Leadership Institute for Interpreters
Embracing Change: Cultivating Leaders
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The following articles offer a closer look at the work, and the philosophy of LII. These articles may not be reprinted or used without expressed written consent.
This article examines leadership readiness within the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). Findings report that leadership training and experience did not affect one’s perception of readiness to lead, that there is a lack of formal, ongoing leadership training opportunities within RID, and that there is a positive correlation between trainings being provided and topics of interest. Findings are based on the results of a web-based survey distributed to RID state and local affiliate leaders. The survey was drafted based on the perception that these leaders lack the skills and knowledge needed to lead in the midst of enormous change and that leadership training can provide them with some of the necessary tools.
"Respect in the Face of Witnessing Oppression"
This article examines dynamics in the field of interpreting. Here is the introductory exerpt:
"We are a rare breed. On any given day we maneuver between two cultures, languages and communities. Outsiders are fascinated by what we do. The view from our office is rarely the same – whether from the top of a fourteener or a factory floor, a boardroom or a classroom – sign language interpreters witness the lives of others in a way that no other profession can justify.
Attractive as it sounds, a significant part of our day is spent trying to equalize power and communication dynamics between Deaf and hearing people. Regardless of the situation; a medical appointment or a dog obedience class, interpreters regularly bear witness to Deaf people being treated differently than their hearing peers. The effects of repeatedly witnessing even subtle forms of oppression play a significant role in interpreter’s maltreatment of one another, and inhibit our ability to achieve common professional goals.
This is not to say that we are helpless victims, or that we treat each other intentionally with malice. Rather it is a call to look at our individual and collective relationship to oppression, a plea to truthfully assess how we treat each other and a request to be willing to seek the truth in a correlation between the two."
This article is an overview of "Appreciative Inquiry" - a strengths based approach to creating positive change. More information on Appreciative Inquiry can be found on the links page.