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ASL interpreting 101 for hearing people | Andrew Tolman & Lauren Tolo | TEDxBend

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    So imagine you're getting all
    settled into your seat.
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    Nice and cozy.
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    Maybe you're at the theater maybe
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    you're at the book tour of your
    favorite author.
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    Or maybe a TED talk!
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    When you're getting settled, you notice
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    there's a Sign Language interpreter
    at the front.
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    How many of you saw that
    and thought
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    this is gonna be really cool?
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    Sign Language is so beautiful!
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    And got a little more cozy?
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    Right?
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    Yes for a Sign Language!
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    Sign Language is beautiful.
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    Let me tell you and the interpreting
    process is absolutely cool.
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    But, interpreters are not performers.
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    Interpreters are an important part
    of accessibility and inclusion.
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    And think about the Deaf people
    that are there.
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    They're the ones that requested the
    accommodation, but they rarely
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    get the same attention in
    those kinds of spaces.
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    Being an interpreter is not glamorous.
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    It's actually very, very,
    very, hard work.
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    And just as much as it is our job to
    provide our skills to the Deaf community,
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    it is equally if not more important
    for us to work alongside hearing people
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    like yourselves who do not know
    American Sign Language,
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    and often need crucial information
    from Deaf of Hard of Hearing people.
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    A doctor needs to know exactly
    what is wrong with their patient.
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    A teacher needs to know that their
    student comprehends all lectures,
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    and homework.
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    An interpreter in those situations
    is given a lot trust to facilitate
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    all of those dynamics effectively.
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    According to the 2011 American
    Community Survey,
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    roughly 11 million individuals
    consider themselves Deaf or
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    have serious difficulty hearing.
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    Many of these people identify culturally
    as Deaf with a capital D,
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    not hearing impaired.
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    Deaf people as a cultural identity
    are richly diverse, and today they are
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    making strides in every field.
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    Developing new medical advances,
    and inventing new technologies.
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    They are lawyers, and CEOs,
    and political candidates, and they
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    are revolutionizing the idea
    of universal access.
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    But if certified, qualified, interpreters
    are not provided alongside
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    other forms of accommodation,
    then there's an issue.
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    You're missing out on 11 million
    game changes, revolutionaries, co-workers.
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    Here's the thing.
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    Historically ASL interpreters were
    just friends and family members.
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    The children of deaf adults or CODAs,
    were often the ones responsible
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    to facilitate language for their family
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    Other people were just friends who
    happen to know the language,
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    and had a big heart.
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    And our career is still very young.
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    American Sign Language didn't even
    start to be recognized as its full, own,
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    autonomous language until the 60s.
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    And interpreters didn't start receiving
    any sort of training until the 70s.
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    Those programs were typically only a
    few weeks long, and focused on
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    vocabulary building.
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    But there was very little discussion
    on the vicarious effects that interpreting
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    process can have on the interpreter,
    and how serious the consequences can be.
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    Mostly on the Deaf and
    Hard of Hearing community
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    when those language facilitators
    are ineffective.
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    A hearing interpreter strives to
    neutrally and judiciously facilitate
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    both cultural and linguistic intent
    between Deaf and hearing parties.
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    We are not just dealing with words
    but the intent and emotion behind,
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    and around those words.
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    We do not give a word for word, or a
    watered down summary of what someone
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    is saying, but actually Sign Language
    interpreting is mostly done simultaneously.
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    So as you can see on stage,
    the interpreters are producing a
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    linguistically, culturally, and
    dynamically equivalent message in
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    in American Sign Language, live,
    with just a few seconds of lag time.
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    American Sign Language is rich with
    its own culture and grammar,
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    and regional accents, and it uses
    the face and the body to create
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    richness and context that would
    otherwise be just a simple hand movement.
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    It changes and flows with the
    culture around it, and in this case
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    of simultaneous sign language
    interpreting, there are two processes
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    happening in the brain:
    visual and auditory.
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    According to studies, there are
    literally too many complex processes
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    in simultaneous interpretation for
    even the world's best supercomputer
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    to run at the same time.
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    Interpreters must understand
    contexts along with tone, body language,
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    facial expression, emotion, and
    produce a dynamically equivalent
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    interpretation without disrupting
    the flow of conversation, no matter
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    how intense it might get.
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    Just imagine the difference between
    interpreting for an argument vs.
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    a boring lecture.
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    Or, imagine the difference of an
    interpreter for President Obama
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    compared to President Trump.
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    Today, Interpreters are professionals
    that have to deal with all of that.
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    We graduate from bachelor and master
    programs and we are required to
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    continue our education after that.
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    Going to workshops and engaging with
    the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community,
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    talking about research that comes out
    about our field almost every single day.
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    We now realize that the interpreting
    process is incredibly nuanced,
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    and very complicated.
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    There's vicarious trauma involved,
    Power and Privilege dynamics,
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    and interpreters must be very
    cognizant of the effects that we
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    can have on people's lives as
    we navigate those dynamics.
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    Interpreters work in a variety of
    fields so we're learning new things from
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    the Deaf community all the time
    and developing new types interpreting
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    like pro-tactile interpreting
    alongside the Deaf-Blind community,
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    or working alongside Deaf people,
    who are native speakers and act as
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    certified deaf interpreters; adding
    cultural context that hearing people
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    like ourselves typically are unable
    to produce.
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    And while all of this amazing, amazing
    progress is happening, we still have
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    a really, really long way to go.
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    Certified does not always mean qualified
    because agencies are still placing
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    interpreters to match accommodation needs
    without directly asking Deaf people
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    what they need.
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    An interpreter could show up, and have
    no idea what we're doing, and that
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    can have serious consequences on people's
    lives, and can affect that interpreter.
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    Everyone involved is at risk
    when that happens.
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    So overall, interpreters are called to
    work at a level that is both professional,
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    and ethical.
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    This standard comes from our Code of
    Professional Conduct, or CPC,
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    that works to set the standard for
    interpreting practices and keeps
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    certified interpreters working ethically.
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    Certification alongside
    accountability systems like
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    Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
    protect working professionals,
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    as well as the rights of Deaf individuals.
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    However, the US currently has only
    one nationally accepted test to certify
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    hearing people as American Sign Language
    interpreters.
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    As of 2015, there is no nationally
    recognized exam for legal interpreters,
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    and there has never been a nationally
    recognized exam for healthcare
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    interpreters in the history
    of the profession.
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    Another major problem is that some
    states, like Oregon, this national
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    certification test is not mandated by law.
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    So anyone who can prove they "know
    Sign Language," can potentially be
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    hired by an agency, and sent to work
    out with a Deaf person.
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    Even in medical settings.
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    Many agencies who contract interpreters
    cannot, or do not, effectively screen
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    their interpreters for quality and skill.
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    This lack of services can be worse in
    rural areas, like here in Central Oregon,
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    where resources are already limited.
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    Deaf people often have to choose between
    subpar access, or no access at all,
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    and then have no place to file a complaint
    that will actually make a difference.
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    When hearing people like ourselves are
    collaborating directly with
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    the Deaf community, we know how
    to use our privilege, and our access
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    to support Deaf people's creation of
    inclusive spaces for themselves.
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    When we are all included, everyone wins.
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    For example, this could even be important
    in a community grassroots activists setting
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    like in 2018, when I was called to serve
    by the Deaf community at Occupy ICE PDX.
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    For 38 days, protesters fought to
    shut downs the DHS office in Portland,
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    and protested the separation of families,
    and the abuses happening at the border.
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    And as we all know here in Oregon,
    political action like that is nothing new,
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    but Occupy ICE PDX was very unique
    because for the first time,
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    an entire camp and all its complexities
    was made accessible because Deaf,
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    and Hard of Hearing community members,
    and activists showed up,
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    and put themselves on the front line.
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    And that camp kept its commitment
    to fighting for all people by providing
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    Sign Language interpreters, and other
    forms of accommodation and accessibility.
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    I was fortunate enough to be involved
    and helped coordinate a team of roughly
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    10 Sign Language interpreters who showed
    up for vigils, direct action,
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    community meetings.
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    We had interactions with armed
    officers, and we interpreted live arrests.
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    This type of inclusion was new for Deaf
    people and Sign Language interpreters.
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    But what came of it was beautiful.
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    New, specialized vocabulary was
    discussed on by the Deaf community
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    for the first time ever.
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    That language empowered them to create
    their own narrative in those spaces,
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    and helped interpreters like Lauren,
    and I know exactly how to
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    match those needs.
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    When everyone is involved in
    that work, everyone wins.
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    We're still doing that activists work
    today because of the creation of
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    vocabulary, and concepts that the Deaf
    community were able to make for themselves.
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    And not only just talk about the Deaf
    experience, but be included enough to
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    engage on any topic they wanted.
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    But let's be honest,
    the modern world revolves around
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    auditory information gathering,
    and most people who have the privilege
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    of hearing don't think twice about it,
    and are able to partake at ease.
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    There are many situations in which you
    may all have never thought about life
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    from a perspective other than hearing.
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    But I want you to take a moment,
    and think back to your favorite class
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    in elementary school,
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    or think back to your first job interview.
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    Maybe a time you were scared to
    receive some news, or maybe your
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    first court appearance for a
    speeding ticket.
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    The birth of your child,
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    or a funeral.
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    Interpreters are often a rotating cast
    of strangers in these, and so many other
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    moments of Deaf people's lives
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    Andrew and I have been those strangers
    in the room, and those extra bodies,
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    and on the video screen.
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    we are privy to stories that are not our
    own, and experience moments
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    in people's lives that we would never
    otherwise have knowledge of.
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    Professional interpreters are called to
    work for respect for consumers, and
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    co-workers, while also prioritizing
    confidentiality and privacy.
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    Those stories good, and bad belong
    to the Deaf community, and are not
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    for interpreters to tell.
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    That's right.
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    The thing is;
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    when you see an interpreter we are
    not here to teach you cool signs,
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    or talk on the side.
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    It's not a performance.
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    We are working hard to provide
    accessibility to hearing and Deaf people.
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    The ADA states that places of public
    accommodation must allow people with
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    disabilities to participate in, and
    benefit from equally in any service.
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    So, what is the best way for all of you
    to know that you're providing the right
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    kinds of accommodations?
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    You can start by researching locally.
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    Start in the places that you work,
    or places that you frequent.
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    Are they able and ready to provide
    a number of access points, including
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    Sign Language interpreters upon request?
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    Also please start to push your legislators
    to put certified, qualified interpreters
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    into the legislation here, and start
    demanding that certification,
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    and that standardization
    make its way to Oregon.
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    Also find Deaf organizations that are
    already doing that work, and throw
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    your full weight behind them because
    those accountability processes must be
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    in the hands of the Deaf community.
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    But most importantly, ask Deaf people,
    engage with them directly.
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    Support Deaf professionals, and
    organizations that are already doing
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    the work.
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    Ask them what makes a good interpreter,
    inspire them, and empower them to give
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    their own experiences, and more of their
    own TED Talks.
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    Our time on this stage has been an
    honor, but we want to be clear;
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    interpreters are only one part of
    the story, and only one option
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    in a myriad of different kinds of
    accommodation and access.
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    The work of an interpreter exists
    symbiotically with the Deaf community.
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    Because if they are not empowered
    to regulate, and educate, and keep
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    accountable, the interpreters that you
    all depend on, then we as interpreters
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    are not able to grow our field to match
    the ever changing world.
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    It is simple: the best way to ensure that
    your work is successful
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    is to make that work accessible,
    and inclusive.
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    And accessibility in itself is not
    revolutionary.
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    But again when everyone is involved,
    I think you'd be surprised at how
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    extraordinary it could be.
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    Please don't just take our word for it.
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    Go get yourself an awesome interpreter,
    and ask the Deaf community what they're
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    already doing.
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    Without that kind of accessibility
    how would you ever know what
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    you have been missing out on?
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    Thank you.
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    (Applause)
Title:
ASL interpreting 101 for hearing people | Andrew Tolman & Lauren Tolo | TEDxBend
Description:

"I have no idea what you were saying up there, but it looked so beautiful!!" Hearing American Sign Language Interpreters Andrew Tolman and Lauren Tolo briefly explain the history, process, and role of ASL Interpreters, hoping to inspire hearing people to do what they can daily to bridge the gap between Deaf and Hearing parties. Community building starts with educating the general population about how hearing privilege can be used to leverage change and promote full accessibility and inclusion in all spaces. Andrew Tolman is a 29-year-old musician and ASL Interpreter currently living in Portland, OR on historically Clackamas Chinook and Molalla land. Inspired by their time working for the historic Philip J. Wolfe Portland City Council campaign, OCCUPY ICE PDX, Don’t Shoot Portland, and the Central American Refugee Caravan (among many others) as a Sign Language Interpreter, Andrew found himself joining the unbroken chain of resistance thousands of years old and invigorated by a new mission. Currently, Andrew finds himself working closely with both Hearing and Deaf activists and fighters to bring accessibility to the front lines. Through the founding of their group ‘FingersCrossedInterpreting.com’, Andrew hopes to continue to build bridges by making it easy for community-based Hearing activists to reach into Deaf and Hard of Hearing activist spaces and make meaningful connection, empowering both communities with resources and information to strengthen the fight for equality. The fact is that accessibility benefits everyone because everyone has a story to share. Andrew hopes to continue serving his community in solidarity for as long as possible and to inspire other interpreters and communities to proudly do the same.

Lauren began working in the classroom at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind as an Intervener, working one-on-one with DeafBlind students providing information that the individual is unable to gather on their own. She was inspired to dedicate her professional life to facilitating communication and bridging the gap between the Deaf and hearing worlds. Out of this experience emerged her career as an educational interpreter. Now, living in Central Oregon, she interprets for a Deaf student in a general education classroom. Lauren is committed to providing full inclusion, and strives to always empower Deaf and Hearing children, regardless of their identity otherwise, with the knowledge to advocate for themselves, discover themselves, broaden their horizons, and accomplish their dreams. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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Video Language:
English
Team:
closed TED
Project:
TEDxTalks
Duration:
15:29

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