ASLI setting up training!

The ASLI has now set in motion a dynamic new idea to increase the awareness of interpreting and interpreters in the country. I was at the world conference of Interpreters in Segovia in 2007 and remember listening to talks by various individuals about how the “professional interpreter” was emerging as a ‘delinked’ individual in some ways in certain societies. The most impressive of these speakers was Dr. Chris Stone of the English ASLI, a brilliant interpreter and academic. He was talking about how the deaf community as an integrated unit needs to include interpreters and the interpreters themselves need to be involved at different levels and interfaces with the deaf community instead of coming in – doing a job – and leaving. This makes for a divide between terps and deafies and this is to be avoided. I remember sharing a question at the time. I was amazed or rather aghast at what he said. We in India are praying and preparing and advocating and fighting for the “professional interpreter” and trying to get out of the “helper mode” and he was talking about deaf community linkage and trust. I said we have 10 million deaf in India and very few interpreters. How do we do this? His answer was even more amazing, he said “Well Arun we are going to be watching you and seeing how you are going to resolve the issues cuz we need to find out how to do this.” This from a person of Dr. Stone’s stature just goes to show how the more you know the more unassuming we need to become. My respect for him increased greatly at that time from his simple humble answer. I am glad to say that the first step of my journey in setting up interpreting in India was validated at that time. The actual nuts and bolts of giving India interpreters took longer and now 3 years later we are halfway there with a website for amateur interpreters and a small membership organisation.