Interpreters and Ethical Decision-Making: Embracing our Social Responsibility
In this daylong workshop, participants will explore ethics through a lens of social justice and social responsibility and consider the implications for day-to-day decision-making by interpreter practitioners. Areas where patterns of decision-making evident within the field may be seen as "out of sync" within the Deaf Community and society-at-large will be reviewed and discussed. A variety of case studies will be analyzed in terms of both short and long term implications for consumers, interpreters, the field-at-large, and the general society. The role of discretion and integrity will be examined in terms of their application to individual practice and decision-making, as well as the role of the Ethical Practices System [EPS] in monitoring compliance with standards of professional practice. Participants should come prepared to engage in active small group discussion and large group reporting.
This workshop will be in ASL.
Objectives: At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to do the following.
1. Define at least five key values expressed within the RID Code of Professional Conduct [CPC] and the application of these values to recognized standards and practices of interpreters.
2. Discuss at least two of the ways in which an ethical framework serves as an expression of social responsibility to the Deaf Community and society-at-large.
3. Identify at least two ways in which social justice can be achieved through diligence in ethical performance and decision-making by interpreters.
4. Discuss at least two ways in which patterns of decision-making evident in the field of interpreting are out of sync with Deaf Community norms and the expectation of society in general.
Anna Witter-Merithew, M.Ed., CSC, SC:L, OIC:C, SC:PA, CI and CT is the current Interim Director of RID. She is retiring from the position of Assistant Director of the UNC DO IT Center and Director of the UNC MARIE Center where she has worked since 2000.
During her career, Anna has served as an interpreter, coordinator of interpreting services, interpreter teacher, workshop presenter, curriculum developer, program developer and program administrator. As well, she served as President of both a local and state RID chapter, a two-term Vice President and one-term President of National RID, and as the cofounder and two-term Vice President of CIT. She is a recipient of the joint CIT-RID Mary Stotler Award for excellence in the fields of interpreting and interpreter education.
Anna has also co-authored two texts: Towards Competent Practice: Conversations with Stakeholders and The Dimensions of Ethical Decision-Making, as well as creating a twelve(12)-part DVD and workbook entitled, Interpreting in the American Legal System. As well, Anna has over thirty-five (35) peer-reviewed and conference proceedings articles in both national and international publications–many co-authored with valued colleagues.
The Deaf Community and Interpreters Sat.pdf
.png "volunteer"){kind=small}
