1.11: Interpreters Working for the Federal Government

American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are addressed in the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), as a reasonable accommodation. A reasonable accommodation can consist of a job modification, an enhancement to the work environment, or a change to the hiring process. These modifications enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity for interviewing, obtaining employment, and to successfully perform the job tasks equally as a person without the disability. The ADA requires reasonable accommodations as they relate to three aspects of employment: 1) ensuring equal opportunity in the application process; 2) enabling a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job, and; 3) making it possible for an employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment (Office of Disability Employment Policy, n.d.).

In 2000, President Clinton issued Executive Order (EO) 13163, requiring the federal government to increase the number of federal employees with targeted disabilities by hiring 1,000,000 individuals with targeted disabilities. On July 26, 2010, President Obama issued Executive Order 13548 and stated, “as the nation’s largest employer, the Federal Government must become a model for the employment of individuals with disabilities” (para. 4).

The federal government employs Deaf/ Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) individuals in various positions and roles. Various reasonable accommodations can be requested by applicants and employees to include ASL-English interpreting, Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART), notetakers, etc. as an accommodation, ASL- English interpreters are employed directly with federal agencies as staff interpreters or contracted through interpreting agencies.

Types of Settings within the Federal Government

In the United States federal government, there are various types of settings where an AS-English interpreter can work. Three common types of interpreting settings include: ad-hoc, on-call, and federal staff interpreters.

Ad Hoc

Ad Hoc interpreting requests can consist of large-group assignments such as training, town halls, presentations, luncheons, networking events, and conferences. These interpreters are not assigned daily, rather they are usually hired by outside agencies as supplemental support for a staff interpreter.

On-Call

On-call interpreters are interpreters that consistently work daily on a set schedule with D/HH employees. They may have an assigned desk near D/HH employees and their coworkers. Interpreting can be more small group setting and include daily internal meetings, office chatter, supervisor evaluations, one-on-one meetings with team members and customers, phone calls, Human Resources needs, and Helpdesk situations. On-call interpreters must maintain strict boundaries with consumers and the hearing colleagues as sometimes they can be perceived as an individual member of the team. While there can be periods of downtime (not actively interpreting) an interpreter can use this time to prepare for upcoming assignments, and if outlined in the Statement of Work (SOW) schedule interpreting services for upcoming assignments.

Federal Staff Interpreter

Federal staff interpreters are direct employees of the federal agency whose primary responsibility is to provide communication access to the D/HH workforce. These positions can also include other duties as assigned within their agency including scheduling interpreting services, interpreting services contract management and oversight, and Deaf awareness and disability training for the entire workforce.

Federal Interpreter Recommended Requirements

To work for the federal government, an ASL-English interpreter should have the following:

• National Certification
• Strong ASL to English skills and English to ASL skills (including various modalities; PSE, Oral, SEE, etc.)
• Knowledge of the assigned federal agency’s mission and purpose
• Knowledge and understanding of the D/HH(s) employee’s roles and responsibilities
• Professionalism in a federal setting
• Thorough understanding of ADA’s reasonable accommodations and how they relate to the role of an ASL-English interpreter
• Key vocabulary knowledge for federal government settings

Things to Consider

An ASL-English interpreter’s role in the federal setting may vary depending on the requirements of the position and number of D/HH employees needing an accommodation. Some federal agencies hire ASL-English interpreters to provide interpreting services, but to also oversee and manage the entire interpreting department which can include procurement of contractors, scheduling assignments, and providing training and consultations to interagency departments. Other federal agencies will sometimes divide an ASL-English interpreter position with reading services for the blind or add accommodation coordinator duties. Additional knowledge, skills and experiences may be needed when applying for such split positions and they should be advertised accordingly. It is essential for federal setting interpreters to be clear on their roles and responsibilities and to inform their supervisors, should their roles become a conflict of interest.

Interpreters should adhere to federal agency guidelines for attire, which usually include professional attire or suits, slacks, and dresses. Jeans are usually not acceptable for a federal workplace unless specific assignment requirements are appropriate for jeans due to being outside, or in mechanical environments where the staff is also dressed accordingly.

Interpreters may or may not have access to federal computers while on-call, therefore they should bring their own laptop if permissible or reading materials to keep them occupied when not actively interpreting. Because of some federal agencies’ security requirements, outside laptops and phones may not be permitted. Interpreters should always check with the Point of Contact (POC) on permissible technology and be mindful that requirements can vary from agency to agency.

Some assignments with the Department of Defense may require security clearance. Security clearances can range from Public Trust to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). Public Trust access usually requires an application and a background check, whereas Top Secret/SCI requires an extensive application, background investigation, interview with applicant and friends, family, former employers, adjudication, and polygraph examination. The higher the clearance level, the more restrictions the individual has on travel, financial responsibilities, and foreign acquaintances. Clearance process can be lengthy and varies by individual.

Demands and Controls for this Setting

Aside from the actual process of interpreting, ASL-English interpreters must monitor various environmental dynamics. Dean and Pollard used Karasek’s (1979) Demand-Control Theory to develop the framework for the Demand Control Schema to extrapolate the demands and controls of the interpreting profession. As a result, the Demand-Control Schema is a job analysis method to study the occupational stress and reduction of stress-related illness, injury, and burnout among interpreters. Dean & Pollard (2021), “describe sources of demand in the interpreting profession, including demands that arise from factors other than those associated with languages (linguistic demands). These include environmental, interpersonal, and intrapersonal demands” (p. 1). The physical environment includes monitoring of interactions between people who are present in the situation, and as Dean and Pollard called the “inner noise” of the interpreter can contribute to the accuracy, or lack thereof, of the resulting translation (Dean & Pollard, 2021). All interpreters must be able to manage and respond appropriately to the “language and nonlanguage aspects of each interpreting assignment” (Dean & Pollard, 2021, p. 1).

An example of how to apply the Demand-Control Schema when working in federal agency settings can include:

Setting

You are a federal staff interpreter. The setting is familiarly (your everyday location) terminology, D/HH and hearing professionals are known to you.

Demand: (Environmental and Interpersonal) meetings throughout the day

Control Options: access and utilize the preparation materials for the day/week/month.

Demand: (Paralinguistic): English-speaking professional with an accent had a fast-paced delivery for a presentation.

Control Options: (1) ASL-English interpreter can ask the speaker to slow down. (2) Inform D/HH professionals of the pace and difficulty for understanding and allow them to make the determination to address it or not.

Demand: (Environmental): Interpreting press briefing/director speech in outdoor conditions.

Control Options: (1) Ask for information on presentation to determine length. (2) Dress in layers/have appropriate backup options available.

Incorporating the Demand-Control Schema to federal agency settings, can help the sign language interpreter anticipate some of the demands and nuances that may come-up in a setting that they work in everyday (Dean & Pollard, 2021).

Conclusion

A federal government setting can be a rewarding environment for an ASL-English interpreter in ensuring accessibility so that D/HH employees can work to accomplish their agency’s mission. It is important to be mindful of the various settings and roles that interpreters may adopt so they understand the expectations the agency has while adhering to the tenets of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf’s Code of Professional Conduct (NAD-RID, 2005). Having an awareness of the potential demands and controls as well as the requirements of the setting will allow the interpreter and the employees with whom they work the ability to establish and maintain clear boundaries.

Activities

Activity 1:

Read the following ethical scenario and discuss all the control options listed below. Discuss which control option you may use and why.

Ethical Scenario (Demand/Control):

DEMAND (Interpersonal): You are a staff interpreter at federal agency XYZ. You are interpreting a weekly staff meeting for a Deaf accountant and one of their team members has a question regarding Deaf Culture. Before the Deaf employee can answer, another employee acknowledges you and prompts you to answer as the subject matter expert (SME). What demands and controls can you identify? How would you respond to the employee in this situation?

CONTROL OPTIONS: (1) Disregard prompting. (2) Sign prompt to D/deaf staff to allow them to correct the individual. (3) Advise you are in the meeting to provide access; however, the individual can meet with you when you are no longer in the interpreter role to discuss. (4) Step out of your role as the interpreter and respond to the question while using simultaneous communication.

Activity 2:

Meeting “Deaf in Government” video- Panel Discussion:

Watch the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing in Government panel discussion of Deaf employees from across the federal government discussing their experiences working within the Federal setting and use the questions below to guide a discussion with the class or a partner.

Reference: https://youtu.be/VP8FfqJmtYM?si=orwMc0SUTl_tDTsU

In addition to ASL-English interpreters, what are three other accommodations that Deaf employees may use in the federal setting?

What is the difference between a mentor versus a job coach?

The panelist listed various reasons for why a mentor is important in federal service. How can a mentor help an interpreter in the federal setting? (Looking for thinking outside of the box with not only interpreter mentors, but mentors who can train on federal terminology, lingo, and vocabulary. Mentors could be D/HH employees themself or hearing colleagues)

How would you interpret a supervisor telling their Deaf employee “I have an open-door policy”?

What are some things to consider when interpreting for the federal government in a telework environment?

References

Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990).

Exec. Order No. 13163, 3 C.F.R. (2000). Increasing the opportunity for individuals with disabilities to be employed in the federal government. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/WCPD-2000-07-31/pdf/WCPD-2000-07-31-Pg1686.pdf

Exec. Order No. 13548, 3 C.F.R. (2010). Individuals with disabilities, increasing federal employment opportunities. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/DCPD-201000631

Dean, R. & Pollard Jr., R. (2001, February). Application of demand-control theory to sign language interpreting: Implications for stress and interpreter training. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. 6(1), 1-14. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8263239_Application_of_Demand-Control_Theory_to_Sign_Language_Interpreting_Implications_for_Stress_and_Interpreter_Training

Office of Disability Employment Policy. (n.d.) Accommodations, U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/employers/accommodations#:~:text=The%20ADA%20requires%20 reasonable%20 accommodations,a%20 disability%20to%20 enjoy%20 equal

NAD-RID. (2005). Code of Professional Conduct. Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A154885ef-2f50-3664-ba5e-f9654c395ddf&viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover

The White House. (2010, July 26). Increasing federal employment of individuals with disabilities (Executive order 13548). https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-increasing-federal-employment-individuals-with-disabilities