Blind Interpreter

shel90 said:
I think deaf people worry about communication issues since we rely on vision to communicate while you rely on auditory input for communication so yea, it would be a new situation for many of us. :)
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This is slightly off-topic, but...

Speaking of new situations, Shel's comment reminded me of the time I had a Deaf interpreter at an AADB (American Association of the Deaf-Blind) convention. It was time for my interpreter to take a break, so she told me my next interpreter was Deaf. (He interpreted by copy signing a platform interpreter.) The only difficulty I had was the fact that he kept signing in ASL when I was a PSE user (I was learning ASL at the time and wasn't very fluent). I repeatedly signed, "PSE please," but he continued to sign in ASL. When my original interpreter returned from her break, I asked her why this happened and she said she forgot to inform him that I used PSE. Oops!
 
I knew a Deaf woman who acted as a terp for a deaf-blind woman at deaf church.

It will be interesting to see how it works out as a blind ASL terp and I think it can be done but it will require careful thinking as many deaf will be concerned how how to communicate with the blind terp.. I see no reason why blind can't act as a terp..
 
Hear Again said:
I also encourage you to go for it. Given how small the deafblind population is compared to the D/deaf, there is a great need for more tactile interpreters. As a deafblind person myself, I would feel quite comfortable working with a blind terp. Good luck!
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This is what I was going to say. As bad as the interpreter shortage is, interpreting services for deaf-blind people are even more scarce. Many interpreters are uncomfortable with the closeness required to interpret for the deaf-blind. Given your motivation I think you could be a great asset to the deaf-blind community.
 
hjones711 said:
but if i have shown that i can do it by passing the test whats to be worried about?
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It will be interesting to see how RID handles the testing issue, because you'll need to be able to see the TV screen in order to take the test.

I know one hard of hearing interpreter who took an RID test and she petitioned to use an FM system and was at first told she could not use an FM system. RID then consulted with the psychometrician and recanted, allowing her to use the FM system.
 
HoHGuyOhio said:
It will be interesting to see how RID handles the testing issue, because you'll need to be able to see the TV screen in order to take the test.

I know one hard of hearing interpreter who took an RID test and she petitioned to use an FM system and was at first told she could not use an FM system. RID then consulted with the psychometrician and recanted, allowing her to use the FM system.
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I did think of the testing TV screen issue. It is my guess that the OP would ask for permission to sit as close to the screen as necessary, and have the video camera somewhere other than its usual location. That might make the interactive part harder though.

Was the person you know taking a "regular" terp test or a CDI test or what? I definitely wore my HA's for the most recent interpreting assessment I did, there was no question about it at all. (Then again I am not the only hard of hearing terp at Gallaudet, they are a little bit more used to it here.)
 
hjones711 said:
yes. i would ask for a seat up close to the screen. if i am in the front i should be able to see.
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The certification test is done in an individual environment. If you imagine a clock face, the person taking the test sits in the center (where the hands meet), the TV that shows the test is at 12:00, and the camera that films the test is at 11:00. It is possible that if you sit closer to the screen, you would not fit in the camera frame properly. So they might place the camera at 9:00 or 10:00 for you, and you will have to turn back and forth to see the TV screen.
 
hjones711 said:
that works. not a problem.
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I personally would suggest attempting an alternate test, such as one with a real live person and a camera, so on.

'I "should" be able to see it' is a risky business in testing environments, I've found.
 
Aleser said:
I personally would suggest attempting an alternate test, such as one with a real live person and a camera, so on.

'I "should" be able to see it' is a risky business in testing environments, I've found.
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I would strongly doubt the test could be presented by a real person. The content of the test is confidential, but I can tell you that the nature of the test would make it very difficult for it to be presented by a live person.
 
hjones711 said:
why is that?
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People who take RID tests sign confidentiality agreements, so I really can't give more information. But the nature of the test - which you may find more information on in your test prep materials - is not conducive to a live person presenting the test. I really don't think it would work.

But you said that if you sit close enough to the TV, you wouldn't have a problem seeing it, so it's kind of a moot point.

Then again, not all interpreters are certified. You can avoid the situation altogether by not becoming certified, and working jobs that do not use certified interpreters. There are plenty such jobs out there.
 
hjones711 said:
why is that?
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The NIC test cannot be given live. The test is given via DVD and is recorded on a videotape which is copied and sent to three raters who evaluate the interpreter's performance individually. The scores are then sent to RID and tallied and the interpreter is notified if s/he passed and at what level.

There is no way to test in front of a live panel. The old CSC test used a live panel and that method was found to be unreliable.
 
Etoile said:
People who take RID tests sign confidentiality agreements, so I really can't give more information. But the nature of the test - which you may find more information on in your test prep materials - is not conducive to a live person presenting the test. I really don't think it would work.

But you said that if you sit close enough to the TV, you wouldn't have a problem seeing it, so it's kind of a moot point.

Then again, not all interpreters are certified. You can avoid the situation altogether by not becoming certified, and working jobs that do not use certified interpreters. There are plenty such jobs out there.
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I think the board can make some accodomations for blind people. I dont see why they cant?
 
shel90 said:
I think the board can make some accodomations for blind people. I dont see why they cant?
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Like Chris said, there is no board exactly. The test is conducted by a proctor, not a rater. And fundamentally changing the way in which the test is conducted is probably not considered a "reasonable" accommodation. If a candidate were totally blind, they would not be able to take the test, because it is given on a TV screen. But if they have partial sight, and they can see the TV screen if proper adjustments are made to the seating arrangements, that would be considered reasonable.
 
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