The 4-year renewal cycle of my certification with the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf which included the requirement of 10 hours of Power, Privilege and Oppression continuing education units began 1 January 2021.
According to the 2015 guidance, this content area was intended for me to conduct my interpreting business “with a goal of promoting and practicing social justice and dismantling oppressive systems.”
The 2005 Code of Professional Conduct was not revised to accommodate this aim, though it may support the spirit of the PPO mandate with illustrative behaviors such as:
2.1 Provide service delivery regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other factor.
2.4 Request support (e.g., certified deaf interpreters, team members, language facilitators) when needed to fully convey the message or to address exceptional communication challenges (e.g. cognitive disabilities, foreign sign language, emerging language ability, or lack of formal instruction or language).
4.4 Facilitate communication access and equality, and support the full interaction and independence of consumers.
6.5 Reserve the option to decline or discontinue assignments if working conditions are not safe, healthy, or conducive to interpreting.
Every interpreter has rendered information which they know to be misinformed, patently falsified, or contrary to their personal position. In extreme situations, the two documents taken together could risk ethical dilemmas in the expectation that interpreters shall:
2.3 Render the message faithfully by conveying the content and spirit of what is being communicated…
2.5 Refrain from providing counsel, advice, or personal opinions.
3.5 Conduct and present themselves in an unobtrusive manner and exercise care in choice of attire.
3.7 Disclose to parties involved any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
3.8 Avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest that might cause harm or interfere with the effectiveness of interpreting services.
3.2 Decline assignments or withdraw from the interpreting profession when not competent due to physical, mental, or emotional factors.
3.3 Avoid performing dual or conflicting roles in interdisciplinary (e.g. educational or mental health teams) or other settings.
4.2 Approach consumers with a professional demeanor at all times.
6.2 Honor professional commitments and terminate assignments only when fair and justifiable grounds exist.
6.6 Refrain from harassment or coercion before, during, or after the provision of interpreting services.
In all matters, the CPC takes precedence. I maintain it is my professional and ethical mandate to limit any counsel and advice to the interpreting process, or in response to requests for resources and referrals. I do not take assignments where I cannot maintain my professionalism. If I am unexpectedly personally conflicted, I shall not intercede, interject, alter, or in any way impose my views upon the form or content of an interpreted interaction.
© Anne Leahy 2020