Questions and Answers About American Sign Language and Interpreters
In Michigan, and in other states, COVID-19 has led to a lot of public appearances and updates by top state officials. Often (though unfortunately not always) those appearances include an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Indeed, some of these interpreters have become well known for the expressive nature of their signing which adds important emphasis and meaning to this highly visual language. Without it, the Deaf community would go without access to the full message in their native language.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, before COVID-19, placed some 400 interpreters every month in 27 counties in West Michigan, everything from schools to hospitals to routine appointments Deaf people might have. We know interpreters.
In this Q&A our Board President, Rowan S. O’Dougherty, and Interpreter Services Specialist Linda Vander Leek explain a little more about why and how interpreters do what they do. Rowan is a member of the Deaf community and an adjunct professor for the Grand Rapids Community College department of Language & Thought. Linda is a 2014 graduate of the Baker College Interpreter Training Program.
What are some of the unique characteristics of ASL as a language?
ROWAN: Obviously ASL is a visual language, and it is also an inflective language (as opposed to English being an affixative language). Unlike English where we add morphological devices to modify a word, in ASL the signs (or words) are changed or overlaid. Some of our inflective techniques can show intensity, reference, reciprocity or temporal aspects.
LINDA: Like any other language, ASL has its own grammar. It does not follow English but has its own rules, word order, syntax and idioms.
A lot of people have been fascinated by both the body language and facial expressions of interpreters they see on TV. What is important in interpreting about both the body and the face? How are they used as part of ASL?
ROWAN: We use non-manual devices such as head and body movements, facial expressions and mouth movements as part of our language. The use of a specific eyebrow movement could change the meaning of a signed utterance. These non-manual devices (such as frowning or grimacing) can also show the importance of the signed utterance, hence the use of such devices by the interpreters during the COVID-19 public announcements.
LINDA: These movements are an integral part of the language and needed to clearly express complex ideas. ASL incorporates various facial expression, raising or lowering the eyebrows, changes in eye gaze, head tilting, shoulder raising, mouth morphemes and similar signals that are added to the hand signs to create meaning. These non-manual markers are used to modify verbs, adjectives and adverbs. They also convey grammatical information. Without these facial expressions, the meaning, tone, and emphasis is not at all the same. Since Deaf people can’t hear the tone of voice the speaker is using, the facial expressions and body language of the interpreter conveys whether the speaker is serious, excited, assertive, timid, or monotonous as well as whether a message is a directive, a statement, or a question.
There are hearing ASL interpreters and Deaf ASL interpreters. In the interpreter profession which is more common?
ROWAN: Hearing interpreters indeed outnumber Deaf interpreters to a large degree, and yet we need more Deaf interpreters. Deaf interpreters are native ASL users who can provide interpretation that is culturally correct, and they can help the hearing interpreter with subtle ASL nuances that may be missed. Unfortunately, being certified as a Deaf interpreter is not easy or cheap. There are many requirements to meet before one can even be considered as qualified, and many of the training programs are out-of-state and expensive. Testing for certification is also expensive, and there is no assurance that the certified Deaf interpreter would be given regular paying work. All of these factors have turned away many Deaf people.
How would a Deaf interpreter work to interpret something like a Gov. Whitmer press conference? Do they work in partnership with a hearing interpreter? What does that look like?
LINDA: A Deaf interpreter would team with a hearing interpreter. In this case, the Deaf interpreter, called a CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter), would be in the screen shot with the Governor, while the hearing interpreter would be facing the CDI off-screen. The hearing interpreter would use ASL to interpret what the Governor is saying to the CDI. The CDI would then further break-down the concepts to drop all aspects of English and change that interpretation fully into ASL. A native ASL user is often more able to fully drop the English grammar and fully utilize the visual language of ASL. The National Association of the Deaf published an interview recently with June Prusak, a CDI, who said this: “I use ASL to the max as a Deaf person … Hearing interpreters who have full access to English only use ASL up to a certain level. They don’t have full access to ASL. So, when you put the two of us together, Deaf and hearing interpreters, people will have full access to both ASL and English — and that is incredible.”
https://www.nad.org/deafwork-june-transcript/
How many interpreters are there in Michigan and are there enough?
LINDA: Interpreters must register with the Michigan Board of Professional Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) to work in Michigan. There are over 800 interpreters currently registered. This sounds like a large number, but when you consider that some live out of state and work remotely, several work full-time at schools and/or colleges and that 20% of Michigan households have a Deaf, DeafBlind or Hard of Hearing individual living there, it is far from enough. The earnings of interpreters vary a great deal by where they are working, their qualifications, and how much work they accept. CareerExplorer.com says that the average wage for a sign language interpreter in the United States is around $24.00 per hour.
How many interpreters does D&HHS work with and where do they generally get placed?
LINDA: Our agency works with 60 interpreters as independent contractors. Here’s an approximate break-down on where our interpreters are placed:
49% Medical
19% Mental Health
15% College or K-12
4% Legal
3% Public Events
3% Business meetings
3% Religious Events
3% DeafBlind
1% Variety of other settings
What are the legal requirement for public presentations like press conferences when it comes to the Deaf and interpreters?
LINDA: The National Association of the Deaf, a great organization, has an excellent paper on its website called “Position Statement on Accessible Emergency Management for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People.” They note that “With over 48 million Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing, it has been well documented that this population often experiences the most difficulty when it comes to preparing for and recovering from emergencies and disasters.” Also, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination by state or local governments and ensures that state and local governments make their communications, including emergency communications, fully accessible to people with disabilities. This includes live and recorded announcements made by local governments including mayors and governors. Basically, the ADA entitles Deaf to Emergency Broadcast information, much the same way they have the right to communication access at any business open to the public. The NAD paper has lots more good info for people who want to dig deeper into this topic.