Interpreters with Deaf Parents
Post-Conference Notes from Lynnette Taylor
Community Forum - What is our IQ (Impact Quotient)
Summary 2007WOW!!! What an amazing event. I can’t thank everyone enough for showing your support, for helping out by giving donations, by being there, by reminding RID that this was a community organization and it needs to return to that value as its center.
There were over 360 people who attended and more than 75 turned away. Some waited for over an hour in the hallway hoping to get in.
All of this just shows that there are many of us who care very deeply about the relationship between interpreters and the Deaf community. People want to come together and explore these issues and our relationships and as you know, it won’t always be easy but it will be far healthier for all of us if we move together allowing the needs and values of the Deaf community to guide our practices instead of a sterile professional model based on Hearing (I have decided to capitalize H to reflect “profoundly hearing”, to coin Gary Sanderson’s phrase) corporate values.
Many board members were present and I thank them for coming: Angela Jones, Bruce King, Cheryl Moose, Glendia Boon. All of the board members had other commitments and were unable to stay through the whole event but Cheryl Moose decided to stay through the whole thing. She has offered to provide space from RID to continue these forums at each regional conference! Thank you!
The collaboration between Deaf Members in Leadership, Interpreters with Deaf Parents , Deaf Caucus and Interpreters for the Deaf Blind was a great experience leading to a stronger support base and recognition of shared concerns.
I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the panelists, all of us were very nervous about opening this discussion, knowing that there are a lot of strong feelings out there so I thank you for your commitment and courage.
PANELISTS:
Lillian Garcia ( co-moderator) - Lynnette Taylor (co-moderator)
Lewis Merkin- chair of Deaf Members in Leadership, Gary Sanderson, Dennis Cokely, David Eberwein, Eileen Forestal, Ella Lentz, Steve McClelland, Rico Peterson, Lauren Teurel Ridloff & Betty Colonomos who was unable to participate but, her experience and words of wisdom helped shape this conversation. While not there physically, in spirit, she was right with us.SMALL GROUP FACILITATORS
Thanks for coming early, for pitching in and also taking the challenge to run a group. All of us were unsure of this terrain and again, I love the spirit of our community to improvise. Your discussions informed the next steps in follow up actions.
SPONSORS OF THE FORUM: Without the support of the sponsors, this event could not have taken place. A profound thank you to: Sorenson Communications, HOVRS, NYC Metro RID, Gallaudet University Regional Center, Ohlone College - IDP member personal donations
FOLLOW UP TO THE FORUM:
- Forums at each regional conference with the objective of working closely with each local NAD affiliate chapter and local Deaf organizations
- More outreach into diverse populations
- Notes are compiled from each of the small groups and will be synthesized and presented to the board as recommendations.
- DVD of the panel discussion will be duplicated with the assistance of Northeastern University and distributed free of charge to all Interpreter Education Programs in the country. We are looking for funding to do the same for each affililiate chapter of NAD.
- From the discussion and notes we will begin to draft a new mission and philosophy statement for RID. One that reflects cultural and community values.
The main message that came from the forum was, RID needs to stop and listen to the Deaf community. Eileen Forestal said it eloquently when she said, “RID you need to drop your defensive posture and open yourselves up to listen. Just listen to us (the Deaf community) for a while.”
David Eberwein expressed the sentiments of many in the room when he said RID needs to just STOP, put the brakes on, slow down before you make anymore decisions that impact the Deaf community. About the EIPA he said, “ Put a halt on it. Wait and talk with the Deaf community before you move ahead on this.”
Lillian Garcia and Eileen Forestal both expressed feelings that they were tired of being second class citizens at RID, the token Deafies in an organization that serves the Deaf community.
If RID is now making its place in Deaf education by recognizing the EIPA then doesn’t it also have a responsibility to now advocate for a better education system? Perhaps RID should be advocating for regional centers with schools for the Deaf providing oversight to the local mainstream schools, working with and monitoring the classroom interpreters. Providing trained CDI’s as well as a classroom interpreter with the deaf schools as additional support. I am not sure what the answer is, I just know we are thinking about it too microscopically and we need time to talk and talk and think and think with all of our community members before committing to a plan.
This year at the RID conference there will be lots of opportunities for us to meet, greet and share ideas about the future direction of IDP and RID. As you can see from the following events we have been busy trying to respond to the needs of our community. In order to make these successful we need your help!
IDP SPONSORED FORUM:
SATURDAY AUGUST 4, 1-6 pm
Examining RID's shifting position within the Deaf Community. IDP has been working closely with DML over the past two years to organize this community event. Perhaps we should call it Ball State revisited, as it is a look at our history and an examination of where we are going as a profession. Without an understanding of our historical context we can make decisions that are unintentionally harmful. These decisions have a profound impact on the Deaf community yet often they are not part of the decision making process. This forum is an opportunity to engage in an informed dialogue with the Deaf community and members of the interpreting profession to examine our history and RID's shifting position within the Deaf community. With so many pressures threatening the Deaf community's survival it is time we all come to the table to look at how we can work together to support the Deaf community. Are we creating a future to our liking? Do we share the same vision? Do we share the same concerns? Can we come together to shape the direction of the interpreting profession, the direction of RID and rekindle its relationship with the Deaf community? The only way to do this is to start the conversation and look at the issues. This is the first of what I hope will be many community forums to come.
This panel/Forum discussion is open to everyone. In order to make it an open invitation to the Deaf community and other community members we are holding it off site and independent of RID, at the nearby Parc 55 hotel, so that it will be free to those who wish to participate. This panel is FREE OF CHARGE.Panelists include:
Dennis Cokely
Ella Lentz
Rico Peterson
Eileen Forestal
Betty Colonomos
Gary Sanderson
Moderator: Lynnette Taylor. At
Parc 55 Hotel
55 Cyril Magnin St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 986-2319
March 2007 Updates
The IDP Board eagerly anticipates seeing each of you at the RID Conference in San Francisco! We deeply appreciate your interest, your enthusiastic inquiries about IDP activities during the RID 2007 National Conference in San Francisco!This brief e-mail is an attempt to give you an update of our activities.The IDP Board continues planning events for the upcoming 2007 National RID conference in San Francisco. Our goals were to: Plan a Pre-Conference, Sponsor an all day track workshop during the main calendar of events for the RID Conference, organize a CODA/IDP dinner and we are working on organizing a panel to address the current politics in the field of interpreting and the Deaf community. We thank you for your support. Please plan on attending what promises to be a very stimulating pre-conference.
A LOOK BACK:
IDP’s gathering, at the RID National Conference in San Antonio, Texas, 2005, boasts record attendance! The IDP membership voted, Lynnette Taylor-Chair, Debbie Woodroof-Vice Chair, and Sherry Hicks-Treasurer/Secretary, the new slate of IDP officers, 2005-2007. The IDP Board graciously accepted IDP’s charge to:
(1) Safeguard IDP’s unique standing within the RID general membership,
(2) Attend to the professional development needs of IDP’s
(3) Plan/coordinate the RID, 2007 IDP Pre-Conference, in San Francisco
(4) Network with other organizations making IDP a more visible resource.
TRANSITION TO MEMBER SECTIONS:
IDP completed the submission for Member Section prior to the deadline. The MS application goes before the national board for a vote of approval the first week of March. This was a long and convoluted process but it is my understanding that we are in fine shape. Thanks go to Bruce King for all his help addressing our concerns.
REGIONAL CONFERENCES:
For the first time IDP held meetings at each of the regional conferences. Thanks go to the facilitators of those meetings, Rachel Payne, Brandon Arthur, Lewis Merkin, Laurie Nash, Alan Champion. There were some last minute replacements of facilitators so I appreciate those of you who were willing to step in and help out. Bruce King needs a special plaque for attending a record number of regional IDP meetings! If I have overlooked anyone please forgive me and send me an e-mail giving me a comeuppance as well as a reminder:)
"Where have you guys been all my life?"-New England IDP-er
"I feel safe here." Region 5 IDP
"As an interpreter with Deaf parents my professional development needs are very different!"-Region 5 IDPAlthough it has been a while since the national conference in San Antonio, I don't want to lose those memorable moments. Not only were we inspired and entertained by Alan Champion's keynote address during the well attended ( 150+ ) IDP pre- conference, we also explored those bristling perplexities that we encounter on our path as bi-cultural professionals.
During the IDP/CODA dinner, generously sponsored by Ron Obray of HOVRS, we had a surprise visit by Lillian Beard, one of the original founders of RID and a fellow interpreter with Deaf parents. Her poignant reminiscence left a roomful of glistening eyes and many of us revisiting the past and pondering the future direction of interpreting. The face of RID has certainly changed since its inception.
Membership has grown exponentially and continues to do so as we include more sectors of the interpreting field. As this "suburban sprawl" is occurring, I think it is a good time for us to revisit our neighborhood and think about what we wish to keep intact and what we would like to see changed. This transition to Member Section can be a time of productive reflection and a time to re-examine our goals. What do you want to see? Please let us know by participating in the Regional meetings. If you can't make it to the regional meetings feel free to express your ideas through the IDP Facebook or Google Group or contact any of the regional representatives or the IDP council. (Our contact information is listed on the bottom).
SIG to MEMBER SECTION TRANSITION
Melissa Bowhay, Glenace Humphries, Bruce King and Cheryl Moose and Glenace Humphries worked hard to help the SIG chairs navigate this Member Section transition. Someone from this committee was present and available at all the Regional conferences to address questions about the changes.
TALKING POINTS for the regional conferences
What is the purpose of IDP ?
What issues are of importance to us as coda interpreters?
How do you see IDP addressing these issues?
How do you see IDP working with other Member Sections?
What is the most beneficial aspect of IDP ?
How can IDP be a resource to the national board?
How do you see our relationship with the national organization?
What issues are of the most concern that you would like IDP to address?
What direction do you wish RID would take?
SUGGESTIONS from the CHAIR
" Standing Committees" - the following are suggested committees with the exception of Fundraising, the Regional Conference Presence and the Webpage which are new this yearo WEBPAGE- update information for IDP
o OUTREACH- contact and recruit new IDP members
o FUNDRAISING
o REGIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENCE- coordinate and work in conjunction with the fundraising committee and Chair to ensure IDP presence at the regional conferences
o PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS- a coda "think tank" to discuss current practices and our response(s) to positions in the field.
o SPEAKERS BUREAU- a resource of those who are IDP's and present workshops addressing this perspective.If you have any thoughts, additions and or interest in being a part of these committees please contact us.