President Corey Axelrod sent an open letter to 500+ Illinois Licensed interpreters about the need for the Deaf and Interpreting communities to collaborate and affect positive change.
Please read the letter below and share with interpreters:
Greetings Interpreters:
On Saturday, October 15, 2016, I attended the Illinois Registry of Interpreters (IRID) Fall Conference and addressed the 100+ attendees present during the business meeting. I spoke primarily about the need for the Deaf and Interpreting communities to collaborate and affect positive change. The Illinois Association of the Deaf (IAD) and IRID’s 2017 Joint Conference theme, “Igniting Integration,” inspires me and was at the core of the message I delivered at the conference.
The Deaf community has advocated for systematic changes at the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission (IDHHC) as the IDHHC has inadequately represented the needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. The IDHHC’s lack of transparency, communication and accountability has left deaf and hard of hearing citizens vulnerable to the unacceptable egregious behaviors at the IDHHC.
Our advocacy efforts resulted in the IDHHC being in the national spotlight. The Associated Press showcased the Deaf community’s concerns with the IDHHC by nationally syndicating articles published by the State Journal-Register and the National Public Radio reported on the issues surrounding the IDHHC. However, while the Governor’s office and legislators are aware of the Deaf community’s concerns, there is much that continues to go unnoticed and unreported. These include complaints IAD received from professional and educational interpreters about the IDHHC:
- Calls/emails are not responded in a timely manner;
- Renewal licenses are not received in a timely manner;
- Complaints filed are not resolved in a timely manner;
- A lack of action regarding review of Accepted Certificates in the Administrative Code;
- A lack of collaboration with the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to review regulations in the implementation of the Interpreter Licensure Act of 2007;
- A lack of outreach and awareness re: ADA accessibility requirements for various entities;
- A lack of workshops and trainings for interpreters to satisfy CEU requirements (e.g., no Fall Conference); and
- The hire of an Office Assistant is of higher priority than filling the Interpreter Coordinator position.
Despite these concerns being expressed, the IDHHC continues to claim they are limited by budget constraints. This is not entirely accurate as Governor Rauner’s signing of the stopgap budget into law resulted in $200,000 being appropriated towards the “Interpreters for the Deaf Fund” for both FY 2016 and FY 2017.
Per Section 110 of the Interpreter Licensure Act of 2007, these funds are to be used only for the administration and enforcement of the Act. The purpose of the Act is to “protect and benefit the public by setting standards of qualifications, education, training, and experience for those who seek to engage in the practice of interpreting, to promote high standards of professional performance for those licensed as interpreters for the deaf, and to protect deaf and hard of hearing consumers from unprofessional conduct by persons licensed to practice.”
Where are the monies you pay for your licenses going?
Receiving quality interpretation is of utmost importance to Deaf individuals. The Deaf community has a vested interest in ensuring the IDHHC competently serves the needs of the interpreting community and provides ample opportunities for interpreters to further grow and maintain their skills. Simply put, the IDHHC must use monies appropriated to the IDHHC to provide workshops and trainings for interpreters throughout the State of Illinois.
The Deaf community will continue to hold the IDHHC accountable for actionable results and welcomes interpreters to collaborate with us. We look forward to joint initiatives with IRID going forward, including the development of a position statement to submit to the IDHHC regarding accepted certificates for licensure and for the IDHHC to act on joint recommendations made by IAD and IRID.
In the spirit of igniting integration, we cannot wait until the IAD and IRID 2017 Joint Conference for the Deaf and Interpreting communities to work together. There is much to be done to affect positive change and a strong partnership between our respective communities and organizations will benefit everyone involved.
We encourage you to become actively involved with the IRID and IAD and be a part of the collaborative effort to improve the lives of many in Illinois.
To learn more about the IRID, visit www.irid.org.
To learn more about the IAD, visit www.iadeaf.org.
Sincerely,
Corey Axelrod
President
Illinois Association of the Deaf
