Strategic Community Allyship:

A Model of Success for Interpreters (PPO)

This interactive workshop encourages participants to take a closer look at the perceived and actual benefits of strategic community allyship. Through Deaf lens, the presenter will identify long-standing systemic barriers and challenges the Deaf community faces on a regular basis. With this necessary foundation, the presenter will then discuss the various ways sign language interpreters can provide long-term strategic support that will dismantle these systemic barriers and challenges to the collective benefit of the Deaf and interpreting communities.

After this workshop, participants will:

• Recognize the impact of allyship on disrupting the continuous cycle of the oppression of Deaf individuals;
• Understand and apply best practices to measure short- and long-term return on investment (ROI) of allyship behaviors; and
• Utilize strategies to amplify the messages and actions of marginalized communities.

Rethinking the Binary Paradigm in Interpreting (PPO)

We live in a world heavily influenced by either/or, us or them, and Deaf or hearing thinking. In the context of sign language interpretation, this binary mind-set often excludes situational and socio-cultural considerations, including power, privilege and individual and systemic biases, that impact interpreting outcomes. To address these critical shortcomings and identify potential solutions, the presenter will facilitate a conversation that explores and challenges a variety of assumptions, models, values and standard methods shared by interpreting professionals, interpreting educators, and interpreting agency representatives.

After this workshop, participants will:

• Recognize a minimum of three ways that binary thinking may exacerbate power, privilege and biases, and ultimately, impact various elements of the interpreting process.
• Utilize a minimum of three strategies to mitigate the impact of binary thinking.
• Identify a minimum of two opportunities to overcome power, privilege and biases and leverage the benefits of spectrum thinking as it pertains to interpreting.

Reframing Systemic Change in Healthcare (PPO)

Regardless of healthcare moving towards a model focused on cultivating relationships, Deaf and hard of hearing individuals continue to face numerous disparities and inequities in healthcare. While there are significant benefits to having interpreters present in healthcare settings, the presenter will discuss how interpreters may inadvertently perpetuate and exacerbate the long-standing barriers and challenges the Deaf community faces in healthcare. With this foundation, the presenter will then explore how the interpreting industry can effectively position Deaf and hard of hearing individuals at the forefront of efforts to dismantle systemic barriers negatively impacting patient-provider interactions.

After this interactive training, participants will:

• Recognize systemic barriers Deaf and hard of hearing individuals encounter in healthcare settings;
• Identify techniques to mitigate common issues that may arise between Deaf individuals, interpreters and service providers; and
• Utilize strategies to amplify the messages and actions of marginalized communities in healthcare settings.