(1st) ASLI Meeting, Delhi, 2008.
The first ever meeting of ASLI held on 26th July 2008, at Indian Social Institute saw a gathering of a number of interpreters from various backgrounds under one roof. The aim of this meeting was for interpreters to get together and that happened in a great fun way.
It was so inspiring to see old friends and make new ones at the meet. In India with the interpreting program being virtually non existent, the population of interpreters is sparse. The very term interpreter ceases to have a status or a meaning because of the lack of certification or an interpreting program. The ones who are interpreting are by and large CODA’s ( Children Of Deaf Adults) or spouses and friends. |
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| The President Mr. Arun Rao (one of the founder members of ASLI) brought to light the startling ignorance of our policy makers about the deaf community. He shared the history of interpreting and the first workshops he conducted for the Rehabilitation Council of India on Interpreting in 1999 as well as the work with the World Assocaition of Sign Language interpreters over the past 5 years. |
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With the help of Anand Rao and Angel Singha, we were also able to share each others experiences, personal and professional. It was inspiring and also very moving to hear stories of victory and hardship from botht he deaf persons there as well as the interpreters. Some shared how the deaf were so oppressed that it was hard to actually interprete without becoming so emotionally and personally involved. Other shared how the whole experience of having an interpreter was so liberating and they were so happy to actually be able to aprticipate in the formalisation of the organsiation for the interpreters in India. |
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Ms. Anubhuti Mittal ( who works towards recruitment of the disabled) talk about the increasing demand for interpreters and how everybody present should be ready for employment. She encourage interpreters and the deaf present to take charge and go out into the job market with a positive attitude. There is a need for interpreters and especially now with the corporate sector hiring deaf persons right left and center the need is going up and far outstrips supply. “Some times it is impossible to find an interpreter to work when I need one” she said. |
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A senior guest at the event was the Secretary of the National Association of the Deaf, shri A.S.Narrayanan. He was emphatic in his presentation about the importance of Interpreters and the role of interpreters in the life of a deaf person. “ The link between society at large and us is an interpreter the importance of interpreters cannot be emphasised enough. The NAD is actively campaigning for interpreters to get Govt. jobs and as such raise the status of the profession in the country. As of now the number of interpreters is very low and the interest in training to become one is virtually non existent since no one wants to train for a job which has no future,” he said. |
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A senior guest at the event was the Secretary of the National Association of the Deaf, shri A.S.Narrayanan. He was emphatic in his presentation about the importance of Interpreters and the role of interpreters in the life of a deaf person. “ The link between society at large and us is an interpreter the importance of interpreters cannot be emphasised enough. The NAD is actively campaigning for interpreters to get Govt. jobs and as such raise the status of the profession in the country. As of now the number of interpreters is very low and the interest in training to become one is virtually non existent since no one wants to train for a job which has no future,” he said. |
Now with the passing of UNCRPD document and ratification of the law in our country, the time is ripe to initiate changes in the laidback mindset of people about the issues troubling the deaf community. The 11th 5 year plan of the GOvt. of India has recommended work on interpreting services as well as the establishment of a Sign Language Academy where formal training will be imparted to interpreters and teachers of the deaf. This will simultaneously create more demand for certified interpreters in government offices, schools, public and private establishments.
This was only the beginning. There is a lot more to come. Soooooon!!!!!!
