Stepping Stones for Novice Interpreters
  • Are you interested in exploring the concept of microaggressions? And would you like to understand how some people in the field of ASL-English interpreting experience a climate of microaggression? 
  • Would you like to become more aware of the impacts words and behaviors can have on us or our interpreting colleagues? 
  • Do you want to be part of the solution to ending the climate of microaggression and creating a culture of inclusion in interpreting and Deaf communities? 

Dealing with Microaggressions for Novice Interpreters

Montage of 7 black and brown interpreters who took part in conversations

Description

This course is designed to increase awareness of microaggressions from multiple perspectives: 

  1. How comments and behaviors by interpreters are contributing to microaggression experienced by other interpreters, particularly those who identify as black, brown, CODA, Deaf, or a combination of those identities, and 
  2. How microaggressions are negatively impacting interpreters, and
  3. How microaggressions are negatively impacting  black/brown Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities. 

Course content is amplified with videos of black/brown interpreters discussing their experiences and sharing personal stories to provide other black/brown interpreters meaningful opportunities for connection, reflection, and empowerment. Content and case studies are also shared to support learning and deeper understanding for interpreters who do not identify as black or brown, including strategies to address intentional and/or accidental microaggressions occurring during professional practice. 

Learning Objectives

Participants completing this course will:

  • Define microaggressions and list 3 examples that Deaf/Coda/black/brown interpreters have experienced.  
  • Compare/contrast being “called in” versus being “called out” and state 3 responses/actions that can be applied. 
  • Identify elements of microaggressions in case studies and real life scenarios and then reflect on possible outcomes for those involved.  
  • Discuss 3 strategies for combating microaggression.

CEUs

Logos for RID's CMP and ACET programs

Stepping Stones for Novice Interpreters track is designed for interpreters who are working toward becoming more reflective practitioners as well as earning credentials that help them move along their professional development.  In general, Stepping Stones does not provide CEUs so our focus can be on novice interpreters. 

For this course, the Stepping Stones team has decided that the experience of novice interpreters entering the field will be impacted by how experienced interpreters deal with microaggressions and are offering this course for CEUs in both the CMP and ACET programs.  

To be eligible for CEUs you must complete all the required activities by 11:59pm in your time zone on April 15.

St. Catherine University is a RID-approved CMP sponsor. This module is approved for 1.0 professional studies with PPO CEUs.

CEUs will be posted by April 30, 2024.

Registration Closed.

Registration is now closed.

The registration form will provide you a link to enroll in a free Canvas course.  It will also ask for optional demographic information which will be helpful for the CATIE Center in evaluating the effectiveness of these resources for supporting the diversity of novice interpreters who are entering the interpreting field.

About Stepping Stones for Novice Interpreters

This course is part of a series developed by the Dive In project of the CATIE Center at St. Catherine University. Each module will have a facilitator from the CATIE Center who monitors a Support Forum.  The activities are designed so that you can do them asynchronously. Though possible to do independently, we encourage you to either join as a group and work through the material together – or use the introduction forum to seek out others in the course who might work with you in the discussions. Collaborative learning can be a really important tool in professional development.