ASL interpreting 101 for hearing people | Andrew Tolman & Lauren Tolo | TEDxBend
-
0:20 - 0:22So imagine you're getting all
settled into your seat. -
0:23 - 0:24Nice and cozy.
-
0:24 - 0:26Maybe you're at the theater maybe
-
0:26 - 0:29you're at the book tour of your
favorite author. -
0:29 - 0:30Or maybe a TED talk!
-
0:32 - 0:34When you're getting settled, you notice
-
0:34 - 0:37there's a Sign Language interpreter
at the front. -
0:38 - 0:39How many of you saw that
and thought -
0:39 - 0:41this is gonna be really cool?
-
0:42 - 0:44Sign Language is so beautiful!
-
0:44 - 0:45And got a little more cozy?
-
0:46 - 0:47Right?
-
0:47 - 0:49Yes for a Sign Language!
-
0:51 - 0:53Sign Language is beautiful.
-
0:53 - 0:57Let me tell you and the interpreting
process is absolutely cool. -
0:59 - 1:02But, interpreters are not performers.
-
1:03 - 1:07Interpreters are an important part
of accessibility and inclusion. -
1:08 - 1:11And think about the Deaf people
that are there. -
1:11 - 1:14They're the ones that requested the
accommodation, but they rarely -
1:14 - 1:16get the same attention in
those kinds of spaces. -
1:17 - 1:20Being an interpreter is not glamorous.
-
1:20 - 1:25It's actually very, very,
very, hard work. -
1:27 - 1:33And just as much as it is our job to
provide our skills to the Deaf community, -
1:33 - 1:37it is equally if not more important
for us to work alongside hearing people -
1:37 - 1:40like yourselves who do not know
American Sign Language, -
1:40 - 1:44and often need crucial information
from Deaf of Hard of Hearing people. -
1:45 - 1:48A doctor needs to know exactly
what is wrong with their patient. -
1:49 - 1:53A teacher needs to know that their
student comprehends all lectures, -
1:53 - 1:54and homework.
-
1:54 - 1:59An interpreter in those situations
is given a lot trust to facilitate -
1:59 - 2:01all of those dynamics effectively.
-
2:02 - 2:06According to the 2011 American
Community Survey, -
2:06 - 2:09roughly 11 million individuals
consider themselves Deaf or -
2:09 - 2:11have serious difficulty hearing.
-
2:11 - 2:15Many of these people identify culturally
as Deaf with a capital D, -
2:15 - 2:17not hearing impaired.
-
2:18 - 2:22Deaf people as a cultural identity
are richly diverse, and today they are -
2:22 - 2:24making strides in every field.
-
2:24 - 2:29Developing new medical advances,
and inventing new technologies. -
2:29 - 2:33They are lawyers, and CEOs,
and political candidates, and they -
2:33 - 2:37are revolutionizing the idea
of universal access. -
2:37 - 2:41But if certified, qualified, interpreters
are not provided alongside -
2:41 - 2:46other forms of accommodation,
then there's an issue. -
2:48 - 2:55You're missing out on 11 million
game changes, revolutionaries, co-workers. -
2:56 - 2:57Here's the thing.
-
2:57 - 3:00Historically ASL interpreters were
just friends and family members. -
3:00 - 3:04The children of deaf adults or CODAs,
were often the ones responsible -
3:04 - 3:07to facilitate language for their family
-
3:07 - 3:10Other people were just friends who
happen to know the language, -
3:10 - 3:11and had a big heart.
-
3:12 - 3:14And our career is still very young.
-
3:14 - 3:19American Sign Language didn't even
start to be recognized as its full, own, -
3:19 - 3:22autonomous language until the 60s.
-
3:23 - 3:27And interpreters didn't start receiving
any sort of training until the 70s. -
3:28 - 3:32Those programs were typically only a
few weeks long, and focused on -
3:32 - 3:33vocabulary building.
-
3:33 - 3:37But there was very little discussion
on the vicarious effects that interpreting -
3:37 - 3:43process can have on the interpreter,
and how serious the consequences can be. -
3:43 - 3:45Mostly on the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing community -
3:45 - 3:48when those language facilitators
are ineffective. -
3:49 - 3:54A hearing interpreter strives to
neutrally and judiciously facilitate -
3:54 - 3:58both cultural and linguistic intent
between Deaf and hearing parties. -
3:59 - 4:03We are not just dealing with words
but the intent and emotion behind, -
4:03 - 4:04and around those words.
-
4:05 - 4:08We do not give a word for word, or a
watered down summary of what someone -
4:08 - 4:14is saying, but actually Sign Language
interpreting is mostly done simultaneously. -
4:14 - 4:17So as you can see on stage,
the interpreters are producing a -
4:17 - 4:22linguistically, culturally, and
dynamically equivalent message in -
4:22 - 4:26in American Sign Language, live,
with just a few seconds of lag time. -
4:26 - 4:31American Sign Language is rich with
its own culture and grammar, -
4:31 - 4:36and regional accents, and it uses
the face and the body to create -
4:36 - 4:40richness and context that would
otherwise be just a simple hand movement. -
4:40 - 4:44It changes and flows with the
culture around it, and in this case -
4:44 - 4:47of simultaneous sign language
interpreting, there are two processes -
4:47 - 4:51happening in the brain:
visual and auditory. -
4:51 - 4:55According to studies, there are
literally too many complex processes -
4:55 - 5:00in simultaneous interpretation for
even the world's best supercomputer -
5:00 - 5:02to run at the same time.
-
5:02 - 5:06Interpreters must understand
contexts along with tone, body language, -
5:06 - 5:10facial expression, emotion, and
produce a dynamically equivalent -
5:10 - 5:14interpretation without disrupting
the flow of conversation, no matter -
5:14 - 5:16how intense it might get.
-
5:16 - 5:20Just imagine the difference between
interpreting for an argument vs. -
5:20 - 5:21a boring lecture.
-
5:22 - 5:26Or, imagine the difference of an
interpreter for President Obama -
5:26 - 5:27compared to President Trump.
-
5:32 - 5:38Today, Interpreters are professionals
that have to deal with all of that. -
5:38 - 5:43We graduate from bachelor and master
programs and we are required to -
5:43 - 5:45continue our education after that.
-
5:45 - 5:48Going to workshops and engaging with
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, -
5:48 - 5:53talking about research that comes out
about our field almost every single day. -
5:54 - 5:58We now realize that the interpreting
process is incredibly nuanced, -
5:58 - 6:00and very complicated.
-
6:00 - 6:06There's vicarious trauma involved,
Power and Privilege dynamics, -
6:06 - 6:09and interpreters must be very
cognizant of the effects that we -
6:09 - 6:14can have on people's lives as
we navigate those dynamics. -
6:14 - 6:20Interpreters work in a variety of
fields so we're learning new things from -
6:20 - 6:24the Deaf community all the time
and developing new types interpreting -
6:24 - 6:28like pro-tactile interpreting
alongside the Deaf-Blind community, -
6:28 - 6:31or working alongside Deaf people,
who are native speakers and act as -
6:31 - 6:36certified deaf interpreters; adding
cultural context that hearing people -
6:36 - 6:39like ourselves typically are unable
to produce. -
6:40 - 6:44And while all of this amazing, amazing
progress is happening, we still have -
6:44 - 6:47a really, really long way to go.
-
6:48 - 6:53Certified does not always mean qualified
because agencies are still placing -
6:53 - 6:58interpreters to match accommodation needs
without directly asking Deaf people -
6:58 - 7:00what they need.
-
7:00 - 7:04An interpreter could show up, and have
no idea what we're doing, and that -
7:04 - 7:09can have serious consequences on people's
lives, and can affect that interpreter. -
7:10 - 7:13Everyone involved is at risk
when that happens. -
7:14 - 7:19So overall, interpreters are called to
work at a level that is both professional, -
7:19 - 7:20and ethical.
-
7:20 - 7:24This standard comes from our Code of
Professional Conduct, or CPC, -
7:24 - 7:28that works to set the standard for
interpreting practices and keeps -
7:28 - 7:30certified interpreters working ethically.
-
7:31 - 7:34Certification alongside
accountability systems like -
7:34 - 7:38Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
protect working professionals, -
7:38 - 7:40as well as the rights of Deaf individuals.
-
7:41 - 7:47However, the US currently has only
one nationally accepted test to certify -
7:47 - 7:50hearing people as American Sign Language
interpreters. -
7:50 - 7:57As of 2015, there is no nationally
recognized exam for legal interpreters, -
7:58 - 8:02and there has never been a nationally
recognized exam for healthcare -
8:02 - 8:05interpreters in the history
of the profession. -
8:07 - 8:11Another major problem is that some
states, like Oregon, this national -
8:11 - 8:14certification test is not mandated by law.
-
8:15 - 8:19So anyone who can prove they "know
Sign Language," can potentially be -
8:19 - 8:22hired by an agency, and sent to work
out with a Deaf person. -
8:23 - 8:24Even in medical settings.
-
8:26 - 8:31Many agencies who contract interpreters
cannot, or do not, effectively screen -
8:31 - 8:33their interpreters for quality and skill.
-
8:33 - 8:38This lack of services can be worse in
rural areas, like here in Central Oregon, -
8:38 - 8:40where resources are already limited.
-
8:41 - 8:46Deaf people often have to choose between
subpar access, or no access at all, -
8:46 - 8:50and then have no place to file a complaint
that will actually make a difference. -
8:51 - 8:54When hearing people like ourselves are
collaborating directly with -
8:54 - 8:58the Deaf community, we know how
to use our privilege, and our access -
8:58 - 9:03to support Deaf people's creation of
inclusive spaces for themselves. -
9:03 - 9:07When we are all included, everyone wins.
-
9:08 - 9:14For example, this could even be important
in a community grassroots activists setting -
9:14 - 9:21like in 2018, when I was called to serve
by the Deaf community at Occupy ICE PDX. -
9:21 - 9:27For 38 days, protesters fought to
shut downs the DHS office in Portland, -
9:27 - 9:32and protested the separation of families,
and the abuses happening at the border. -
9:32 - 9:37And as we all know here in Oregon,
political action like that is nothing new, -
9:37 - 9:42but Occupy ICE PDX was very unique
because for the first time, -
9:42 - 9:49an entire camp and all its complexities
was made accessible because Deaf, -
9:49 - 9:53and Hard of Hearing community members,
and activists showed up, -
9:53 - 9:55and put themselves on the front line.
-
9:55 - 9:59And that camp kept its commitment
to fighting for all people by providing -
9:59 - 10:04Sign Language interpreters, and other
forms of accommodation and accessibility. -
10:04 - 10:08I was fortunate enough to be involved
and helped coordinate a team of roughly -
10:08 - 10:1310 Sign Language interpreters who showed
up for vigils, direct action, -
10:13 - 10:15community meetings.
-
10:16 - 10:23We had interactions with armed
officers, and we interpreted live arrests. -
10:24 - 10:30This type of inclusion was new for Deaf
people and Sign Language interpreters. -
10:31 - 10:33But what came of it was beautiful.
-
10:33 - 10:38New, specialized vocabulary was
discussed on by the Deaf community -
10:38 - 10:40for the first time ever.
-
10:41 - 10:45That language empowered them to create
their own narrative in those spaces, -
10:45 - 10:48and helped interpreters like Lauren,
and I know exactly how to -
10:48 - 10:50match those needs.
-
10:51 - 10:54When everyone is involved in
that work, everyone wins. -
10:54 - 10:58We're still doing that activists work
today because of the creation of -
10:58 - 11:04vocabulary, and concepts that the Deaf
community were able to make for themselves. -
11:04 - 11:09And not only just talk about the Deaf
experience, but be included enough to -
11:09 - 11:13engage on any topic they wanted.
-
11:14 - 11:18But let's be honest,
the modern world revolves around -
11:18 - 11:24auditory information gathering,
and most people who have the privilege -
11:24 - 11:28of hearing don't think twice about it,
and are able to partake at ease. -
11:29 - 11:32There are many situations in which you
may all have never thought about life -
11:32 - 11:34from a perspective other than hearing.
-
11:34 - 11:38But I want you to take a moment,
and think back to your favorite class -
11:38 - 11:40in elementary school,
-
11:40 - 11:43or think back to your first job interview.
-
11:44 - 11:47Maybe a time you were scared to
receive some news, or maybe your -
11:47 - 11:50first court appearance for a
speeding ticket. -
11:51 - 11:53The birth of your child,
-
11:53 - 11:54or a funeral.
-
11:55 - 12:01Interpreters are often a rotating cast
of strangers in these, and so many other -
12:01 - 12:03moments of Deaf people's lives
-
12:03 - 12:07Andrew and I have been those strangers
in the room, and those extra bodies, -
12:07 - 12:08and on the video screen.
-
12:08 - 12:12we are privy to stories that are not our
own, and experience moments -
12:12 - 12:15in people's lives that we would never
otherwise have knowledge of. -
12:16 - 12:22Professional interpreters are called to
work for respect for consumers, and -
12:22 - 12:27co-workers, while also prioritizing
confidentiality and privacy. -
12:28 - 12:32Those stories good, and bad belong
to the Deaf community, and are not -
12:32 - 12:33for interpreters to tell.
-
12:35 - 12:36That's right.
-
12:37 - 12:38The thing is;
-
12:40 - 12:44when you see an interpreter we are
not here to teach you cool signs, -
12:44 - 12:45or talk on the side.
-
12:46 - 12:47It's not a performance.
-
12:48 - 12:53We are working hard to provide
accessibility to hearing and Deaf people. -
12:54 - 12:59The ADA states that places of public
accommodation must allow people with -
12:59 - 13:05disabilities to participate in, and
benefit from equally in any service. -
13:06 - 13:10So, what is the best way for all of you
to know that you're providing the right -
13:10 - 13:11kinds of accommodations?
-
13:12 - 13:14You can start by researching locally.
-
13:15 - 13:18Start in the places that you work,
or places that you frequent. -
13:19 - 13:23Are they able and ready to provide
a number of access points, including -
13:23 - 13:25Sign Language interpreters upon request?
-
13:26 - 13:32Also please start to push your legislators
to put certified, qualified interpreters -
13:32 - 13:36into the legislation here, and start
demanding that certification, -
13:36 - 13:39and that standardization
make its way to Oregon. -
13:39 - 13:44Also find Deaf organizations that are
already doing that work, and throw -
13:44 - 13:49your full weight behind them because
those accountability processes must be -
13:49 - 13:51in the hands of the Deaf community.
-
13:52 - 13:57But most importantly, ask Deaf people,
engage with them directly. -
13:58 - 14:02Support Deaf professionals, and
organizations that are already doing -
14:02 - 14:03the work.
-
14:03 - 14:08Ask them what makes a good interpreter,
inspire them, and empower them to give -
14:08 - 14:10their own experiences, and more of their
own TED Talks. -
14:11 - 14:15Our time on this stage has been an
honor, but we want to be clear; -
14:15 - 14:20interpreters are only one part of
the story, and only one option -
14:20 - 14:23in a myriad of different kinds of
accommodation and access. -
14:24 - 14:29The work of an interpreter exists
symbiotically with the Deaf community. -
14:29 - 14:33Because if they are not empowered
to regulate, and educate, and keep -
14:33 - 14:37accountable, the interpreters that you
all depend on, then we as interpreters -
14:37 - 14:41are not able to grow our field to match
the ever changing world. -
14:42 - 14:48It is simple: the best way to ensure that
your work is successful -
14:48 - 14:51is to make that work accessible,
and inclusive. -
14:51 - 14:55And accessibility in itself is not
revolutionary. -
14:56 - 15:00But again when everyone is involved,
I think you'd be surprised at how -
15:00 - 15:02extraordinary it could be.
-
15:02 - 15:05Please don't just take our word for it.
-
15:05 - 15:10Go get yourself an awesome interpreter,
and ask the Deaf community what they're -
15:10 - 15:11already doing.
-
15:11 - 15:15Without that kind of accessibility
how would you ever know what -
15:15 - 15:17you have been missing out on?
-
15:18 - 15:20Thank you.
-
15:20 - 15:23(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
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 15:29