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106 Walking the Fine Line 7 Kirstin Wolf Kurlander As access to education and improved workplace accessibility continue to advance, a growing number of deaf and hard of hearing individuals are entering professional positions. Today, there are an estimated one hundred deaf attorneys,1 many of whom work in the hearing world. These professional positions often have unique communication needs, calling for readily available accommodations to facilitate patient and client appointments, meetings, or phone calls. For deaf professionals who use sign language and work in a hearing environment , using a full-time interpreter is often the best way to function on an equal footing with hearing colleagues and to achieve open communication in the workplace . Full-time interpreters allow the deaf professional to deal with urgent issues immediately, including client matters and phone calls. Full-time interpreters also enable the deaf professional to socialize fully in the workplace, for instance, by assisting the flow and content of communication when the deaf professional joins his or her colleagues for social gatherings, lunches, or other events where work matters are often discussed and important working relationships are developed. Companies and clients who come in contact with a designated, consistent interpreter also can become familiar and comfortable with the interpreter, thereby easing the deaf professional’s integration into the workplace. Finally, a deaf professional and an interpreter who is consistently available can develop and clarify specialized vocabulary, minimizing communication delays and errors. The role of a sign language interpreter is like no other. An interpreter essentially serves as a conduit to allow a deaf person to achieve effective communication . Unfortunately, most employers hiring full-time interpreters have little or no experience with this type of accommodation. The interpreter’s role, when intertwined with the expectations that the corporation or employer has for all of its employees, can become a confusing one, which can create tension, leading to a plethora of workplace problems. Furthermore, although interpreters are technically bound by the guidelines of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) specifically related to professional conduct (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf 2005), some responsibilities and duties under the RID rules may directly contradict corporate or employee policies. The interplay between RID guidelines, company policies, and the deaf individual’s needs creates a somewhat tangled web. Many thanks to everyone who helped with this chapter. Special gratitude to those who went above and beyond the call: Susan Eadie, Bernard R. Hurwitz, Andrew Firth, Pamela Cavazos, Janine Madera, and Brooksley Williams. 1. Estimate obtained from current list of deaf attorneys and discussion on www.deafattorneys.com. Walking the Fine Line 107 An interpreter is often seen as a direct reflection of the deaf individual. For a professional trying to assimilate into a hearing company and trying to succeed as a lawyer, appearance and behavior are critically important. Enormous tension is created when an interpreter’s actions are outside of the deaf professional’s expectations . Behavior that may be seen as acceptable to a company’s human resource department can, at the same time, be embarrassing and detrimental to the deaf professional’s career. When there are several layers of authority involved (partners, bosses, human resource departments), the issues of correcting behavior and finding a comfortable balance can become extremely difficult. Although there are many deaf professionals using interpreters full-time today, as yet there has been little published on this unique area in terms of guidance and ethical expectations. With human resource departments largely unaware of interpreting guidance and wary of establishing distinct rules for interpreter employees , deaf professionals are often left without guidelines with respect to how to hire, work with, and retain competent and ethical interpreters. The RID is often hesitant to become involved when issues arise with a full-time interpreter because the organization views such issues as employment matters and outside of the scope of RID’s ethical rules. It is impossible, however, to separate the role of a professional interpreter bound by RID’s guidelines from the role of an employee of the company. This paper will address how to reconcile these roles when conflict arises; who should make the ultimate call as to appropriate behavior, dress, expectations, and duties of both the interpreter and the deaf professional; and ways a full-time position can be developed to attract and retain qualified and professional interpreters. There is no one right approach to many of these issues. Nevertheless, the goal here is to raise awareness of the possible problems; discuss ways...

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