AEIP) with Ripple readers and am happy to do so, below.<br /><br />The Nova Scotia Community College has 13 campuses in the province, three in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Of those three metro campuses, our AEIP is at one, the new Dartmouth Waterfront campus.<br /><br /><em>GROWTH</em><br />Coincidentally, at the same time AEIP moved onto the new campus in fall 2007, we expanded. For the first time since we began in 1993, we started offering a one-year ASL and Deaf Studies Program (DSP), as a prerequisite for AEIP. AEIP also changed from a biennial intake to an annual intake. It took several years to research and look at other AEIPs before this could happen. In the end, we decided on a model and subsequent curriculum that would most resemble the current Vancouver Community College and Douglas College combination of one year plus two years. (We’ve learned a lot from Vancouver!) In our case though, both programs, plus part-time ASL courses, are offered at the same institution. This has the advantage of sharing resources among all three interests.<br /><br /><em>FACULTY</em><br />The expansion also changed our staffing needs. As a result, we went from one full-time faculty member and several part-time, to 4 full-time teachers and 3 or 4 part-time. All faculty may teach in both programs, depending on the needs and corresponding skill sets. Our faculty team is: Jim McDermott, Lead Faculty for Deaf Studies; Noni Warner, DSP and AEIP Faculty; Jana Delaney-Wilson, DSP and AEIP Faculty; and me, AEIP Coordinator. On June 15th, the first group to do both DSP and AEIP at NSCC will graduate. A big day indeed – them and us!<br /><br /><em>COMMUNITY</em><br />Compared to Vancouver, Halifax’s Deaf population is small, and this can present challenges. Deaf Studies students have a lot of assignments that involve either collaborating or learning directly from spending time with members of our Deaf community. The AEIP students rely on the Deaf community too – for classroom visits, practice interpreting and ASL tutoring. Of course during placements, students rely on Deaf consumers to allow for practical interpreting in real-life situations. Amazingly, Deaf people continue to pitch in and show their support in all these ways. The same is the case with interpreters. Our local AVLIC chapter, Maritime Association of Professional Sign Language Interpreters (MAPSLI), has about 35 Active members. We ask a lot of them, while at the same time, trying to respect their workload. Like other programs, we depend heavily on interpreters to take on these informal mentoring roles.<br /><br /><em>NUMBERS </em><br />This June we will graduate ten, from a starting enrolment of twelve. For this coming fall, enrollment for 1st year is 10 and for 2nd year, 8. Every graduate who wants to work has always found at least part-time opportunities - if not in Nova Scotia, then in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta or British Columbia. Some of our alumni are also working in the US. Many of our graduates find work in the school system or in post-secondary settings. More recently, we’ve seen rookie graduates explore opportunities for Video Relay Service training, in various provinces.<br /><br /><em>CURRICULUM</em><br />As mentioned, the AEIP curriculum changed in 2007 and as we work through it these first few times, we’re look for opportunities to keep on improving. Generally speaking though, the 2-year path involves more information and less craft in the beginning, and progresses to less information and more craft by the end. Students have 3 applied interpreting courses in second year, the first one involving mock assignments on campus and the last one being a five-week placement in spring, with a 3-week placement in winter.<br /><br />This past year, British Columbia helped us out again: to fill-in for a maternity leave, we were lucky enough to hire your own Susi Bolender last fall, and Jen Ferris from Vancouver Island, for this past winter and spring terms. True to the maxim about change being educational, having these two skilled interpreters “in the house” was very rewarding. You can’t put a price on the value of outside eyes that provide fresh perspectives, and our curriculum and lesson plans are richer for it.<br /><br /><em>AVLIC </em><br />All AEIP students are required to be AVLIC members and on top of their studies, first-year students take on various fundraising activities so they can attend the upcoming AVLIC conference. For this year’s Small Steps, Big Difference conference in Ottawa, we’ll have both first-year and 2nd year students (recent grads) together at the AVLIC conference for the first time. Students can also receive credit for volunteering on MAPSLI committees. In all these ways plus more, the program promotes and reinforces the importance of professional affiliation and collegiality.<br /><br /><em>INVITE</em><br />The students and teachers love having visitors – especially hard of hearing, Deaf folks and interpreters! So, please let us know if you’re planning to be in the Halifax area during the school year -- we’d love to see you!<br /><br /><strong>Blast From the Past!</strong><br /><strong>Study Group Success</strong><br />By Jane Pannell, June 2000 issue of the <em>Ripple</em><br /><br />As a new professional in the field, it seems as though I can use all the support I can get. I'm lucky to work in an environment that provides me with a tremendous amount of the moral support, but an invaluable source of hands on and theoretical support is my study group.<br /><br />Five of us, upon graduation from the Douglas College's Department of Sign Language Interpretation, decided that we would form a monthly study group - for practice, feedback, ideas about ethical dilemmas, and discussions about different working environments. We were thrilled when two other interpreters with a few more years experience agreed to join in.<br /><br />I think a great part of our success has been the fact that we all bring a slightly different perspective to the group - we have K-12 interpreters, post secondary interpreters, freelance interpreters, and medical interpreters. Although not everyone is able to make it to each monthly session, we have managed to practice the skills we learn in WAVLI workshops, show one another signs that are new to us, discuss (and hopefully resolve) ethical dilemmas, as well as support each other outside of the sessions.<br /><br />With summer upon us, we'll be calling it quits for 2 months, but I'm sure each of us is looking forward to the fall; to see what the others have to say, discuss and contribute to our group learning. To those of you who are new to the field, and even to those of you who have been doing this for a while, I suggest you give a study group a try. I don't think you'll be sorry you did!<br /></p><p><strong>South Africa, Airbenders, and AVLIC</strong><br />By Simon Dorer<br /><br />There is never a shortage of participants at the AVLIC conference, despite so many other activities to partake in during the summer months from new blockbuster movies coming out, to the FIFA World Cup, to summer camps and vacations. This year was no exception, as the Marriott, Ottawa became a Mecca for interpreters and Deaf attendees. In fact, close to 300 people from across the country joined in on the workshops, discussions, entertainment, and bidding wars. Oh yes, the bidding wars, but I’ll get to that later!<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/TFROYNZlJLI/AAAAAAAAABg/JFvRwegbkIE/s1600/AEIPs+2010.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500107222746997938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/TFROYNZlJLI/AAAAAAAAABg/JFvRwegbkIE/s320/AEIPs+2010.JPG" /><br /><p align="center"></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">photo by Ava Hawkins</span></span> </p><center><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">2010 Canadian AEIP Instructors</span></span><br /><p></p></center><br />This was my first conference and definitely not the last. To me, the conference ran smoothly without any glitches. With any large-scale event, there are always glitches, and The AVLIC 2010 committee did an amazing job making sure the event was successful and any problems were under the radar. I personally have taken notes and made observations in preparation for our own event, the WAVLI 20th Anniversary GALA, November 6th, 2010.<br /><br />I attended as many of the workshops as I could and each one offered a unique perspective to our field from strengthening our interpreting skills in specific settings to advocacy to ally relationships. At the end of each one, I felt liberated yet full of questions to ponder over. Everywhere I looked there were small groups discussing further the topic of the workshops they attended; it was exciting and a thrill to see such bonding.<br /><br />Then, the big day of the AGM arrived. A day many thought would never end. By 10:00 a.m. we were half way through the agenda, but had only covered 5% of the content. Still left were the motions that were discussed at the special topics sessions the previous day, old and new business, and elections. As it turned out, more and more discussions were needed on these motions. Long story short, votes were cast, motions passed/failed, and the meeting wrapped up with a short yet humorous 2014 conference bid proposal from Winnipeg, and then the meeting adjourned…ahead of schedule!<br /><br />Finally, time to relax at the banquet. Perhaps “relax” is too subtle of a word to use. Try “apprehensive” or “confrontational” and definitely “entertaining”. I admit the meal was delicious, great awards went to great people, but it all came down to the pants. Yes, pants: Sylvie Lemay's long lost and forgotten pants that made their way from Vancouver to the live auction and sold for $800! I felt sorry for the auctioneer who’s $5 increments and running to and fro between bidders was left drenched in sweat and on the floor breathless; picture something on the lines of a John Cleese performance. And with that we wait two years for the Calgary cast to host AVLIC 2012.<br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-33080805419843890022010-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:002010-02-14T08:40:30.373-08:002010 February Ripple<div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><em><strong>In This Issue:<br />Editors' Note </strong></em><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><em><strong>New Membership Cards!<br />Message from the President</strong></em> </span><em><strong><span style="color:#000000;"><br />Contributions Big and Small: AVLIC 2010<br />WAVLI Gala</span></strong></em></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Blast from the Past</em><br /></span></strong><br /></div><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Editors’ Note</strong></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">by Wanda Sinclair & Suzie Giroux<br /><br />Here we are in another new year. I personally find it difficult to feel motivated to create resolutions at this time of year; the dead of winter in Ontario. It is easier to envision personal change and formulate grand plans when spring is in the air with blossoming flowers and sunshine (like you folk have out there in balmy BC!).<br /><br />Having said all that, inspiration does come easier when considering upcoming professional development opportunities that are available such as the AVLIC Conference that will be taking place in lovely Ottawa, Ontario July 6-10, 2010. The theme is “Small Steps Big Difference”. The overall goal of the conference is to explore the cumulative effect individual and collective contributions have had on shaping our profession of interpreting.<br /><br />We have some great PD opportunities coming to the West as well! Watch for Anthony Natale, a possible WAVLI professional development series, and of course, opportunities for the AVLIC Workshop series! We've had a mild winter in Vancouver but mild wouldn't be the word to use for an action packed PD spring before we head into summer and the AVLIC conference!<br /><br />Let's hope this is a year filled with joy, growth and peace not just in our own backyard but around the globe as well. See you all out here this summer!<br /></span><br /></div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><br /><center></center><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>New Membership Cards!</strong><br /></div></span><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Watch for Your New Membership Card! Online membership renewal is now available at</span> <a href="http://www.avlic.ca/"><span style="color:#000099;">http://www.avlic.ca/</span></a><span style="color:#000099;">.</span> <span style="color:#000000;">You must renew your membership and pay membership fees by midnight on March 31, 2010 to remain in good standing.</span> </div><div align="left"><br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 321px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438136293519596226" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/S3gkJX9lGsI/AAAAAAAAABQ/JRng6KVWtk4/s320/new+member+cards.jpg" /><br /><p align="center"><p align="center"><hr size="3" width="50%"><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#000000;">President’s Report</span></strong><br /><span style="color:#000000;">by Susi Bolender</span></p><p align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Hello Members! 2010 is going to be a BUSY year. It is an Olympic year for Vancouver as well as other events being hosted in BC this summer. And we also have the AVLIC Conference in Ottawa coming up! At our last board meeting we polled how many people were going and almost all of our board members will be attending AVLIC 2010. I think BC might have the largest representation again! Here's hoping!<br /><br />I want to formally announce that I will not be continuing in my position as president for another term. I will be running for AVLIC Member-at-Large position and look forward to continuing to serve our profession at the National level. Elections are coming up so I hope there will be many new board members joining positions and committees.<br /><br />There are so many exciting things on the horizon for WAVLI. Continued Professional Development opportunities which have been wonderful, Title Protection becoming official; the application has been submitted at this writing and we are waiting to hear if it's been approved (here's hoping!), and the Gala planned for November where we can celebrate how WAVLI has grown over the years.<br /><br />Thanks to all the members who have been so supportive and involved with WAVLI over the years. I’m looking forward to being part of an organization that will continue to grow over the years to come!<br /></span><br /><br /><center></center><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><div align="left"><br /><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Contributions Big and Small: AVLIC 2010</span></strong><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Cindy Nevins for the AVLIC 2010 Committee<br /><br />Fifty years ago, William Stokoe and his fellow researchers published the research monograph 'Sign Language Structure' showing that ASL is a verifiable and distinct language.<br /><br />This milestone and additional research that followed proved an invaluable contribution to the field of interpreting, and helped in creating particular standards in interpreter education and in the practice of interpreting.<br /><br />Contributions big and small from the Deaf Community, from researchers, and from within the interpreting profession help us to work towards common, and inevitably evolving, goals.<br /><br />In less than six months we again have the opportunity to come together, for AVLIC 2010 in Ottawa. Small Steps Big Difference recognizes that all contributions, no matter how seemingly minor, collectively serves to better the interpreting profession as a whole, and to each of us individually.<br /><br />AVLIC is fortunate to have two excellent Keynote Presenters to share their knowledge and experience: Sally Palusci of Toronto, and Kirk Ferguson-Uhrich of Edmonton. Sally Palusci's 'An Exploration and An Invitation to View the World Through Deaf People’s Eyes' will look at interpreters and their historic and current position within the Deaf Community.<br /><br />Kirk Ferguson-Uhrich's topic 'Going Somewhere from Here... a journey, a plan and a compass ... oh yeah, and a GPS' addresses the brief history of the sign language interpreting field in Canada, as well as current developments that continue to unfold.<br /><br />Visit the AVLIC 2010 Website for details on the keynote presentations, on the venue, and for registration information: </span><a href="http://www.avlic2010.ca/"><span style="color:#000099;">http://www.avlic2010.ca/</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span><br />Want to get involved in AVLIC 2010? Interpreters and interpreting students are encouraged to apply to interpret at the conference; donations of goods and services for the auction are needed, and the tradeshow is accepting registrations.<br /><br />The AVLIC 2010 Committee looks forward to welcoming everyone to Ottawa, July 6 to 10, 2010.<br /><br /></span><p></p><div align="center"><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 377px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 151px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433434712450009762" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/S2dwFVncCqI/AAAAAAAAAAs/uJEhsRBNhQg/s320/untitled.bmp" /><br /><br /><br /><center></center><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><div align="left"><br /><br /></div><p align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>WAVLI 2010 GALA</strong><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">20 years! This is a milestone that deserves recognition. As such, the GALA 2010 Committee is vigorously planning, coordinating, and organizing the WAVLI 2010 GALA. The date has been set for November 6th, 2010, and everyone should have received the announcement over the listserv.<br /><br />Currently, we are still looking for a suitable venue. Some have fallen through, others are already booked for our date, and even more are out of our budget. We have received great response from some members and are committed to incorporating everyone’s feedback.<br /><br />This will be a formal event consisting of a reception, dinner, and entertainment. We have done a lot of brainstorming and have decided that a hotel banquet room will best suit our GALA needs.<br /><br />We are also in the process of attaining auction items; help is very much needed and appreciated. Any connections you may have through work, friends, or family to solicit gifts will be a great benefit. Contact anyone on the committee to acquire a “Request for Donation” letter, if required. Do not forget to come to our meetings and get involved.<br /><br />We are confident that this will be a successful event and set the bar for the next celebration in five years to come!<br /><br />Your Gala 2010 Committee<br />Simon, Tess, Carli, Sara Mac, Farah, Lisz and Leona</span><br /><br /><em></em><br /><center></center><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><div align="left"><br /><strong>Bl<span style="color:#000000;">ast From the Past<br />WAVLI Ripple – May 1994</span></strong><span style="color:#000000;"> </span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Greg Evans’ ASL to English Workshop<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#000000;">by Robert Weaver </span></p><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Mother always told me to make the best of a rainy day. Well, since moving to Vancouver, I’ve had a lot of practice. Saturday, February 26, 1994 was on of those “make the best of it days”. Twenty three interpreters made their way to Douglas College which hosted an ASL to English workshop conducted by Greg (“Germ Boy”) Evans. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Q. Do you feel more confident interpreting from ASL to English than from English to ASL?<br />A moment to ponder… </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">A. Nine of 23 three participants raise their hands, feeling better from English to ASL. A few members of the group feel ASL to English is their strong suit, and a few have no comment. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">FACT: Linguistically speaking, it is not possible for an interpreter to be stronger interpreting into their second language than from their second into their first. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">During the fledgling stages of the interpreting profession, consumers were happy to have ANYBODY who could sign at their appointment. Our Deaf consumers have the ability to extract meaning from whatever the interpreter throws out. Today, this is not so; we are moving into a “consumer-based service”. Today’s interpreters need to do a lot more than just “do the job”. This requires committed interpreters to continually hone their skills to meet their consumers’ needs. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">There is any number of skills an interpreter may choose to hone: register, appropriate word choice in the first or second language, message equivalence when interpreting ASL to English. Register is the sum of the people involved in the assignment, the setting in which it unfolds and the content of the assignment. So when we focus on register, we look at the whole interpretation.<br />Sometimes when we interpret, we are more concerned with the word choices we make as opposed to the intent of the message. When we are improving this skill, do the words we say convey the meaning of the speaker or does it sound like the Webster’s dictionary making no sense? This is a good skill to work on with a teamer or someone in the audience who can give direct feedback to us after the assignment. It’s easy to get caught in the “gloss trap”: using the same English word for a sign every time. For example the sign “inform”, in English could be interpreter as “I will let you know”, “I will keep you abreast of the situation”, “I’ll keep you updated”. Unfortunately, so many times we get caught and say, “I will inform you” or “I’m here to inform you”. An exercise to free ourselves from this is to look at some frequently used signs such as inform, touch finish and excited, and write down or discuss with a partner variations of what we say in English. There are just a few tips for some skills you may want to work on. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">The hands on portion of Greg’s workshop dealt with ASL to English interpreting. The workshop began with the group breaking into small groups of four and brainstorming about what makes good ASL to English interpretation. The groups came up with a few interesting findings: </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Smoothness<br />Confidence<br />Natural Sounding Language<br />Interpreters “Not There”<br />Correct Volume<br />Finished Concept</span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">This is not a comprehensive list of the discussion, but some general points that came up from the small group discussions. Ironically enough, the items on our lists were similar to those of… guess what?... the CES English domain and message equivalency rating. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">The workshop introduced a tool known as “back translation”. The small groups of four went off into separate rooms with a TV and videotape of ASL short stories; all groups had the same tapes with the same deaf consumer telling the stories. The deaf consumer was used throughout the day, so we did not have to become accustomed to a variety of signing styles. Once the group was ready to interpret, one volunteer from each group took his/her place in front of the TV and…and…and…trembled as the play button was pressed. The figure came on screen and the interpretation began. The other three members of the group listened to the English production, but did not watch the video. The three not viewing the video made comments on the volunteer’s interpretation. When the interpretation was finished and all comments were made, a second member of the group took the hot seat. This time, another member of the group interpreted into ASL what the new volunteer was voicing – hence the “back translation”. All the members of the group went through this process. There were three stories in all and each original story was taken from a written text. The written text could be used as a frame of reference for the English; however, the participants at the workshop did not have the written format. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Summary of Back Translation:<br />1. Chose a volunteer to interpret a video into English</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">2. Have the other members listen to the interpretation and prepare feedback. They do not view the video while listening to the interpretation. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">3. Discuss the interpretation. Provide positive as well as corrective feedback. We often judge ourselves by our mistakes, and have a hard time listening to and accepting positive feedback. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">4. Select another interpreter to interpret ASL to English and have another person interpret that English into ASL. (A video camera is a real asset here as you can compare the ASL with the original video tape). </span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">5. Discuss the English interpretation again and if time permits, compare the interpreter’s ASL version with the original written text. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">The workshop was filled with a lot of humour and the day went by very quickly. This cheerful environment made the sharing and discussion very open and, therefore, the workshop was a great success. It is nice to see Canadian talent providing professional development for interpreters (a little flag waving here).</span> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-14269784900115918812009-09-27T20:58:00.000-07:002009-10-17T12:38:08.066-07:00October 2009 WAVLI Ripple<div align="center"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>In This Issue:</strong> </span></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><p align="center"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Editors' Note</strong><br /><strong>Message from the President</strong><br /><strong>Remembering Dave Still</strong> </span></em><em><span style="color:#000000;"><br /><strong>David Still</strong></span></em><span style="color:#000000;"> </span></p><p align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><em>Musings from a 2009 Douglas Graduate</em></strong><br /></span><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Blast From The Past</strong> </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Is That Blood?<br />RID Conference </strong><br /><strong>Sorenson VRS</strong> </span></em><span style="color:#000000;"></p><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><br /><p></p><strong></strong></span><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Editors' Note</strong><br />by Wanda Sinclair & Suzie Giroux </div></span><p align="left"><br /><br /></p><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Autumn is setting in and we are having those glorious days filled with leaves of brilliant reds, oranges and yellows, geese flying overhead and crisp nights (at least we are out here in Ottawa, where I am - Wanda; and in Vancouver, the tell tale sign of fall - rain - has descended - Suzie). We hope you are all enjoying this time of year too.</span></div><p align="left"><br /><br /></p><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393065088702114562" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/StgEH96mawI/AAAAAAAAABA/4TW3goAG2nI/s320/david_still39419.jpg" /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">This edition of the Ripple is dedicated to Dave Still, our dear friend, colleague, mentor, leader. He is sorely missed by everyone. The versitile bredth of Dave's contriutions to our profession and community is evident everywhere you look. Who has not benefitted from his teaching and insight into language, culture and human nature? Or enjoyed his wry sense of humour and readiness to laugh, his kindness and generosity? Each of us has a "Dave" story and draw a picture of him in our mind. His generous spirit and ability to teach were just the beginnings of a long list of what made Dave so valued in our community. To say he will be profoundly missed is an understatement. </span></div><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Enjoy this edition of the Ripple and happy Autumn to all of you!</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><center><br /></center><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><center><br /></center><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Message from the President<br /></strong>by Susi Bolender, BPA, COI<br /><br />Here we are rolling into fall. Another season, another set of changes and adjustments to get comfortable with before everything changes again. One of the biggest changes over the summer was the loss of David Still. WAVLI has tried to honour his dedication to the field in several ways and we hope the membership is accepting of our efforts to recognize the incredible gifts Dave shared with us in the small ways in which we can remember such an amazing person.<br /><br />As I am writing this article, we are very close to making our submission for Title Protection. This is the last leg of the incredible journey and while after our acceptance there will be a lot more work to come, this will have been an incredible milestone in the process. I really want to recognize the efforts and dedication of the Title Protection Ad Hoc Committee--Barb Mykle-Hotzon, Cheryl Palmer, Suzie Giroux and Sara MacFayden--that has continued to review documents, find errors and really go over the whole application several times.<br /><br />Thank you to all of you have completed the numerous surveys that have come out through the fall. There have been strategic plan surveys fromAVLIC, Interpreter Education Surveys regarding Douglas and VCC programs and how to most effectively improve on areas of Interpreter Education. Your participation is really valued and needed so that we can make positive changes and continue the growth and recognition of our field. I was pleased to hear that there was a full group of registrants for the TOI preparation workshop this fall. It's really great that our chapter was finally able to run one of these workshops after having to cancel many times due to lack of participants.<br /><br />I've really enjoyed my second term as president, though it was a short one due to the motion to stagger elections for various positions. I'm hopeful that someone else from the membership will be willing and ready to take on my role in the upcoming election at the Spring AGM. Other board members may be continuing for another term, but if you are curious or interested in joining the WAVLI board or serving on the Executive Board, I encourage you to talk to fellow members and find out what you might be interested in doing. Elections are only a few months away!<br /><br />All the best over the fall and upcoming holiday season! </span></div><center><br /></center><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /><strong>Reflection on a Presidential Term</strong></div><center><br /></center><div align="left"><br />Dear Members,<br /><br />When I started on the board in 2007, one of the first things I wanted to do was get a sense of what the membership wanted from WAVLI. I did a long survey in which some interesting results came back. Some people noted just their general dissatisfaction with WAVLI as a whole, some people had some feedback, some people shared their ideas and visions about what they thought WAVLI should be. </span></div><center><br /></center><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I have had these on my mind the last few years and am proud to say that many of the suggestions and ideas that were shared through the survey have been accomplished, or we are getting there. As a new board starts another term, it is important to be reminded that we are the task force working for the members. Your comments and suggestions have been and are instrumental in guiding us in which direction we need to move. We are so thankful to those that take the time to get their ideas to us so that we can see what we can do to make it happen. Here is a look at some of the initiatives from the membership that we have been working on and continue to do so with the hopes of bringing them into reality:<br /></span></div><center><br /><br /></center><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"><em><strong>Title Protection</strong></em>: All the steps for preparing the application for Title Protection are complete. It is just a matter of submitting the application. This has been the <strong>President’s</strong> main focus this term. Title Protection has been a 10 year goal in the making that is finally being reached. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><em>4- Year Degree Interpreting Program</em>:</strong> Currently the <strong>Member-at-Large</strong> participates on a committee that is discussing the changes of VCC and Douglas and making suggestions on behalf of the membership. </span><br /></div><center><br /></center><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><em>More Professional Development</em></strong>: In the past two and a half years we have had more frequent and a wider variety of professional development opportunities provided to our members. The current <strong>Professional Development Committee</strong> also strives to offer regular workshop opportunities, as well as supporting and encouraging participants to go ahead with the AVLIC CES-Interpreting Interactive Interviews workshop in 2010. They are also working on a ‘Spring Institute’; a pro-D weekend where members would be able to choose from a variety of workshops. These would be paired with a fundraising event that our newly formed <strong>Fundraising Committee</strong> is working hard to bring together. The fundraising Committee and <strong>Treasurer</strong> are also already in the early planning stages for WAVLI’s 20th Anniversary Gala, happening November 2010. </span></div><center><br /></center><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em><strong>Improving WAVLI's professional image</strong></em>: In the past few years we have recreated the directory, the membership cards and the website. The current <strong>Directory Committee</strong>, with the help of the past committee are nearing completion on our directory and more significantly a template program of the directory that would make it easier and more efficient for future committees to use. They are also focusing on getting the directory listed on www.wavli.com website and make the information more current, while still leaving it to only names and emails. The <strong>Membership Committee</strong> is responsible for the printing and distribution of the membership cards and is continually exploring ways to better serve the members. The <strong>Public Relations Committee</strong> has been working hard making appearances at job fairs and centres distributing WAVLI brochures; as well as making presentations at ASL prep-classes trying to garner interest in our profession. The committee is also penning a Ripple article updating the members on all their work. Look for it soon.<br /><br /><em><strong>Accessibility for Members</strong></em>: The behind the scenes positions on the board are always hard at work providing a variety of avenues in which the members can obtain information pertaining to the association, can use to contact the board or have their voices heard. The<strong> President</strong> is working hard recruiting new members to the board. The <strong>Vice-President</strong> responds to WAVLI email and also directs the email to the appropriate board members, ensuring the members get quick responses to their queries. They are also working at connecting with the membership at a more personal level and keeping in touch with what the members want. The <strong>Treasurer</strong> and <strong>Secretary</strong> make sure that all association business is properly documented. The <strong>Secretary</strong> is also working on an online storage for past and future AGM and executive meetings minutes that will be accessible through the members-only link off of the WAVLI website for the members to view. The <strong>Newsletter Committee</strong> strives to increase member submissions to the newsletter, as well as working on exciting newsletter additions such at online surveys, education articles, student submissions, poll questions, Island newsletter rep, an event sleuth and a possible committee photographer.<br /><br /><em><strong>Reaching out to Members outside of the Lower Mainland</strong></em>: The <strong>Professional Development Committee</strong> with help from other board members conducted a phone survey, contacting every member in the province to solicit ideas and general feedback about what they would like to see happen with WAVLI Professional Development. We are also aiming to set up video conferencing for our business meetings (AGM's) and hopefully professional development and hope to have that ready to go for 2010. This is being researched by our <strong>Member-At-Large</strong>.<br /><br /><em><strong>Deaf Interpreter Training</strong></em>: We offered a 30 hour course for Deaf Interpreters that had a wait-list. We hope to offer it again in the future. </span></div><center><br /></center><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Every election I ask the board members to come up with goals for their term. Two years is not a long time to get a project off the ground, successful and completed. Please connect with a board member to share your thoughts about our goals and what you want to see from WAVLI next so that we can make it happen. The board really works for the membership. We need your ideas, goals and dreams for WAVLI. It is your professional association and we're here to do the work.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Susi Bolender<br /></strong>WAVLI President</span><br /><br /></div><center><br /></center><center><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>A Big Thank You to the 2007-2009 Board.<br />Thank you for all your hard work.</strong><br /></span></center><center><br /></center><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392313411671281362" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/StVYemw9ztI/AAAAAAAAAAc/xtHmuW7gpCs/s320/board.jpg" /><br /><p align="center"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Introducing your Board 2009-2010:</strong><br />Susi Bolender, President<br />Suzie Giroux, Past-President and Newsletter Committee<br />Rhys McCormick, Vice President<br />Simon Dorer, Treasurer<br />Barbara Zbeetnoff, Secretary<br />Heather Perry, Member-at-Large and Professional Standards Committee<br />Sarah McDiarmid, Professional Standards Committee and Public Relations Brianne Braun, Professional Development Committee<br />Nicole Pedneault, Professional Development Committee<br />Rebecca McCormick, Membership Darcie Kerr, Membership<br />Wanda Sinclair, Newsletter Committee<br />Julia Menzies, Directory Committee<br />Emily Allan, Directory Committee<br />Tess Iwama, Fundraising Committee<br />Carli van Rossum, Fundraising Committee<br /></span><br /><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Remembering Dave Still<br /></strong>By Karen Malcolm<br /><br />How can I summarize all that Dave was to me, and to all of us? He was a colleague, interpreter, educator, innovator, and friend, a humble guy with great intelligence, vast creativity, and a devilish sense of humour.<br /><br />Dave was such an amazing colleague. He had great passion for interpreting, and teaching. He enthusiastically came up with new ideas all the time. I can picture him arriving at my office door, bouncing on the balls of his feet and saying, hey, I just had an idea of something we could try in class, want to hear it?<br /><br />He was an innovator who embraced technology and the ways it could improve interpreter education. He was the first hearing person I knew who purchased a videophone and he was so thrilled to have a conversation with a long time Deaf friend in Winnipeg. He got me started using vlogs, and clips on YouTube, when the rest of us had never thought of using them in teaching. He introduced me to TokBox and Vimeo. I never knew when I opened an email from Dave what new exciting link he would have found…and when I couldn’t figure out how to actually use it, he was always there to guide me through it, though many times we would both be struggling and cursing as we tried to configure everything successfully!<br /><br />Dave really cared about student learning and student success. Whenever students were struggling with mastering interpreting skills, Dave would always volunteer to spend extra time tutoring them. Twice a week, 30 minutes per week, Dave met with them and guided them along in their learning process. He did it with wisdom, and with humour.<br /><br />One student recounted a tutoring incident to me that has really stuck in my mind. She had been struggling with a particular skill set and kept making the same mistake. She was getting really frustrated with herself and discouraged. So Dave had her do a live interpretation in his office. He told her that every time she made the same mistake, he was going to throw a chocolate covered espresso bean at her. (As a side note, why am I not surprised that he had a combination of caffeine and chocolate in his office? )<br /><br />She began interpreting, and sure enough, she got bopped by a coffee bean several times. She couldn’t help but laugh, which broke the tension, but it also helped her recognize her pattern while doing it, and finally change. This is what I mean about Dave’s innovation as a teacher!<br /><br />I miss him every day, in ways big and small, and I know for certain I am not alone in this. All of us in the interpreting program (faculty, staff and students), as well as our larger CFCS faculty, miss him…as do countless interpreters in BC, as well as throughout Canada and the US. He was taken from us too soon, and we can’t help but grieve, because he was so loved, and so important to us.<br /><br />Dave’s family has worked with the Douglas College Foundation to establish the David Still Memorial Scholarship. It will reward and recognize students enrolled in the Program of Sign Language Interpreting here at Douglas. The amount and selection process will be determined later as the family established the terms of reference. If you wish to make a donation in honour of Dave and his contributions, please contact the David Still Memorial Scholarship at the Douglas College Foundation P.O. Box 2503, New Westminster, BC V3L 5B2 or 604-777-6172 or online at </span><a href="http://www.douglas.bc.ca/visitors/foundation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color:#000000;">http://www.douglas.bc.ca/visitors/foundation.html</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392290955525329858" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/StVEDfGjk8I/AAAAAAAAAAU/sXwXh3bRQqY/s320/DAVE+STILL.jpg" /> </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>David Still</strong><br />by Kevin Layne<br />On behalf of the Douglas College Interpreting Students<br /><br />Dave Still was an outstanding instructor. One attribute that will be remembered about Dave is that he had the ability to be at your level. Whenever we had a problem Dave was there with support. Huge workload or not, Dave still found the time to sit with us and talk about concerns we had or stories to share. He made a huge impact in our lives even though most of us only knew him for a short amount of time, which says a lot about who he was. He has touched our lives personally and as a group.<br /><br />Dave would listen to our opinions with an open mind, and would accept feedback even though we are students. In class when we practiced with the Still Learning DVD’s we would ask to view his version of the interpretation. We called this button the “Dave Button” (mainly because it says “Dave”), but would be a running joke for a while after. Dave would hesitate because he would analyze his work, even though completed and burned to DVD, which showed us that it’s not important what level an interpreter is at, analysing your work to improve is always necessary and at times nerve wracking.<br /><br />Dave taught us that we have to consider the issues and “trust the process.” Without the process interpreting can go astray, and students would constantly worry. In addition, there was a side of Dave we were lucky to see, the humorous side. In our classes there were many laughs from Dave poking fun at us, or students teasing Dave. It was as though we would feed off the energy Dave had, not the other way around. He had a way of getting us back into a rhythm even in the last class of the week.<br /><br />We are lucky to have had a chance to learn from one of the Grandfathers of Interpreting and a role model for male interpreters. It seems the ones that impact our lives the most are here for a short time, perhaps to show us the path to inspiration. Thank you for the time you have given us David Still. Your life and teachings will always be remembered in the hearts and hands of many.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000;"></p><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><strong>Musings from a 2009 Douglas Graduate</strong><br /><p></p><br />Hello Wavli Members, my name is Farah Ladha and I am a recent graduate of the interpreter training program at Douglas College.<br /><br />It was roughly two years ago that I was mulling over what to write for the Ripple as the WAVLI representative for my 1st year class. We were new and shy and nervous but the thing that stood out for me the most how supportive all the interpreters we met were.<br /><br />As we continued through our two year journey at Douglas and more recently, working as professionals, we are once again new and shy and nervous but at least now we have learned ‘masking skills’! Honestly it is so great to see the support from interpreters continue as we transition from student to colleagues. Thank you.<br /><br />As our class size decreased, the bond grew not only with each other but with our teachers who were the most amazing group of individuals. On behalf of myself and my classmates: Tess Iwama, Michelle Garland, Natalie Page, Carli Van Rossum & Tiffany Goodkey, we would like to say a special thank you to: Cheryl Palmer, Nigel Howard, David Still, Karen Malcolm, Barb Mykle-Hotzon and Boyd McWilliam for all their support, encouragement, shoulders to cry on, and most of all their sense of humor.<br /><br />That being said the 2 years we spent at Douglas, while stressful and nerve wracking till the end, were the most fun. I could not have asked to graduate with anyone other than my fellow classmates who are also my friends, and now my colleagues.<br /><br />Thank you,<br />Farah Ladha<br />Douglas College Interpreting Program Graduate Class of 2009!<br /><br /><strong>In memory of David Still<br />1958-2009</strong><br /><br />"Your commitment to both your profession and students will never be forgotten and we will forever be in your debt for all that you have taught us"<br />~ Graduating Class of 2009<br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><br /><p><br /></p></span><br /><p><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 248px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393334132291340898" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tB2HDW2ZJlw/Stj40XY3CmI/AAAAAAAAAAk/X6LQxyChwlA/s320/clip_image002.jpg" /><br /><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><p align="left"><br /><br /><strong>Blast From the Past</strong><br />Submitted by Suzie Giroux<br /><br />For this edition of our Blast from the Past, I waded through the many archived issues of <em>The</em> <em>Ripple</em> that I have, in search of an article from Dave. Alas, to no avail… However, one article caught my eye. Printed in the Fall 1993 edition of <em>The</em> <em>Ripple</em>, submitted by Marty Taylor, there were two quotes that stood out for me as something I believe that Dave would have held passionate to his heart and would have wanted all of us to strive for:<br /><br /><strong>“How are you ever going to become that “superb” interpreter? How are you going to improve on what you are already doing and what you already know?”<br /><br />“The simple rule to follow is to always interpret your best, which means with clarity and with 100% concentration.”<br /></strong><br /><strong>Practical Ideas For Professional Growth on Your Own Time<br /></strong>By Marty Taylor<br /><br /><strong>Practice Idea #1<br /></strong>How are you ever going to become that “superb” interpreter? How are you going to improve on what you are already doing and what you already know?<br /><br />What is it that you are doing? What it is, keep it up!<br /><br />To help keep it up and improve, let me suggest a couple of ideas.<br /><br />After you have finished each assignment, take at least five minutes to write down a few comments. Useful comments might be: sign choices you particularly liked; sign choices you know but did not have at your fingertips, such as Mennonite, Hutterite, peach or the apple with the brown spot.<br /><br />On your paper, draw two columns and label them:<br />1. practice<br />2. ask someone/research</p><br /><p><br />Even if you write down five points after each assignment and do at least ten assignments in a month, the total at the end of the month would be fifty points. This is plenty to keep you busy and to keep you focused in your own professional development.<br /><br />Other comments you might write down could be things such as ethical issues you need to think about, ie: “How would I handle it differently next time, when the doctor hands me the prescription instead of handing it to the Deaf person?” Or, when you are voicing and your team member is not in a position to hear you as back-up, what do you do?<br /><br />The importance of writing these items down can not be emphasized enough. It is important to have a record of your thoughts. Our mind is limited at to what it will hold on to after assignments are completed, and even more gets lost after weeks, months, and years pass by. A place for reflection is irreplaceable.<br /><br />A written record to keep track of this is best. It is interesting after time elapses to look back on your scribbled notes and see how far you have come; or, on the other hand, notice that you still haven’t dealt with some of the items. You haven’t taken the time to do your research and those problems are still causing you difficulty. Or, you look at your comment and think, “Really, there used to be a time when I didn’t know the sign for Latin?”<br /><br />Now that you have taken five minutes after each assignment and have accumulated comments that are interesting and that you have given thought to… share it… with others. Make an hour coffee date with someone you respect to discuss what it is you have learned over the past month. Find out what they think and ask them what they learned over the last while. Fair is fair… smile. </p><br /><p><br /><strong>Practice Idea#2</strong><br />Are you still taking time every day to practice – to rehearse – to perform – just for yourself? Or are you just practicing when you have consumers in front of you who are depending on your interpretation. Do you go into every assignment with a goal in mind as far as your performance is concerned? For example, I will fingerspell every word correctly the first time, or, I will use space to the maximum potential for the second half hour, and the second hour I will concentrate on my eye contact with the Deaf consumer.<br /><br />Remember when some people first learned to fingerspell and he or she would spell what they heard on the television or say on the road signs as they were driving? Did you ever rehearse in your head and on your hands a particular important rendition of “God Save the Queen” or “Our Father”, or a speech you were going to interpret? These are examples of a desire to perform well and a recognition of the need to be prepared.<br /><br />A suggestion is to take at least ten minutes periods from your day and practice. The easiest is to use the travel time to and from the assignment. Listen to the radio and choose a segment to interpret and interpret it well. Do it again until it is perfect. Take the time to go over “God Save the Queen”. Memorize it. Do it again and again until you are satisfied.<br /><br />The simple rule to follow is to always interpret your best, which means with clarity and with 100% concentration. </p><br /><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><p align="left"><br /><strong>Is that Blood??</strong><br /><strong></strong>by Denise Sedran and Tarren McKay<br /><br />One of the most common things we hear from interpreters who are considering venturing into the field of medical interpreting is, “No, that’s not for me, I can’t stand the sight of blood”. Fortunately, for all of us closet hemophobes, blood is rarely an issue on the job. Most medical interpreting consists of visits to the family doctor, specialists, appointments for prenatal care or diagnostic testing ... the only blood you’ll likely encounter will be during routine blood testing .<br /><br />Medical interpreting is both rewarding and challenging. The setting lends itself well to working consecutively which allows for a more effective interpretation, benefiting both the patient and the doctor. At the same time, medical interpreting can be challenging in numerous ways. One must learn how to navigate the medical system as a professional, deal with medical jargon and complex terminology, and at times deal with matters of life and death.<br /><br />MIS encourages you to consider joining our roster of interpreters. As we all know, there is a critical shortage of interpreters and MIS is feeling this shortage as well. In the last 6 months, 145 appointments have been declined because no interpreter was available. Also in the last 6 months, we had 49 emergency on call shifts remain vacant with no interpreter assigned. This means that while a Deaf person is in the emergency room, our dispatcher is spending precious time trying to find an interpreter who is available to take the call.<br /><br />Although we can’t resolve your hemophobia, we can help you prepare for the MIS screen and provide a mentoring opportunity to make the transition into medical interpreting that much smoother. Based on feedback from candidates who have taken the pre-screen workshop and the screen itself, we are currently modifying the workshop to allow for more one-on-one feedback from the facilitator. The workshop will also be offered well in advance of the screen to allow you to incorporate the feedback you have received and make the necessary changes that could contribute to your success.<br /><br />In addition, if you are successful on the screen but still feeling a bit uncertain about jumping right into medical interpreting, we are providing a mentoring opportunity with one of our staff interpreters. You will experience on the job training, giving you the opportunity to observe and be observed. This will be paid work as MIS is committed to increasing our roster and supporting interpreters as they enter this field.<br /><br />Should you happen to be unsuccessful on the screen, we can arrange for you to meet with our staff and view specific segments of your test sample that are linked to the feedback from the raters. Interpreters have found this extremely beneficial as it allows them to see the patterns in their work and receive suggestions on how to improve.<br /><br />So, medical interpreting is so much more than blood. It is a fascinating area of specialty interpreting that is also an opportunity to provide a critical and much needed service to Deaf people and medical personnel.<br /><br />Remember, in order to be eligible for the practical portion of the MIS screen you must first complete the written exam. For more information on either part of the screen or to obtain a copy of the written exam study manual contact MIS at <a href="mailto:MIS@widhh.com">MIS@widhh.com</a> </span><br /></p><p></p><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><p align="left"><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>21st National Conference of the<br />Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf<br />August 1 - 6, 2009</strong><br />by Marla Spencer<br /><br />Philadelphia - the City of Brotherly Love?<br /><br />Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - known as the City of Brotherly Love - was the location of the 2009 Biennial Conference of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. And I was there!<br /><br />However, I wouldn't say my first impressions of Philly were particularly "loving". Upon arrival at the Philadelphia airport, another interpreter and I were scrambling to get a shuttle to take us to our hotels. I first approached a rather large woman at the shuttle reservation desk, who was quite absorbed in what appeared to be a personal conversation on a cell phone.<br /><br />I tried waiting patiently, truly I did, but it was late and I was tired. I'm sure I did a stationary dance showing that I was in a bit of a hurry. She finally put down the phone and when I asked about how I could arrange shuttle pickup from "Lady Liberty" she shouted at me, quite rudely, that I would need a ticket and shoved one in my face. Then she told me (again in a voice many decibels too high) to use the complimentary phone to call the shuttle myself, which I did.<br /><br />After contacting Lady Liberty shuttle service and giving them "my number" (the number on the little ticket I had been given - 71) the woman shoved another piece of paper and a small square box with lights into my hand and bellowed at me to wait outside. When I shared that I was told to wait inside for the shuttle driver, she began to yell at me again, and was joined now by a man with an equally loud voice. They were both shouting at me to take the "pager" (the small square box) and wait outside because no shuttle driver was going to come inside looking for me! Wow! I was feeling incredibly welcome to Philly at this point.<br /><br />So Sherry (the other interpreter, from St. John) and I went outside to wait for the shuttle. There was a Lady Liberty van just across the street and a youngish man there was shouting too, only he had a purpose for shouting. He barked out, "66, 67, 68 ...". At which point, I hopefully inquired, "71?" He responded with , "Yeah, come on over. I'll take you". Sherry and I hurried to the shuttle, bags in tow. I handed him the paper and the pager, and he loaded up our bags while we piled into the van. We were joined by some other interpreters (also headed for the conference) and a few locals.<br /><br />As Sherry and I were commenting about the loud, rude communication that we'd just experienced, a woman in the seat in front of us identified herself as a local and said, "That's just Philly for you! Everyone here talks like that." Oh, great I thought ... there's going to be more shouting, and I forgot to bring my earplugs!<br /><br />The next morning I got another taste of "brotherly love". I left the Hampton Inn, on Race Street, and walked toward the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, on Market Street, where the RID conference was being held. My trusty Google map was telling me that I had found the right location, but I couldn't see the entrance to the Marriott. So, I was walking slowly, looking up at the tall buildings trying to spy a sign that would tell me that I was indeed at the right place. Just then a rather grizzly, disheveled (and smelly) man made a bee-line towards me and said, in a gruff (but quiet) voice, "Woman, get the f*** out of my way!" Oh, now I was definitely feeling loved!<br /><br />Okay, so much for my introduction to Philadelphia. But I can say it was all "uphill" from there. Honestly these were my only "bad" experiences with Philly itself.<br /><br />Now, about the conference. This was not my first RID conference experience, so I had some idea of what to expect. What I wasn't expecting was how much the conference attendance has grown over the years! The "largest interpreter conference ever held in the United States", had over 2,600 registered attendees (although we did hear that final attendance was over 3,000)! Whew! That's the approximate population of Quadra Island!<br /><br />After picking up my registration package, including my name badge, my 10 year pin, and "ribbons", I got right to the purpose of my trip to Philly - earning CEUs! Over the next several days, I attended 10 different workshops and/or professional discussions, most of which were related to the field of Video Relay Interpreting because that is the area where I do the majority of my interpreting work these days. I won't go into details about each workshop/discussion. Suffice it to say that some were very worthwhile and others were merely "meh".<br /><br />I also attended the Opening Ceremony (much too long!) and Reception, where we were entertained by the Deaf Performing Artists Network (D-PAN). I made sure to attend the Region V Caucus (of which BC is included), the Video Remote Interpreting committee meeting (because I am involved in the production of the Standard Practice Paper for VRI), and the new Video Interpreter Member Section (VIMS) meeting (a member group specifically for Video Relay and Video Remote interpreters). I was appointed Region V representative at this meeting, but more about that at a later date.<br /><br />I did not attend the four hour business meetings on both Monday and Tuesday morning – bleah – not my style. I attempted to endure the Closing Ceremony, but I was just to pooped by that point to stay throughout. I returned to my hotel room before the Closing Ceremony was concluded, so I also missed the Closing Reception and entertainment that followed.<br /><br />One other highlight of the conference was the special "International Tea Reception" on Wednesday evening, hosted by Cheryl Moose, current President of RID. All international registrants were invited to attend, so I made sure to make an appearance before scooting back to a workshop. While at the reception, I had the honor of introducing Cheryl to fellow BC interpreters, Suzie Giroux and Vicki Yee. (By the way, there were a record number of Canadians in attendance at the conference, too. Way to go, team Canada!)<br /><br />I think that about wraps it up for the conference! The only other "highlights" were reconnecting with former friends and colleagues (deluxe!), a 3 hour self-guided walking tour of some of the most historical sites of early Philadelphia (yep, I saw the Liberty Bell), a traditional "Philly Cheese Steak" sandwich (if vegetarian can be considered "traditional" *smile*) and the Reading Street Market (incredible! amazing! a conglomeration of cuisine and culture) and finally ... touching down again in BC and getting home to my loved-ones!!<br /><br />There is so much more to the story, but I think that's enough for this writing. I'll just close by saying that, although it got off to a "Rocky" start (get the reference?), the weather was fairly good for the duration, and most of the other Philidelphians I met were friendly and helpful to this "tourist/conference attendee". So, in reality, I guess I did get a taste of the “brotherly love” for which Philadelphia is known. (And the RID CEUs earned definitely made the trip worthwhile!)<br /><br />If you'd like a more thorough look at what the conference entailed and the many workshops/professional discussions that were offered, visit: </span><a href="http://www.rid.org/UserFiles/File/pdfs/2009_Conference/ProgramBook_final.pdf"><span style="color:#000000;">http://www.rid.org/UserFiles/File/pdfs/2009_Conference/ProgramBook_final.pdf</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><br /><br /></p><p align="center"><br /><center><hr size="3" width="50%"></center><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><p align="left"><br /><strong>Sorenson Communications launches school for interpreters</strong><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Taylorsville facility will help sign language translators and teachers hone their skills.<br /></strong>by Mike Gorrell<br />The Salt Lake Tribune<br /><br />Having created the telecommunications technology to help the deaf and hearing impaired to converse over the phone, Sorenson Communications now is focusing on developing skilled interpreters to complete the connection. The company has established the VRS Interpreting Institute at its Taylorsville headquarters, setting up classrooms for a half-dozen faculty members and building a 30-station lab where students can train -- and see how well they performed -- on the video relay service (VRS) videophones pioneered by Sorenson Communications.<br /><br />"Our goal is to be the premier training site for sign language instructors," said Chris Wakeland, the company's vice president of interpreting.<br /><br />The institute is not intended to take people off the street and turn them into interpreters. Instead, it is targeting the 1,500 graduates of North America's 150 programs that teach American Sign Language, people who have the basics down but not the practical skills needed to be fluent interpreters, whatever the subject matter.<br /><br />And it can be used to help teachers in those dispersed programs do their jobs even better.<br /><br />"We want to offer training to them so they can better assess their students and write tests better so that their students are better prepared to do the job when they graduate," Wakeland added. To get the program rolling, Sorenson Communications hired Carolyn Ball as the institute's first executive director.<br /><br />She became interested in American Sign Language as an Idaho high school student when a deaf boy asked her out but they had trouble communicating because she did not know how to sign. She learned while on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, enhanced her skills while pursuing her bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, then spent two decades developing educational programming. For the past 10 years, she was director of the American Sign Language & Interpreting Program at William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.<br /><br />"I just lived with deaf people, and they told me what I did right or what I did wrong," she said.<br /><br />What's wrong with the current system, Ball said, is that the Americans with Disabilities Act spelled out situations in which the deaf have the right to an interpreter -- such as dealing with schools or government agencies -- but provided little training for interpreters.<br /><br />Interpreting can be tough work, she noted, leading to a high turnover rate. And it can be challenging to accurately convey the intended message, either from speaker through sign language to a deaf person or vice versa.<br /><br />"It's particularly hard when you can be talking about family stuff, banking transactions, cars or signing up for classes," Wakeland said. "You can do a disservice to people if you don't interpret well."<br /><br />The program Ball is developing allows students to handle interpretation scenarios, then go back through the videophone system to see if the message they conveyed matched what they really intended to convey. And to get better at it.<br /><br />She is designing the system to be flexible, so that it can be tailored to the needs of small groups of instructors or interpreters who come to the institute seeking specific assistance. Ball also is creating a curriculum for a 15-week instruction period that will give college graduates intensive training.<br /><br />"When they leave our program, they will be nationally certified and employable by whomever," she said.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Leaders in interpreting<br /></em>Sorenson Communications has hired a number of leading sign language educators to lead its VRS Interpreting Institute, including:<br /><br />Executive Director Carolyn Ball, director of the American Sign Language & Interpreting Program at William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.<br /><br />Debbie Peterson, who comes from a deaf family in Alabama, and has taught around the country and has taught the use of international sign language.<br /><br />Marla Broetz, who taught Salt Lake Community College, William Woods University and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.Annette Miner who formerly taught full-time at Salt Lake Community College and coordinated</span> its interpreter education program. </p><br /><p></p><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-51747520232879995322009-07-19T18:03:00.000-07:002009-07-22T20:36:39.408-07:00July 2009 WAVLI Ripple<center><em><strong>In This Issue:<br><br><br /><br />Editors' Note<br />A Message from the WAVLI President<br />Support the AVLIC 2010 Conference<br />AVLIC AGM - Halifax, NS<br />AVLIC Strategic Plan<br />Douglas College Distinguished Alumni Award<br />Puerto Rico<br />Blast from the Past</strong></em></center><br /><br /><center><HR WIDTH="50%" SIZE="3" NOSHADE></center><br /><br /><strong>Editors' Note</strong><br />by Wanda Sinclair & Suzie Giroux<br /><br />Welcome to the new Ripple Blog. While there seems to be two camps when it comes to the permeation of technology into every avenue of our lives, you either love it or you hate it, most of you seem to enjoy access to The Ripple through this new format. In fact, 17 of 17 of you who who replied to the survey question on the Blog said you like it. <br /><br />The Ripple will run four times a year; July, October, January and April. <br /><br />As always, The Ripple will endeavour to provide a forum for sharing the myriad of perspectives that exist in our community and for promoting intriguing discussion. Our newsletter is a valuable tool for sharing our field and supporting each other as we continually strive to become the best we can be in our work. <br /><br />We encourage all readers to submit articles relating to our profession for your colleagues to consider. Everyone has something to contribute - so get inspired and share your ideas through the newsletter Blog. <br /><br />Hope you enjoy this edition! <br /><br /><center><HR WIDTH="50%" SIZE="3" NOSHADE></center><br /><br />Hello Members, <br /><br />Seems like now we are just waiting for the sunny weather to remain consistent and then we'll be back to the hectic nature of fall before we know it! Things have been moving slow and steady with Title Protection which is my main focus for this term. Currently we have an Ad-hoc committee working on overseeing the process and right now we're just making sure we've got everything covered. Expect to hear more information soon on some areas where we will need member feedback on how to continue the move towards Title Protection for BC.<br /><br />I attended the AVLIC AGM in Nova Scotia mid-June. It was a beautiful place (despite the fog!). At the Presidents' meeting there were some concerns about retaining membership for other chapters. Some other Provinces were struggling to recruit and/or keep members. I was proud to speak about our membership being almost 200 members strong! With recent changes over the last few years in our community, it's really supported WAVLI by growing into the largest chapter in Canada at this point, which leads me to the next part...<br /><br />As many of you know the AVLIC 2010 Conference will be held in Ottawa. They have suggested a "Chapter Challenge" selling water bottles and air fresheners. The chapter that sells the most will get a free conference registration for one of its members. If you are not planning on attending the conference, please support AVLIC by buying a water bottle. We'll be posting more information about how you can get your bottle or air freshener soon and with our 200 members, there is a good chance we can win this challenge and a free conference registration for one of our members!<br /><br />I'm really excited to move into the next term; we have a really energetic group of board members with many ideas for their terms. Some things we'd like to see happen are more information on how to proceed with our application for Title Protection which has been ongoing for many years, the possibility of a degree program for interpreting is finally coming to the table for discussion with various stakeholders and program review committees, a dedication to figuring out how we can make our business meetings and workshops more accessible for members outside of the Lower Mainland and continuing to streamline communications so that WAVLI continues to be an efficient and effective organization. The board will be meeting throughout the summer so we can continue to work on coordinating a busy fall.<br /><br />My term will be complete in March 2010 at our next AGM, so I encourage members to start thinking about how they want to become involved on the WAVLI Board - it is only 8 months away! I'm looking forward to those next 8 months and hope to accomplish many of the goals I've set out to do before the end of my term.<br />On a personal note, I've finally graduated with my BPA which is a Bachelor of Professional Arts and my 2-years at Douglas counted towards the degree as block credit. If you are considering further Post-Secondary, don't forget that the 2-year diploma from Douglas does count at many universities for a block credit so for many Douglas grads, you're half-way through a degree if you choose to go that route. There are several WAVLI members that have already done this and if you're considering it, feel free to contact me and I can connect you with others that have graduated here in BC or through other universities.<br /><br />Look forward to seeing members at upcoming professional development opportunities and for sure at the WAVLI Western Night November 4th!<br /><br />Have a wonderful summer!<br />Susi Bolender, BPA, COI<br />WAVLI President<br /><br /><center><HR WIDTH="50%" SIZE="3" NOSHADE></center><br /><br />Hi Members! SLINC who is hosting the AVLIC 2010 Conference in Ottawa has challenged all AVLIC Chapters to a contest to see who can sell the most water bottles for their fundraiser. If we win, WAVLI will receive a free conference registration that we will raffle at the Spring AGM. Especially if you are not able to attend the conference in 2010, please show your support and click the link to <a href="http://web.me.com/susi.bolender/Site_5/Small_Steps_Big_Difference.html" target="_blank">BUY YOUR WATER BOTTLE </a><br /><br /><center><HR WIDTH="50%" SIZE="3" NOSHADE></center><br /><br /><b>AVLIC AGM - Halifax, NS</b><br />by Susi Bolender<br /><br />What can be said about the AGM in Halifax - short and sweet? The business meeting ended around lunch time and there were a few motions that needed discussion. Many of them were regarding specifics for bylaws and some "tidying up" that needed to be done. <br /><br />There were two motions that took some more time to discuss: one about the WTK and one proposing an investigation into RID certification as an American Standard versus the TOI as a Canadian Standard. Unfortunately the movers and seconders of both these motions were not able to attend and it's always hard to discuss motions at non-conference AGM's because there are less members in attendance and it's hard to understand the motivations behind the motions without the people there to speak to them. The members in attendance shared lots of perspectives on both these motions and unfortunately for the people that made these motions, they were defeated. <br /><br />There was lots of good discussion and perspectives that were raised and the AVLIC board was privy to all of those representations which they will probably be taking under consideration as they move through the phases of the Strategic Plan. From what was explained at the AGM, it sounds like an exciting direction for AVLIC and it will be great to get our west coast voice into the future directions by participating in any surveys, focus groups or online discussions that come as a result of the research and development phase of the Strategic Plan. Suzie Giroux will share more about it here, but to really get a sense of how AVLIC will be changing over the next several years, make sure you are saving up those Airmiles for the AVLIC 2010 Conference & AGM in Ottawa next summer!<br /><br /><center><HR WIDTH="50%" SIZE="3" NOSHADE></center><br /><br /><b>AVLIC’s Strategic Plan</b><br />by Suzie Giroux<br /><br />In Halifax, a motion was put forth for the AVLIC Board to participate in a Strategic Plan. The motion passed and as such, AVLIC has started the process of hiring Nathan Garber & Associates to guide it through a strategic planning process. <br /><br />The end goal of the strategic plan is to improve operation and delivery of AVLIC’s programs to the membership and the communities that AVLIC serves. Through this, AVLIC will develop a more transparent approach to doing business and will establish a concrete direction towards achieving goals for continued success. <br /><br />This strategic plan should include the following elements:<br />1. Recommendations for changes to AVLIC’s mission statement if necessary.<br />2. Recommendations for changes to AVLIC’s objectives if necessary.<br />3. Recommendations regarding the programs and activities that AVLIC<br />undertakes.<br />4. Recommendations regarding the division of responsibilities between<br />volunteers (including Board and committee members) and paid staff.<br />5. Recommendations for a staffing model.<br />6. Recommendations regarding financial measures to ensure that AVLIC has<br />sufficient funds to support the staffing model.<br /><br /><br />This would be developed as result of undertaking a strategic planning process which<br />includes the following activities:<br />1. Review AVLIC’s mission statement<br />2. Review AVLIC’s objectives<br />3. Review programs, projects and activities<br />4. Review current staff and volunteer deployment<br />5. Recommend reorganization of responsibilities among volunteers and staff<br />6. Determine job description of paid staff and other paid workers<br />7. Determine qualifications needed for paid staff<br />8. Determine costs for new staff<br />9. Recommend measures to raise the revenue necessary to pay for proposed<br />staffing<br /><br />The motion in Halifax was approved to adopt the strategic plan with a cost limited to $25,000. <br /><br />Budget Item Projected cost <br />Professional Planner consultant fees (1) $11,000 <br />Strategic planning meeting with AVLIC Board and Planner (2) $5,000 <br />ASL Interpretation and Translation costs (3) $7,000 <br />Membership outreach such as mailings, meetings, <br />web based collaboration, administrative manager’s time (4) $2,000 <br />Total $25,000<br /><br /><center><HR WIDTH="50%" SIZE="3" NOSHADE></center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/SmPJru9zz8I/AAAAAAAAAAo/aBmXEq0tho8/s1600-h/Marna+Arnell+-+media+release.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/SmPJru9zz8I/AAAAAAAAAAo/aBmXEq0tho8/s320/Marna+Arnell+-+media+release.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360349734679859138" /></a><br /><br />June 8, 2009<br /><br />Distinguished Alumni Award recipient sets standard for sign language interpreters<br /><br />Mission’s Marna Arnell was drawn to sign language interpretation by empathy and curiosity. Now a driving force in the field, the Douglas College Distinguished Alumni Award recipient is committed to making a difference in the interpreting community.<br /><br />“Watching young Deaf people sign and interact was the most amazing unanswered puzzle I had ever seen,” says Arnell, whose curiosity was first sparked as a volunteer in an elementary school. Initially, she came to the Program of Sign Language Interpretation as a means to learn more about Deaf communication. Intrigued by the challenge of matching visual and spoken languages, she was hooked.<br /><br />Arnell graduated from Douglas in 1991. Since then, she has been active with the provincial and national professional associations for sign language interpreters, including the Westcoast Association of Visual Language Interpreters and the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada (AVLIC). At AVLIC, she has put numerous hours into revising the interpreter certification process. She also played an integral role in establishing pre-testing workshops to help interpreters improve their skills. <br /><br />Today, Arnell works as a community interpreter, mainly in post secondary schools and via video relay, a service that allows Deaf people and those with hearing or speech impairments to communicate over the phone with hearing people in real-time. Last year, she was granted the Celebration of Excellence Award by the Disability Resource Network of BC.<br /><br />Arnell continues to support her alma mater as a regular guest speaker in Sign Language Interpretation classes. “Her desire to see continued improvements in the field is infectious and she promotes high standards of professionalism to students. She has also mentored numerous alumni in their positions,” notes Cheryl Palmer, coordinator of the Sign Language Interpretation Department at Douglas.<br /><br />After 18 years in the field, Arnell’s passion for the job remains intense. “Every day is new and the work energizes me. As a new field, interpreting requires each of us to be a researcher, a teacher and a student on the job. There are absolutely no limits to what we can achieve.”<br /><br />Despite her accomplishments, Arnell is humble about receiving the award at the commencement ceremony on June 3.<br /><br />“If anyone had told me when I graduated that I would one day receive this wonderful award, I would have had a good laugh at the thought. But I did have a dream and I was in the right place at the right time. I got to play a part in establishing interpreting services in the post secondary system in BC. Does this make me a Distinguished Alumna? I am not sure, but I treasure my years at Douglas College and I am deeply honoured to be this year’s recipient.”<br /><br />The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes the quality of Douglas College graduates and their contributions to the community. Past recipients include Vince Tomassetti of Assistive Technology BC, poet Liz Bachinsky and Olympic Gold Medal wrestler Daniel Igali.<br /><br /><center><HR WIDTH="50%" SIZE="3" NOSHADE></center><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/SmPL99MIDMI/AAAAAAAAAAw/uTP2-BHNUiA/s1600-h/pr.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 125px; height: 94px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lHkUz1FiTg/SmPL99MIDMI/AAAAAAAAAAw/uTP2-BHNUiA/s320/pr.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360352246758902978" /></a><br /><br /><b>MISSION: Puerto Rico - Evangelical School for the Deaf</b><br />by Rudy Unger <br /> <br />Several people have asked me to write a report on our trip to Puerto Rico over Spring Break, so here it is.... If you'd rather just see the pictures, you can go straight to my web album at <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rudyunger/PuertoRico09?authkey=Gv1sRgCM3z4uu5moXJVQ&feat=directlink">http://picasaweb.google.com/rudyunger/PuertoRico09?authkey=Gv1sRgCM3z4uu5moXJVQ&feat=directlink</a><br /> <br />This spring break (March 12-19, 2009) Vicki and I travelled with a group of 15 people to volunteer at the Evangelical School for the Deaf in Luquillo, Puerto Rico. We had seen the school last year when we were on vacation in the Caribbean and thought that it would be a great place to bring some of the teens and young adults in our weekly Bible Study. When we asked if anyone was interested in spending about $1000 to work for a week in a Deaf school in beautiful tropical location, it didn't take long to sign up our maximum number of 15 people. We had 7 high school and college students, and 8 adults, including some parents.<br /> <br />Since it was far cheaper to fly out of Seattle, we had to leave home at 2 am to catch our 8 am flight. Lynch Bus lines donated a bus which Fernando (from Victory Hill) volunteered to drive to Seattle. A Deaf church in Renton brought "bag breakfasts" for us at the airport, before we boarded our flight to Houston. Continental airlines treated us like VIP's. Since their safety protocols require them to "flag" Deaf passengers (11 out of our group of 15) for "special service", we were greeted at the gate in Houston with 3 large golf carts to take us to our connecting flight. We arrived in San Juan at 9 pm, and rented a van for the 1 1/2 hour drive to the little town of Luquillo, on the northeast corner of the island. Everyone was pretty tired after being awake nearly 24 hours, and the dorm beds looked very inviting!<br /> <br />The next morning breakfast was served at 7 am, followed by chapel at 8. By 8:30 we got started on our work assignments. A couple of the men started with fixing the lawn tractor, while most of the teens got started on clearing weeds with machetes or weed-eaters. The school is out in the country, mostly surrounded by jungle. Plants grow very quickly in the tropical sunshine, and there's always plenty of yard work to be done. The warm, moist climate also means that things rust very quickly, so there was lots of scraping and wire-brushing needed to prepare the iron security bars for painting. (There are no glass panes on any windows or doors, just screens, shutters and the security bars.) Our group painted almost all of the bars, except for a few second storey windows. One of the men in our group is a skilled cabinet maker, and he resurfaced most of the student desks, and turned several blackboards into whiteboards.<br /> <br />Even though we all worked hard every day, we did manage a trip to the beach most afternoons. It was incredible to jump in the huge waves. The bay at Luquillo Beach is like something you'd see on a postcard - lined with huge coconut palms, and sand the colour and texture of coarse brown sugar. Since we were away from any major tourist areas, we usually had the entire beach to ourselves. <br /> <br />All week we alternated work, play, and visiting with the staff and students at the school. Since all but one of the school's 15 students go home every evening, we were able to use the dorms for our accomodations. The rooms were simple, and the mattresses thin, but after all the hard labour, we all slept well! <br /> <br />Puerto Ricans do eat different foods than what we're used to, and while they import a lot of items, those tend to be much more expensive. Vicki was in charge of our meals and faced her biggest challenge doing the grocery shopping with a Deaf Interpreter. This Deaf woman is the school's volunteer cook and she is only partially fluent in ASL and Spanish. I didn't witness it, but we all had a good laugh at both of their descriptions of their shopping trip! Even though Puerto Rico is a US territory, the main language is Spanish, and English is not that common in the rural areas. The good news is that the Deaf people use ASL, and the school teaches both written English and Spanish!<br /> <br />In addition to all our work at the school, we also got to do some sightseeing. We drove up to the El Yunque National Forest and climbed the observation tower for a spectacular view of the island. On Sunday we visited the Deaf Church in San Juan and also took some time to go shopping in Old San Juan, and to visit the fortresses around the oldest walled city in the Americas. Driving our extended 15 passenger van on the narrow cobblestone streets was quite a challenge. I learned to follow the routes that the tour bus drivers used, and drove over the same curbs that they did, in order to navigate the tight corners. <br /> <br />Another first for most of our group was the opportunity to use Video Relay Service to call home. Since internet connections in Puerto Rico tend to be quite unreliable, when we finally got an interpreter on the screen, we kept them on line while everyone took turns calling home. Most of the parents and spouses back home had not experienced VRS either, so it was a real treat for all of us. It was especially fun one night to see some familiar interpreters from Vancouver! ("Hey that's the person who interprets at my school!")<br /> <br />The highlight for many of us was our catamaran/snorkeling trip on the last day. We sailed out to a tiny unpopulated island with nothing but palm trees and white sandy beaches. It was amazing to snorkel along the reef that divides the Caribbean from the Atlantic - there were so many fish all around us, eating out of our hands. It felt like we were swimming in a tropical aquarium. Several people even saw stingrays and sea turtles! Many of our group got sunburned, but everyone felt that it was worth the pain! <br /> <br />A lot of people have asked when we will be going back. At this point we don't have any definite plans, but I would love to go back -- let me know if you're interested in joining us next time! <br /> <br />By the way, don't forget to look at the pictures: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rudyunger/PuertoRico09?authkey=Gv1sRgCM3z4uu5moXJVQ&feat=directlink">http://picasaweb.google.com/rudyunger/PuertoRico09?authkey=Gv1sRgCM3z4uu5moXJVQ&feat=directlink</a><br /><br /><center><HR WIDTH="50%" SIZE="3" NOSHADE></center><br /><br /><b>A Blast From the Past!</b> <br />by Suzie Giroux<br /><br />My how times have changed! Or... have they? In this feature of The Ripple, we'll go back in time and publish an article from the past. For this issue, it's interesting how history can often repeat itself. Is the current perceived shortage of interpreters really new? Maybe not. Read on...<br /><br />The Ripple<br />February 2000<br />by Marna Arnell<br /><br />Post-Secondary Interpreter Shortage: What is the Answer? <br /><br />In British Columbia, as in most of North America, there is currently a shortage of qualified interpreters. There is also an increasing number of students who are deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing attending post-secondary institutions. <br /><br />In response to the need to promote qualitative service, the Interpreting Services Project has developed a system to advertise available interpreting positions in BC. Interpreters deemed “competent” on the Post-Secondary Screen receive automatic notification of every opportunity posted by a college or university via the British Columbia Institute of Technology “Jobsline.” <br /><br />Should the job not be filled, ISP then resends the posting to a secondary list of interpreters who have not yet taken the Screen but have training, experience, and who have demonstrated professionalism in the post-secondary system. If there is still no response, the job is sent to interpreters outside of the province via professional interpreting associations. Despite our best efforts, postings still remain unfilled. <br /><br />One answer suggested by some students is to hire individuals who are not professional interpreters. Often students will request to attend class with a friend or family member who can sign and who works in the interpreter role. Unfortunately, this form of service can lead to problems around the role of the interpreter, the quality of the interpretation, and educational success.<br /><br />Other students decide they do not want to wait to attend college or university until an interpreter is available. Colleges and universities in BC strive to provide the most educationally sound service possible, however, they also face the need to provide access to the students. This situation has resulted in the need for some creative solutions. <br /><br />One approach is to offer an alternate service should interpreting not be available. Electronic note-taking and captioning can be an effective solution for some students. It is important, however, to consider the student’s literacy level and course content when evaluating these alternatives. A trial of the new service should be carefully evaluated by the student, service provider, and coordinator. <br /><br />The Interpreting Services Project, in conjunction with the field, has developed a draft “Alternate Service Form for Student Who Use Interpreting” which outlines the conditions regarding the provision of alternate services and explains the specific steps a coordinator has taken to retain a qualified interpreter on the student’s behalf. There is an emphasis on the student’s role within the educational team and the evaluation process of the alternate service provided. The student and coordinator sign the form, indicating the student is accepting the access alternative. Should the alternative service not be successful, coordinators make every effort to hire qualified interpreters. <br /><br />This process has been implemented to:<br /> Communicate clearly to students the effort made by the college or university to secure interpreting services.<br /> Encourage self-advocacy on the part of students in determining services that result in educational success.<br /> Meet legal access requirements for students who are deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing. <br /><br />We are expecting to incorporate feedback regarding the process and form by the end of February and would be happy to share it with you at that time. If you have any further suggestions to help resolve the interpreters shortage, please contact us at…Suzie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09032057185181970186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-61777582869898656672009-04-09T20:31:00.000-07:002009-04-09T20:33:06.758-07:00WAVLI Fundraiser (November 4th, 2009)WAVLI WESTERN NIGHT! <br />Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 <br /><br />Roosters Country Cabaret <br /># 4 -19040 Lougheed Highway, Pitt Meadows, BC, V3Y 2N6<br />Phone: 604 465-5552 | Fax: 604 465-2357 <br /><br />Tickets - $10<br />Tickets include 2 slices of pizza and a beverage of your choice! <br /> <br />Live country music band – huge dance floor! <br />TRY YOUR HAND AT THE MECHANICAL BULL! <br /><br />WAVLI Silent Auction table will be up through the evening to bid on!<br />(Auction donations to Deb Miyashita please! ) <br /> <br />Come have a fun night of music, food, dancing and socializing! <br />Wear your best Western gear – cowboy hats optional (but great!)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-88174650328163023472009-04-09T20:09:00.000-07:002009-04-09T20:39:50.809-07:00Where is the next generation of interpreting educators? - Karen MalcomWhere is the next generation of interpreting educators? <br />by Karen Malcolm <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br />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! <br /><br />Requirements for interpreter educators<br /><br />Interpreting skills and community respect<br /><br />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. <br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /> <br /><br />Academic qualifications<br /><br />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! <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Teaching interpreting<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Conclusion<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-76528313813118535152009-04-09T20:08:00.000-07:002009-04-09T20:09:39.808-07:00Two Hours – Two Interpreters? How did we get there? - Deb MiyashitaI 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. <br />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. <br /><br />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. <br />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? <br /><br />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! <br /><br />I decided to do a quick Google Search – Two Hours Two Interpreters – and came up with the following quotes. <br /><br />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.”<br /><br />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.” <br />Both these policies state two hours or MORE, two interpreters. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Interestingly enough, spoken language interpreters also have policies around numbers of interpreters. ATIO (Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario) states the following:<br /><br />For simultaneous or whispered Interpretation<br /><br />i. for meetings with two working languages, working both ways in a single booth:<br />o maximum 40 minutes 1 interpreter<br />o maximum 3.5 to 4 hours 2 interpreters<br />o maximum 6 hours 3 interpreters<br />o maximum 8 hours 4 interpreters<br /> <br /> <br />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, “<br /><br />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.” <br /><br />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. <br />Happy interpreting, <br />Deb Miyashita, BA, COIUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-19583418596430031632009-04-09T20:07:00.000-07:002009-04-09T20:08:14.421-07:00Times of Change - Message from WAVLI PresidentTIMES OF CHANGE<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Here's looking forward to lots of change over the next term as well!<br /><br />Susi Bolender<br />PresidentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-72189206922046508262009-04-09T19:07:00.000-07:002009-04-09T19:13:26.983-07:00WAVLI 2008 AwardCongratulations 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:<br /><br />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:<br />Graduated in 1989, 20 years of experience<br />While she is one of the most talented and skillful interpreters, she also has a supportive and humble attitude.<br />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.<br />She is open and willing to mentor practicum students and new graduates<br />every year. She also has been involved with the twin mentoring program at Douglas College for many years.<br />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.<br />She supports interpreters and encourages them to reach their full potential. <br />She is the chair of the AVLIC DRP committee.<br />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. <br />She was also instrumental in the fight to save the ASL Deaf studies program last year.<br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-5895006316209262612009-04-09T18:53:00.001-07:002009-04-09T19:14:19.049-07:00Title Protection UpdateAd Hoc Committee: Suzie Giroux, Cheryl Palmer, Sara MacFayden, Susi Bolender, Barb Mykle-Hotzon<br /><br />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:<br /><br />Registered American Sign Language-English Interpreter<br />Registered Sign Language Interpreter<br />Registered Visual Language Interpreter<br /> <br />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.<br /><br /><br />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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-668808606560626149.post-49673309662435846222009-04-09T16:46:00.001-07:002009-04-09T18:59:29.378-07:00Welcome to the New WAVLI Ripple BLOGWAVLI 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.<div><br /></div><div>We're open to feedback as always and we'll see if the blog is the new way to go for The Ripple!</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Reading!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com