Working with Interpreters At George Brown College

1
Working with InterpretersAt George Brown College
2
Deaf and Hard of Hearing ServicesDiversity,
Equity and Human Rights
PRESENTED BY
3
HELLO!
Working with American Sign Language interpreters
can be a great experience for everyone at George
Brown College.

• 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)
4
For class-related activities with Deaf hard of
hearing students
For meetings and events with Deaf hard of
hearing staff
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.
Sharon Learmonth 1 416 415 5000
x3596 1 877 515 5559 (tty)
slearmon_at_georgebrown.ca
Monique Bozzer 1 416 415
5000 x6236
mbozzer_at_georgebrown.ca
Following are 10 tips for working with Sign
Language interpreters
(Click to continue)
5
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)
6
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)
7
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)
8
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)
9
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)
10
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)
11
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)
12
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)
13
Captioned Media E-text Policy (abbreviated)
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 Colleges 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)
14
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)
15
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.
(Click to continue)
16
You can also contact our offices directly to ask
any questions, report any changes, or to request
additional services. (Departmental fees/costs
may apply.)
For classes/activities with Deaf hard of
hearing students
For meetings/events with Deaf hard of hearing
staff
Sharon Learmonth 1 416 415 5000
x3596 1 877 515 5559 (tty)
slearmon_at_georgebrown.ca
Monique Bozzer 1 416 415
5000 x6236 mbozzer_at_georgebrown.ca
(Click to continue)
17
THANK YOU
We look forward to making this a wonderful
experience for you and your class / participants
see you there!
Created by Paul Schortemeyer and Monique Bozzer
Send comments to pschorte_at_georgebrown.ca
(Click to repeat or Esc to end)