Working with Interpreters At George Brown College

Working With Interpreters Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services & Diversity, Equity and Human Rights PRESENTED BY:

Working With Interpreters Working with American Sign Language interpreters can be a great experience for everyone at George Brown College. HELLO ! Sign Language interpreters translate between American Sign Language and English enhancing the quality of interaction between Deaf and hearing individuals. How does it all work? Read on for more information… (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Office arranges interpreters for mandated courses and class activities. The Diversity, Equity and Human Rights Office arranges interpreters for Deaf staff and campus-wide events. Following are 10 tips for working with Sign Language interpreters… (Click to continue) For class-related activities with Deaf & hard of hearing students: For meetings and events with Deaf & hard of hearing staff: Sharon Learmonth x (tty) Monique Bozzer x6236

Working With Interpreters We depend on your voice. You will not generally need to change your speed for the interpreter, but clarity is crucial. If an interpreter is having difficulty hearing or understanding they will politely ask you to repeat a concept. At times it may be necessary to write down a technical term or explain unknown vocabulary. (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters Eye contact is good. When speaking 1 on 1 with a Deaf person, talk directly to them, without saying “tell him / her…”, etc. The interpreter will accurately convey what is said without adding, changing or deleting the content of the message. The interpreter will also interpret for the Deaf individual, voicing as if they were that person - in the first person. (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters There will be a small delay. Interpreters lag slightly behind the message in order to grasp the entire meaning. American Sign Language is not a word-for-word translation of English, but a separate language with its own grammar. The small delay in interpretation may require a bit of patience during interactive sessions with the students or staff. (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters Preparation is essential. Interpreters are often placed in situations that require them to learn new information. Please provide the interpreter with copies of any handouts, reading material or visual presentations in advance. If using WebCT, or other on-line resources, the interpreter may need to have access arranged (permission, password, etc). (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters Standing by you. Interpreters typically sit or stand at the front of the room, near the presentation area. This allows for the Deaf individual to capture as much visual information as possible, no matter where they are. Occasionally the interpreter will need to approach and/or reference visual media such as charts or drawings. (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters People can be passionate. Sometimes lively interaction can be challenging to follow and accurately interpret. In order to hear everything interpreters need one person to speak at a time, loud enough to be heard. Raising hands to speak allows the interpreter to identify who is talking and permits the Deaf individuals to participate equally. (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters Caution required. Interpreting is a mentally and physically demanding job that can potentially lead to musculoskeletal injuries. Interpreters depend on the standard ten minute break per hour in order to stay healthy and attentive. Where longer classes or events require it, two interpreters will work together, switching back and forth at regular intervals. (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters Videos need to be open or closed captioned. This includes media on the internet such as ‘YouTube’ and ‘Google’ videos. The college now has a “Captioned Media & E-text Policy” to provide all media in accessible formats. (See the next slide) With enough lead-time a captioned version can often be found or produced. Contact the Accessible Media Coordinator at x2782. (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters “George Brown College is committed to the fundamental academic principles of equity and accessibility by providing all students and staff with equitable access to the College’s programs, services, events and staff development activities. The aim of this policy is to support an inclusive academic environment by incorporating design concepts that reduce or remove barriers. The College will achieve this goal by endorsing a policy on the use of captioned media & electronic text.” “All media resources purchased and used in the College must be captioned or captionable and all text books used for instructional purposes must be available in an e-text format. All new instructional, informational, marketing and promotional audio-visual materials produced by the College will be produced with captions on the master tape to ensure all subsequent copies will be captioned. This will include all course materials posted on WebCT (or other similar course management systems) for student use.” “Media may be available with closed or open captioning. Closed captioned media provides the option of having the captions appear on the screen through a decoder, which is built into the television. Open captioned media does not require a decoder as the captioning is permanently part of the picture and cannot be turned off.” (Click to continue) Captioned Media & E-text Policy (abbreviated)

Working With Interpreters Changes have big effects. Any changes to the class / event time, or place, will impact the availability of our interpreters. Interpreters do not work with one person exclusively. They may be hired for various dates and times across the GTA. Please contact the appropriate interpreter office as soon as any changes are known, or being considered. (Click to continue)

Working With Interpreters (Click to continue) Roles and responsibilities. Interpreters on assignment do not personally participate in discussions or question periods. Further, interpreters do not act as test proctors, teacher assistants, student tutors, disability consultants or notetakers. If you have any questions please feel free to speak with the interpreter before or after the assignment.

Working With Interpreters You can also contact our offices directly to ask any questions, report any changes, or to request additional services.* (*Departmental fees/costs may apply.) (Click to continue) For classes/activities with Deaf & hard of hearing students: For meetings/events with Deaf & hard of hearing staff: Sharon Learmonth x (tty) Monique Bozzer x6236

Working With Interpreters We look forward to making this a wonderful experience for you and your class / participants… see you there! THANK YOU (Click to repeat or ‘Esc’ to end) Created by: Paul Schortemeyer and Monique Bozzer Send comments to: