Deaf leaders’ strategies for working with signed language interpreters: An examination across seven countries

Haug, Tobias; Bontempo, Karen; Leeson, Lorraine; Napier, Jemina; Nicodemus, Brenda; Bogaerde, Beppie van den; Vermeerbergen, Myriam

doi:10.1556/084.2017.18.1.5

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Limited previous research on communication between deaf signers and hearing people in the workplace has largely considered the problem through the lens of best interpreting practices (Hauser et al, 2008) including effectiveness in knowledge transmission and engagement (Bristoll, 2009) and deaf professionals' preferences in interpreting practices (Earhart & Hauser, 2008;Haug et al, 2017). Only one study has specifically focused on how sign language interpreters can contribute to occupational relations between deaf (minority) and hearing (majority) people by exploring how interpreters need to consider themselves as part of a community of practice (Dickinson, 2014).…”

Section: Deaf People In the Workplacementioning

confidence: 99%

Hearing people perceiving deaf people through sign language interpreters at work: on the loss of self through interpreted communication

Young

Oram

Napier

2019

Journal of Applied Communication Research

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This article addresses the impact on occupational relations of mediated communication through a sign language interpreter from the perspective of hearing people who do not sign but who work alongside deaf signers in the workplace. Based on a phenomenological analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, findings address the influence of phonocentrism on working practice between deaf and hearing people. In particular, the implications of the inscription of identity and presence through an embodied language are discussed. The consequences of failure to acknowledge the interpreter as a contingent practice for all, not just the deaf person, are examined. The findings have implications for the recognition and promotion of deaf agency and talent in the 'hearing' work place and extend understandings of structural influences on workplace discriminations to include those of interpreted communication.

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Section: Deaf People In the Workplacementioning

confidence: 99%

Hearing people perceiving deaf people through sign language interpreters at work: on the loss of self through interpreted communication

Young

Oram

Napier

2019

Journal of Applied Communication Research

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“…The study reported on here is one part of a broader range of ongoing work that takes a classic grounded theory approach (Glaser, 2016) to the question of relative ease/difficulty of participating in society for deaf SL users, with particular reference to interpreted events (e.g. see Haug et al , 2017; Leeson, 2016). This paper reports on a subset of data collected to explore how Ireland responded to these two national emergencies.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ophelia, Emma, and the beast from the east effortful engaging and the provision of sign language interpreting in emergencies

Leeson

2019

DPM

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Republic of Ireland’s National Emergency Coordinating Group performed with respect to ensuring access to emergency information for deaf sign language (SL) users over the course of two emergency situations in 2017 and 2018 as a result of storms. The storms book-ended parliamentary and public debate around the recognition of the indigenous SL of Ireland, Irish Sign Language (ISL). The author explores if/how increased political awareness led to better access in 2018, and how access provision maps to best practice guidelines set out by the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) and the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD). Design/methodology/approach This paper provides empirical insights about the asymmetrical effort that is required of a minority linguistic community, in this instance, community of deaf ISL users and their allies, to secure provision of access to emergency information that is provided as a matter of course to the wider community of hearing English language speakers. The author draws on parliamentary records, social media and print media to document the political, societal and deaf community discourse around ISL recognition and the emergencies. Findings The author finds that significant effort was required of deaf people and their allies to secure access to national emergency briefings in 2017, with significant improvement evidenced in 2018 for Storm Emma and the Beast from the East, in the aftermath of the adoption of the ISL Act (December 2017). The author drew on the theory of effortful engaging, which posits that unless we have greater awareness of and pro forma consideration of SLs and deaf people, the burden of work required to ensure appropriate access and participation falls on deaf people. Research limitations/implications There is scope for completing a 360° analysis of stakeholders engaged in the process. Further work should also include interviews with deaf community members and emergency response coordinators. Practical implications This paper identifies implications for emergency coordinating groups: provision of appropriate interpreting must be a pro forma element in the planning for delivery of any emergency information. Broadcasters must be required to ensure that interpreters are visible on screen at all times during live briefings: what is unseen is “unheard” for SL users. Work remains to ensure that deaf people have access to preparatory information in their language, and that they have ease of access to two-way emergency services. Emergency coordinating teams need to integrate the UNCRPD-mapped WASLI-WFD recommendations into their emergency strategy. Social implications Communities depend on information for their survival in times of crisis. Communication requires comprehension and interaction. For SL users, information in an indigenous SL is a lifeline in a time of crisis. This requires emergency response teams to understand that “language” is multi-modal and embed strategies for engaging with deaf communities in all aspects of their processes, with guidance from deaf community leaders and advocates. There is also a need to consider deafblind people and deaf people who have disabilities, who are more vulnerable in crisis situations. Originality/value This is the first analysis of state provision of access to information for the Irish deaf community in an emergency setting. It is one of very few empirical analyses of how deaf communities fare in emergency contexts and the first to evaluate a state’s practice vis-à-vis UNCRPD-led guidelines on best practice issued by the WASLI/WFD. The socio-political context described represents a unique period where the Irish deaf community and ISL were central to political and media discourse because of the ISL Act and the death of two deaf brothers in tragic circumstances in Autumn 2017.

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“…It was a bit frustrating because I had two interpreters, one of who I'd worked with a lot. I was using some technical vocabulary, fingerspelling it, and this interpreter just None of the participants mentioned 'trust' (Haug et al 2017) as a factor in choosing interpreters. If trust was involved, it was trust in the interpreter's technical skill and ability to use academic language, rather than personal feelings or relationships.…”

Section: Figure 2 To Show Interpreters On Eco-map (1)mentioning

confidence: 97%

Mapping deaf academic spaces

O’Brien

2020

High Educ

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This article focuses on the experience of signing deaf academics working in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK. I utilise a research method previously unused in this context, eco-mapping, to explore the ways in which deaf academics see themselves and their involvement in their home HEIs and in the academic field more generally. I review the available literature of deaf academic experience in the UK before using extensive quotes from research interviews to illustrate how the burden of making their own workplaces accessible usually falls on the shoulders of deaf academics. I also show that there is a lack of appreciation of the emotional labour and time demands that such work requires from the academics' workplaces using a Lefebvrian understanding of time. I end with some reflections on the method used and on the implications of the barriers deaf academics and those from other linguistic minority communities can face in HEIs in the UK.

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Deaf leaders’ strategies for working with signed language interpreters: An examination across seven countries

Abstract: In this paper, we report interview data from 14 Deaf leaders across seven countries (Australia,

Cited by 14 publications

References 18 publications

Hearing people perceiving deaf people through sign language interpreters at work: on the loss of self through interpreted communication

Hearing people perceiving deaf people through sign language interpreters at work: on the loss of self through interpreted communication

Ophelia, Emma, and the beast from the east effortful engaging and the provision of sign language interpreting in emergencies

Mapping deaf academic spaces

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