Gary Beck wears many hats. The education administrator in UNMC’s department of pediatrics, serves as an interpreter and activist for the Deaf, a member of the NHS/UNMC Employee Diversity Network, and is a contributing writer to publications serving the deaf and their interpreters.
Today’s UNMC Today includes a reprint of an article Beck published in the fall 2001 edition of the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing “Notes” newsletter.
Beck’s involvement in interpreting came by association. As an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, he befriended a deaf employee, who also attended his church. The church interpreter asked a few students, including Beck, to take a sign language course as an elective to better communicate with her. He did and thoroughly enjoyed the course.
In 1991, Beck decided to take formal training as an interpreter. He graduated from the Iowa Western Community College interpreter-training program in 1994 and worked full-time as a sign language interpreter at Bellevue East High School, then as a private contractor. He quit interpreting professionally about 4 years ago.
Today, Beck interprets regularly at a local church as well as for theatrical performances by SNAP! Productions. In the fall of 2000, he was elected to the board of the Nebraska Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (NeRID) as a member-at-large and also became vice president of the board. Beck coordinates NeRID membership drives, edits the NeRID Views (a quarterly newsletter) and maintains the Web site at www.nerid.org . Because he interprets on a part-time basis, Beck chose not to take any of the national certification tests. However, this summer he is scheduled to take Nebraska’s Quality Assurance Screening Test to assess his skills as an interpreter in anticipation of doing more professional assignments.
The Forgotten Client – by Gary Beck
As Sign Language Interpreters, serious study and effort is expended to learn the technical aspects of the profession. Many of us remember the hours spent viewing videotapes, practicing finger spelling until the joints in your hand swelled, and reading about the pathogenesis of deafness. In attempts to be truly proficient, many interpreters frequent local Deaf clubs to not only improve technical skills but also to understand the culture. Since we are budding communications experts, this diligence and hard work is laudable.
However, as time passed and I was able to hire interpreters for various assignments, the focus of my work resulted in the neglect of the other clients in an interpreting situation — the hearing people. This observation had slammed me in the face time after time and I witnessed other interpreters doing it, as well.
A blatant example involved someone at a candlelight church service I interpreted. An usher innocently asked me if I wanted a candle for the service. Without thinking, I responded, “How can I interpret while holding that?” The usher’s question was foolish and incredibly embarrassing to the usher and myself. Yet, in retrospect, I realized the tone of my comment was made in an extremely haughty way.
I have observed similar errors involving other individuals asking the Sign Language Interpreter questions or making comments. These comments or questions obviously displayed the hearing individuals’ lack of knowledge. The exasperated, often condescending and patronizing responses from the interpreters quickly displayed a lack of patience and annoyance with the hearing clientele. Thinking about my example and others I have witnessed helped me realize that interpreters are dealing with people who are quite simply ignorant and know absolutely nothing about the Deaf or the role of the Sign Language Interpreter.
As communication and cultural experts, it behooves interpreters to remember not only the Deaf consumer but also the hearing clients. In fact, hearing clients require more of our attention, patience, and understanding than do the Deaf clients. In most situations, the Deaf know what a Sign Language Interpreter’s role is. We need to cater also to the hearing individual in order to ensure our assignments run seamlessly. The interpreter’s responsibilities should be clearly explained, keeping in mind the need to be flexible and gracious at all times, particularly with people who do not have our expertise.