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vi Preface Although this may be the eleventh volume in the series “Studies in Interpretation” published by Gallaudet University Press, this is the first that focuses on the research studying the work of Deaf interpreters.While this is by no means an exhaustive compendium of this topic, it is the first attempt that collates the work done to date and to present to the reader the first volume that seeks to present a discourse that includes: a definition of a Deaf interpreter, the kind of work Deaf interpreters undertake, the ways in which Deaf interpreters work, the kind of training available for Deaf interpreters in some places around the world, and how Deaf interpreters work with DeafBlind people. It is hoped that this will not be the last such volume. The journey for many Deaf interpreters has not been an easy one. The earliest known record of a Deaf person working as a language broker is from an essay dated 1684 (Carty, Macready, & Sayers, 2009) telling the story of how Matthew Pratt born in Massachusetts in 1628, the Deaf husband of Sarah Pratt, who was born in 1640 wrote a sight “translation ” of his wife’s responses to a conversation between Sarah and church elders. However, working as a Deaf interpreter has been given little consideration and only became viewed as a profession in the present era. In many countries Deaf interpreters are not considered an essential component of quality interpreter service provision, and experience issues of low status and lack of professional respect. This volume will hopefully build on some of the early work by MJ Bienvenu and Betty Colonomos (1992), and the seminal publications examining the work of Deaf interpreters by Patrick Boudreault (2005), the work and training issues for Deaf interpreters by Eileen Forestal (2005) who has fortunately agreed to be a contributor to this volume, and the analysis of Deaf interpreters working in the television media by Christopher Stone (2009) who is also one of the contributors as well as an editor of this volume. There is great scope for more work of this ilk. Deaf people are increasingly working in a broader number of domains, in many countries around the world. With more research Deaf people are increasingly given the opportunity to receive training to work as professional Deaf interpreters , and there are many other regions such as Africa and Asia where such Preface : vii potential for greater examination of this topic exists. In this first-of-its kind volume, 17 widely respected scholars from around the world depict the everyday practices of Deaf interpreters in their respective nations, and add to the growing body of knowledge relating to Deaf interpreters. In the future there could be work that examines the domains not discussed at length in this volume (broadcast media and the internet, weddings and funerals, educational settings to name but a few). Robert Adam, Markus Aro, Senan Dunne, Juan Carlos Druetta and Julia af Klintberg who are all Deaf and from different sign language backgrounds discuss their work and experiences as Deaf interpreters, and offer a definition of a Deaf interpreter. They also present different settings in which a Deaf interpreter can work, which range from the individual client to an international event, using video technology. Stephanie Sforza, a graduate of the master’s interpreting program at Gallaudet University shares her insight into Deaf interpreters working in deaf-deaf teams based on data collected in her thesis study. She analyses the work done and strategies used in a team while an interpreter is “on” and while an interpreter is “off.” Eileen Forestal examines the processes involved with Deaf interpreters working with the Deaf consumer, the hearing consumer and the hearing interpreter. Based on a qualitative analysis of data, she offers an insight into the thought process and the relationship between the team members . She comes up with a dialogic discourse-based interaction model and offers suggestions for a community-based model of interpreting. Karen Bontempo, Della Goswell, Patricia Levitzke-Gray, Jemina Napier, and Linda Warby examine the journey towards accreditation of Deaf interpreters in Australia where, at the time, training for and accreditation of Deaf interpreters was not available, in spite of Deaf people continuing to have been employed on an ad hoc basis. The Deaf Relay Interpreter Certification Project (DRICP) arose from the need for a standardized test for Deaf interpreters and included a discussion of the competencies and how they would be assessed. Bontempo and her coauthors analyze the project and...

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