Building Interpreter Capacity in NIC, RID, Legal

July 26, 2007 - The College of St. Catherine has received $65,000 from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division for the purpose of increasing the number of nationally certified sign language interpreters in Greater Minnesota. The project will offer educational opportunities for interpreters to prepare and then take the national certification exams. Through practice testing and study groups, students will increase their skills in interpreting knowledge and competency in a variety of areas. Activities for this project will take place between July 30, 2007 and June 30, 2009.

The three certifications are: NIC (National Interpreter Certification), which is accepted for all interpreting assignments, and equates to full certification for interpreters who wish to work in medical settings; CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter) for interpreters who are Deaf and work in a team setting to ensure full language access for Deaf consumers who may have limited English proficiency or other language challenges; and SC:L (Specialist Certificate: Legal) for interpreters who wish to interpret in court and other legal settings. Priority for registration goes to interpreters living and working outside the seven-county metropolitan area. This is to effectively increase Deaf consumers’ access to qualified interpreting services where the shortage of interpreters is most reported.

This innovative series of workshops will be implemented using distance learning technology and presented by nationally known presenters. The program builds on previous activities hosted by the College of St. Catherine, including “CDI Training” offered in May 2007 and “The World of Legal Interpreting” offered in July 2006.