The Deaf Interpreter demonstrates the following competencies in determining appropriate interpreting and communication strategies with consumers:
- Recognize educational, cognitive, physiological, and sociolinguistic factors and communication needs likely to influence interpretation strategies and communication interventions.
- Identify Deaf consumers’ language use (e.g. bilingual, monolingual, semi-lingual, familiarity with language(s) being used, communication system interference, international signs, use of culture-specific and idiosyncratic gestures or home signs, use of tactual communication, use of close-vision communication) to determine a target language/communication form.
- Identify Deaf consumer’s potential gaps (e.g. informational, experiential, educational, visual, protocol, cognitive, memory, cultural, or frame of reference) relative to the particular interaction or setting in order to determine a target language/communication strategy consistent with the experiential and linguistic framework of the Deaf consumer and appropriate to situational protocol.
- Apply understanding of the history and significance of oppression in the Deaf community in analysis of power relationships among participants within the interpreted interaction in order to determine how the consumer’s position within the power dynamic might influence interpreting decisions or strategies.