Educational Supports & Services
Recommend a Resource
ASL and Deaf Studies
Deaf Studies Digital Journal
An online video journal featuring academic articles and literature presented in ASL and other sign languages and visual arts from the Deaf/signing community.
Deaf Interpreter
Deaf Interpreter Institute
DIInstitute.org is a learning, sharing, and networking site for Deaf Interpreters (DI), interpreters who work with Deaf Interpreters, DI educators and mentors, interpreting education program faculty and administrators, and people who use the services of DIs. Among the resources available at DI Institute are reports of national surveys and focus groups conducted by the National Consortium between 2006-2007, a document delineating the competencies of the Deaf Interpreter, and an annotated bibliography of materials on the Deaf Interpreter. Subscribers receive postings of upcoming events.
Deaf Interpreter Annotated Bibliography
A compilation of print and video material relevant to Deaf Interpreting. It is a living document and, as such, invites the contributions of titles of any materials addressing – or making mention of – Deaf Interpreters and Deaf Interpreter practice.
DeafBlind Interpreting
Annotated Bibliography on Deaf-Blind Interpreting
Compiled by the National Task Force on Deaf-Blind Interpreting in collaboration with the National Center on Deaf-Blindness, the bibliography is a comprehensive listing of readings and videos divided into 19 categories, including sections on recommended resources, advocacy and rights, culture and community, curricula/educational resources, information for the Deaf-Blind consumer, research and theory and support service providers. You can also view the bibliography in Large Print, Plain Text, or though the NCDB Library.
Deaf-Blind Interpreting, Training, & Professional Development
DB-TIP is a small business that aims to enhance knowledge, skills, and strategies for effective interpreting with individuals who are Deaf-Blind. Training activities are offered in face-to-face and online formats.
Helen Keller National Center
The mission of the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults is to enable each person who is deaf-blind to live and work in his or her community of choice. Authorized by an Act of Congress in 1967, HKNC is a national rehabilitation program serving youth and adults who are deaf-blind.
National Task Force on Deaf-Blind Interpreting (NTFDBI)
The National Task Force on Deaf-Blind Interpreting (NTFDBI) is a collaboration among groups serving interpreters, Deaf-Blind people, interpreter educators and families of Deaf-Blind people. The website includes documents and publications, webinars, a presenters list, blog posts, and definitions of DeafBlind interpreter, support service provider and intervener, including some video samples. All videos are captioned with large or adjustable captioning and include transcriptions with descriptions. One video is available in Spanish.
Healthcare Interpreting
ASL Cancer Project
Provides breast cancer information in English and ASL.
Deaf Doctor
Provides health information for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) community, health and educational providers, interpreters, and partnerships worldwide; consulting, training, mentoring, and advocacy services to national and international medical, educational, government, research, professional and community organizations.
Deaf MD
Provides health-related information presented in ASL.
Deaf Wellness Center
Conducts research and provides training activities, clinical services, and products to advance provision of healthcare, especially psychological services, to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Healthcareinterpreting.org
Began as a project of the CATIE Center, healthcareinterpreting.org provides myriad resources and learning opportunities for interpreting practitioners and educators, healthcare providers, and Deaf and Deafblind patients.
International Medical Interpreters Association
The IMIA website provides myriad resources relevant to spoken language and sign language interpreters working in healthcare.
Mental Health Interpreter Training
Funded by ADARA and the Alabama State Office of Deaf Services, this website represents the work of the Alabama Mental Health Interpreter Training Project, its annual Mental Health Interpreter Training Institute, and resources to support enhancement of competencies in mental healthcare interpreting.
Mental Health Interpreting: A Mentored Curriculum
The target audience for the curriculum includes foreign language and sign language interpreters who occasionally or frequently work in mental health service settings. There is an open-captioned version of the video for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers (the regular version of the video shows subtitles when characters speak in a foreign language and their comments are not immediately translated into English).
National Council on Interpreting in Health Care
Focused on promoting and enhancing language access in healthcare to limited English speaking persons in the U.S., NCIHC offers information on standards, policy and advocacy, standards, and certification.
RID Standard Practice Paper: Interpreting in Health Care Settings
Articulates the consensus of the RID membership in outlining standard practices and positions on interpreting in healthcare settings.
RID Standard Practice Paper: Interpreting in Mental Health Settings
Articulates the consensus of the RID membership on standard practices and positions on interpreting in mental healthcare settings.
The Whole Interpreter Enterprises
Offers links to mental health interpreting web resources, print and video publications, and coaching opportunities.
Legal Interpreting
Legal Interpreter Member Section of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
LIMS hosts a national listserv for interpreters working in legal settings, among other resources.
National Association of Judicial Interpreters and Translators
NAJIT has as its mission to promote quality interpreting and translating services provided in the courts and other legal and judicial settings. It is an organization comprised of both spoken and sign language interpreters.
National Center for State Courts
NCSC is an independent, nonprofit court improvement organization that the state courts turn to for authoritative knowledge and information on a broad range of topics, including the provision of interpreting services. NCSC has a variety of resources of use to court interpreters—such as a model state law related to court interpreting, survey results of fees paid to free lance and staff interpreters working in court, and other standards adopted and implemented by many state Administrative Offices of the Court.
Recommended guidelines for video remote interpreting (VRI) for ASL-interpreted events. (2012). Judicial Council of California/Administrative Office of the Courts. San Francisco. http://www.courts.ca.gov/courtinterpreters
The California Court Interpreters Advisory Panel (CIAP) has approved a set of Recommended Guidelines on the use of Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) in ASL Interpreted Court/legal events. These guidelines are the result of a year-long pilot study conducted in Ventura County and surrounding areas testing the use of VRI in various court proceedings. The feedback of consumers, interpreters and the judiciary helped to formulate the guidelines. The guidelines include specifics on what kinds of events are likely to be VRI appropriate, along with checklists, tips other information helpful for the courts and legal interpreters.
Standards for language access in courts. Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, American Bar Association. February 2012.
These Standards for Language Access in Courts developed by the American Bar Association (ABA) are intended to assist courts in designing, implementing, and enforcing a comprehensive system of language access for persons with limited English proficiency (LEP). This document serves as a resource for interpreter practitioners, consumers, attorneys and the judiciary in efforts to ensure the fair administration of justice within the court system.
UNC DO IT Center Legal Interpreting Program
An online, 4 semester, 15 credit hour certificate program for graduate and undergraduate credit. For more information and application, go to http://www.unco.edu/marie/litp.html.
Mentoring Resources
Helpful sites on mentoring from outside the interpreting field:
National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials*
Social Psychology Mentorship Program
Institute of Physics – Best Practice in Mentoring
The American Institute of Architects
*National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials is temporarily unavailable due to website reconstruction.
Research
Translation Studies Abstracts Online
An online database supporting research on translation studies and cross-cultural communication, TSA carries abstracts of monographs, edited volumes, reference works, bibliographies, masters and doctoral dissertations, and individual articles from an extensive list of journals, electronic publications, and collected volumes.
Student Recruitment
Discover Interpreting
The centerpiece of the Discover Interpreting initiative of the National Consortium, this website provides resources for aspiring interpreters on interpreting as a career, recruitment supplies for interpreting program faculty and administrators, and information for interpreters who wish to serve as “ambassadors.”
Standards & Credentialing
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
ACTFL is a national professional membership organization representing more than 12,500 language educators from all levels of instruction and all languages. As part of its mission and vision, the organization provides guidance to the profession and to the general public regarding issues, policies, and best practices related to the teaching and learning of languages and cultures. ACTFL will publish standards for ASL and is training ASL proficiency testers through the Outcomes Circle of the National Interpreter Education Center.
ASL Standards
ASL Standards were developed to align ASL instructional goals with those of other languages in accordance with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Standards. View a video description of the ASL Standards.
ASLTA Teacher Certification
Information on certification standards and procedures.
Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education
The Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE) was founded in 2006 to promote professionalism in the field of sign language interpreter education through the process of accreditation.
CCIE Accreditation Standards
The CCIE Accreditation Standards are to be used for the development, evaluation, and self-analysis of post-secondary professional interpreter education programs. They guide new programs in defining policies on entry requirements, curricular goals, faculty selection, teaching methods, and projected student outcomes. For existing programs, the CCIE Accreditation Standards provide benchmarks for assessing and enhancing student outcomes, evaluating and updating faculty, and improving curricula and related practices.
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.
RID provides opportunities for certification testing and maintenance through its National Testing System and Certification Maintenance Program.
RID Standard Practice Papers
RID’s Standard Practice Papers (SPPs) articulate the consensus of the membership in outlining standard practices and positions on various interpreting roles and issues.
Teaching and Administration
Faculty Development Associates
Provides a compilation of over 80 vetted teaching and learning resource websites.
Effective Practices Resources for Interpreting Education Program Administrators
Provides links relevant to teaching at the post-secondary level including rubric tools, strategies for promoting student success, resources for evaluating faculty and assessing course goals.
Vocational Rehabilitation
National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials*
Sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and hosted by Utah State University, the NCRTM advocates for the advancement of best practice in rehabilitation counseling through the development, collection, dissemination, and utilization of professional information, knowledge and skill. NCRTM houses an archive of the 2005-2010 Consortium products and webinars at https://ncrtm.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=241 and new products of the Consortium Centers.
*National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials is temporarily unavailable due to website reconstruction.
PEPNet 2
PEPNet 2 provides resources and expertise that enhance educational opportunities for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, including those with co-occurring disabilities. Its four regional centers are supported by contracts with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The goal of PEPNet 2 is to assist postsecondary institutions across the nation to attract and effectively serve individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Technical Assistance and Continuing Education Centers
Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Centers provide technical support and continuing education programs to state VR agencies and their partners. The Centers are a key resource for VR personnel for current, reliable information on quality management practices, service delivery and vocational rehabilitation skill sets. The Centers have the resources of the entire TA Network to help each agency improve its organizational performance and ultimately improve employment outcomes for consumers with disabilities.