Taught by William Ross
Workshop Synopsis: Each sign language interpreter has a role and accompanying responsibilities that are all encompassing; linguistic, logistic, behavioral and relational (to name a few). Every decision we make is loaded with ethical implications that can impact the life and liberty of members of the Deaf community. But, have you ever stopped to consider WHY you make the decisions you do? We are clearly influenced by multiple factors, some of which are, the laws of the legal system, the Code of Professional Conduct, and individual workplace policies and procedures. However, this workshop proposes, the historic values of our profession hold sway over our belief system and subsequently our behavior. The antiquated values of neutrality, invisibility, secrecy and the overemphasis on role continue to influence practitioners, both new and old alike. It is vital that we understand the depth of these rooted values and our profession’s drive to maintain the status quo. Together, we will examine and discuss why we lean in one “ethical direction” instead of another and its impact on community trust. Consideration will be given to relational autonomy and the conditions that foster transparent decision-making by interpreters and the other individuals involved in the interpreting process.
Presenter Bio: William F. Ross III, a child of Deaf parents, has been interpreting for more than 36 years and holds dual certification (CI/CT) from the Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf. He has a Master of Science Degree in Special Education from Missouri State University. Currently, Bill is the Curriculum Development Specialist at Deaf Bible Society (DBS); developing trainings and resources for individuals who work on Bible translation into Sign Language. Prior to coming to DBS, he was the Program Director of the Carlstrom Interpreter Training Program at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Ross was previously the Director of the Communication Access Support Services Department at North Carolina School for the Deaf (NCSD); where he established the NCSD Mentorship Project and Distance Learning Mentoring Program to provide ongoing support to educational and freelance interpreters. He is passionate about building mentoring relationships, studying ASL and accompanying interpreters on the journey of perfecting their craft.
