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<DIV>HI Thierry</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am Antony Daamen (since 22 Nov 2004) an Qualified "Accredited Para-Professional Interpreter" in australia!!!!! wowowowowo</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am married to a Deaf wife for ten years and have been an volunteer interpreter for this time. A paid interpreter I became in 2000, partly because of my skill, but also because of the lack of interpreters available. qualidied interpreters are as follows:There are 2 interpreters in Cairns (350km north) 5 interpreters in Mackay 400-odd km south and three intepreters here. Most of these intepreters have (full time) jobs </DIV>
<DIV>as teacher or teacher aid, so not many available for general intepreting. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Far to often, family members or staff that know a teany weeny sign, are there to interpret!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Nevermind, I digress.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I wanted to say that Aslia (see website) is also doing research in similar field, and we have definitions available re: what is the definition of an interpreters, what are the ethics etc...... <A href="http://www.aslia.com.au/index.html">http://www.aslia.com.au/index.html</A> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So maybe wise to contact them, and they maybe of help......</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Otherwise keep up the good work. and I enjoy following these discussions!!!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Antony</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV id=IncrediOriginalMessage><I>-------Original Message-------</I></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV id=receivestrings>
<DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><I><B>From:</B></I> <A href="mailto:cmjdis@RIT.EDU">Department of Access Services Room 2319</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><I><B>Date:</B></I> 01/19/05 23:26:20</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><I><B>To:</B></I> <A href="mailto:sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu">sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><I><B>Subject:</B></I> Re: [sw-l] RE: [DEAFACADEMICS-L] Definition of a Sign Language interpreter in your country</DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thierry,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This is in response to the first message sent. Here is the excerpt to which</DIV>
<DIV>I am responding:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Furthermore, they are hired as "therapeutic interpreters in visual modality"</DIV>
<DIV>(that is what their contract says). That covers Cued Speech, Signed French</DIV>
<DIV>and to a lesser extent, Belgian French Sign Language. These people have no</DIV>
<DIV>training whatsoever and they are still labelled "interpreters". With a few</DIV>
<DIV>colleagues, I am fighting against this. In the Commission, there are a few</DIV>
<DIV>people who come from a medical background and they still believe that these</DIV>
<DIV>"interpreters" match the definition of a true sign language interpreter...</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> As I am getting more and more frustrated and filled up with anger, I am now</DIV>
<DIV>seeking more information as how to fight their ignorance and stubborness.</DIV>
<DIV>Our local interpreters association is powerless in front of the medical</DIV>
<DIV>lobby, because the profession of SL interpreter is not recognised yet.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> I am hoping that some people in this forum might help me find the right way</DIV>
<DIV>to submit a clear overview of the current situation in the French-speaking</DIV>
<DIV>part of Belgium and to submit new proposals based on scientific facts.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>------------------ end excerpt</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dr. Daniel Burch of the United States may be able to help with defining</DIV>
<DIV>direction. He is a certified interpreter here. I worked extensively with him</DIV>
<DIV>while I lived in the state of Louisiana. The Deaf organizations and the</DIV>
<DIV>state Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf worked on establishing the</DIV>
<DIV>state's interpreter law and on other issues facing the Deaf community. It is</DIV>
<DIV>just a thought.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Cj</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On 1/19/05 4:53 AM, "Shane Gilchrist Ó hEorpa"</DIV>
<DIV><<A href="mailto:shane.gilchrist.oheorpa@francismaginn.org">shane.gilchrist.oheorpa@francismaginn.org</A>> wrote:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> Thierry,</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Good news re: the recognition of LSFB in the Communauté Française - I know</DIV>
<DIV>> Helga Stevens in the Flemish Parliament is working on the recognition of VGT</DIV>
<DIV>> there as well - too bad the Belgian Constitution isn't very specific about</DIV>
<DIV>> languages in general use.</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> As long as Deaf sign language users keep shouting "deaf deaf deaf", it will</DIV>
<DIV>> be about disability (no clear barriers between people with disabilities and</DIV>
<DIV>> people without disabilities) - I think we need to work on the language</DIV>
<DIV>> itself.</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> The most important thing is to find out WHO are LSFB users - rather than</DIV>
<DIV>> their hearing status - many of our best NISL users here happens to be</DIV>
<DIV>> 'non-deaf' - and for me, it is about encouraging racism if we are obsessed</DIV>
<DIV>> with whether one is Deaf, HoH or non-deaf. Do Finns really give a damn about</DIV>
<DIV>> this? I don¹t think so as I get to hear stories about how people with little</DIV>
<DIV>> hearing get to be very fluent in SVK etc - and there's Australians (one cant</DIV>
<DIV>> really tell if one is deaf or not) and of course, there's the Flanders (the</DIV>
<DIV>> Vlaams region) where VGT users are much involved in the VGT development</DIV>
<DIV>> therefore more respect for both sides.</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> You speak of 30 people on the LSFB Commission - how many of them are fluent</DIV>
<DIV>> in LSFB? And do they really use LSFB in the Commission?</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> I think Paddy Ladd himself is being a bit unfair - we don't know if he is an</DIV>
<DIV>> Alkerist or not - as Alkerism focus on the exemption of non-deaf BSL users</DIV>
<DIV>> from the development of BSL, playing on the anti-hearing racism etc - the</DIV>
<DIV>> sad fact is that there are people who focus on who r the owners of BSL when</DIV>
<DIV>> the most important thing is to ensure that the language will survive,</DIV>
<DIV>> continue on and GROW (that was the aim of the Welsh language community) -</DIV>
<DIV>> and to ensure that the quality of the language is kept at a high level (also</DIV>
<DIV>> the aim of the Welsh language community) - away from the influence of</DIV>
<DIV>> English on the language itself - and accommodating (again, the aim of the</DIV>
<DIV>> Welsh language community - most of their best Welsh language activists are</DIV>
<DIV>> the ones who learned Welsh as their 2nd language!) Many people in England</DIV>
<DIV>> have forgotten that it was thousands of BSL students who learned the</DIV>
<DIV>> language that prompted the UK Government to do something about it.</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> The number of fluent BSL users is fast shrinking in England (do anyone</DIV>
<DIV>> really wonder why many of the best BSL signers are from Scotland?)</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> The Northern Ireland Office, last year, have asked the Department of</DIV>
<DIV>> Culture, Arts and Leisure for Northern Ireland to run a wee commission made</DIV>
<DIV>> up of deaf organizations (a big mistake here) - and it turned out to be a</DIV>
<DIV>> farce, a real play on disability etc - and the RNID kept going on about</DIV>
<DIV>> health issues (which is totally unbelievable) - and what is even worse, the</DIV>
<DIV>> non-deaf NISL users on the group won't use NISL - they'll revert to using</DIV>
<DIV>> English instead - therefore it was more a disability consultation rather</DIV>
<DIV>> than a sign language issues discussion.</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> (For this reason SLCB, my organization, have left - and Hands That Talk, the</DIV>
<DIV>> most strong grass-root Deaf organization here with real fluent signers, also</DIV>
<DIV>> has left)</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Until we separate deafness from our national sign language, we will continue</DIV>
<DIV>> getting this shit.</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Shane Gilchrist Ó hEorpa</DIV>
<DIV>> Sign Language Centre Belfast</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> -----Original Message-----</DIV>
<DIV>> From: Deaf Academics [<A href="mailto:DEAFACADEMICS-L@LIST.UNM.EDU">mailto:DEAFACADEMICS-L@LIST.UNM.EDU</A>] On Behalf Of</DIV>
<DIV>> Thierry Haesenne</DIV>
<DIV>> Sent: 19 January 2005 09:16</DIV>
<DIV>> To: <A href="mailto:DEAFACADEMICS-L@LIST.UNM.EDU">DEAFACADEMICS-L@LIST.UNM.EDU</A></DIV>
<DIV>> Subject: Re: [DEAFACADEMICS-L] Definition of a Sign Language interpreter in</DIV>
<DIV>> your country</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Please find below Paddy's reply (he wasn't able to post this to the list).</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Here is my reply:</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> LSFB was recognised following a research from two major French-speaking</DIV>
<DIV>> universities (4 experts - 2 linguists and 2 psycholinguists - were asked to</DIV>
<DIV>> draw an overview of the situation in French-speaking Belgium. I was part of</DIV>
<DIV>> that team and I am the only one in that team to have been selected to join</DIV>
<DIV>> the SL Commission).</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> The SL Commission has 30 members, of which 15 are effective. Our government</DIV>
<DIV>> has decided to select members from different backgrounds. However, I am</DIV>
<DIV>> still not happy with the number of Deaf people represented :</DIV>
<DIV>> - General Deaf associations : 4 members (2 Deaf and 2 HoH)</DIV>
<DIV>> - Association of parents : 2 members (hearing)</DIV>
<DIV>> - Cultural, Sport or Leisure Associations : 4 members (2 Deaf and 2 hearing)</DIV>
<DIV>> - Deaf schools : 8 members (hearing)</DIV>
<DIV>> - social services for Deaf people : 2 members (1 CODA and 1 hearing)</DIV>
<DIV>> - housing services for Deaf people : 2 members (hearing)</DIV>
<DIV>> - sign language teachers : 2 members (1 Deaf, 1 hearing)</DIV>
<DIV>> - sign language interpreters : 2 members (hearing)</DIV>
<DIV>> - sign language experts : 4 members (1 Deaf - myself-, 1 HoH, 2 hearing)</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> The members were selected by the Government on basis of their CV (resume)</DIV>
<DIV>> and their motivations.</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> The main problem in our Commission comes from a few people who supported</DIV>
<DIV>> oralism in the past (and who still do nowadays), and those who support a</DIV>
<DIV>> standardised "official" sign language (which I am totally against, just be</DIV>
<DIV>> aware that an official sign language is being imposed in many deaf schools</DIV>
<DIV>> and in most sign language classes, and that is not the language used by the</DIV>
<DIV>> majority of Deaf people here). Overall, the number of effective members who</DIV>
<DIV>> might cause a problem and who might not respect the Deaf community's point</DIV>
<DIV>> of view and wishes is about 5.</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Thierry</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>>> From: Paddy Ladd <<A href="mailto:pad.ladd@bris.ac.uk">pad.ladd@bris.ac.uk</A>></DIV>
<DIV>>> To: <A href="mailto:thaesenne@hotmail.com">thaesenne@hotmail.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>>> Subject: Fwd: Rejected posting to <A href="mailto:DEAFACADEMICS-L@LIST.UNM.EDU">DEAFACADEMICS-L@LIST.UNM.EDU</A></DIV>
<DIV>>> Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 02:05:49 +0000</DIV>
<DIV>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> well done !</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> Yor govenrment puts our crappy mob to shame :-(</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> 4 working groups !!</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> mind u, the whole point is that the ONLY parties to the debate</DIV>
<DIV>>>> shud be the Govt and the Deaf communitys own officially elected body.</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> all the other organisations have to queue up at the door for that joint</DIV>
<DIV>>>> group to consider</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> when they recognised welsh language they didnt talk to the ENGLISH</DIV>
<DIV>>>> about how to draft a law.. that was for the govt and the welsh people</DIV>
<DIV>>>> jointly</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> and thus same for us { well thats the aim !]</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> Paddy</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>> On Wednesday, Jan 19, 2005, at 01:32 Europe/London, Thierry Haesenne</DIV>
<DIV>>>> wrote:</DIV>
<DIV>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Hello everyone,</DIV>
<DIV>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>>> As you may know, Belgian French Sign Language was recognised in</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> October 2003</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> by the French-speaking parliament of Belgium (Communauté Française de</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Belgique). Several deaf and hearing experts have been appointed to</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> represent</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Deaf people's interests in a Commission which meets every two months.</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> That</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Commission has to submit proposals on various topics related to Deaf</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> issues</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> to the Government and these proposals may become legal some day...</DIV>
<DIV>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Recently, four working groups have been set up: interpreting,</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> education,</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> baby care and information. I am responsible for the "interpreting"</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> group.</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Now my task is to find out more about the definition of a "sign</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> language</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> interpreter" in various countries around the world. This is because</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> there is</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> still a big confusion when it comes to defining an "interpreter" here.</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Most</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> "interpreters" work in mainstream schools and are part of a</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> therapeutic team</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> (speech therapists, psychologists, social workers, doctors, etc.)</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> thus, they</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> are not neutral and do not respect confidentiality as they must report</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> any</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> incident that might have happened in class. Moreover, such</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> "interpreters"</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> work on their own 8 hours a day in a class (they have to translate</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> everything that is being said, but as you know, interpreters cannot</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> work</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> efficiently more than 20 minutes in a row; their brain needs to rest</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> from</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> time to time; which has never been the case in mainstream schools.)</DIV>
<DIV>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Furthermore, they are hired as "therapeutic interpreters in visual</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> modality"</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> (that is what their contract says). That covers Cued Speech, Signed</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> French</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> and to a lesser extent, Belgian French Sign Language. These people</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> have no</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> training whatsoever and they are still labelled "interpreters". With a</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> few</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> colleagues, I am fighting against this. In the Commission, there are a</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> few</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> people who come from a medical background and they still believe that</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> these</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> "interpreters" match the definition of a true sign language</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> interpreter...</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> As I am getting more and more frustrated and filled up with anger, I</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> am now</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> seeking more information as how to fight their ignorance and</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> stubborness.</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Our local interpreters association is powerless in front of the medical</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> lobby, because the profession of SL interpreter is not recognised yet.</DIV>
<DIV>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>>> I am hoping that some people in this forum might help me find the</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> right way</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> to submit a clear overview of the current situation in the</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> French-speaking</DIV>
<DIV>>>>> part of Belgium and to submit new proposals based on scientific facts.</DIV>
<DIV>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Thank you very much in advance.</DIV>
<DIV>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>>>>> Thierry HAESENNE</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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