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Policy on Interpreting

Policy current from 3 November 2006

Interpreting between Auslan and English is an essential aspect in the life of the Deaf Community and enables equal participation by Deaf persons in the wider community. Often it is the principal means by which a Deaf person accesses the wider community in which they live.

To enable a satisfactory level of access to interpreting services, the provision of training programs in sign language interpreting is seen as essential by Deaf Australia.

Deaf Australia believes:

1. that sign language interpreting is a highly skilled profession which requires funds for appropriate professional training programs;
2. sign language interpreting is an area of sign language linguistics that has not sufficiently been researched in the past and that research in this area is a matter of priority;
3. in a strong relationship with the Australian Sign Language Interpreters Association (ASLIA) and that communication and consultation between Deaf Australia and ASLIA must occur regularly at a high level;
4. that interpreters must be appropriately trained and accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) at Paraprofessional Interpreter, Interpreter and Conference Interpreter Levels;
5. that employers of interpreters must only employ those individuals who possess Auslan/English interpreting accreditation from NAATI;
6. that interpreters should not be engaged as paid interpreters for appointments with their own Deaf family members (parents, children, siblings and partners); and
7. that all interpreting practitioners should be a member of the Australian Sign Language Interpreters' Association (ASLIA).

This policy was adopted by members at Deaf Australia's 20^th Annual General Meeting on 3^rd November 2006.

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