This guide will assist you with Sign Language Interpreter research and help you find DVDs, books, articles, and databases related to this topic. Deaf-related resources are in the HV2300-HV2600 area for books, bound journals, and DVDs.
The Gallaudet Encyclopedia has articles about interpreting and sign language. We have career information about interpreters below for your review. The Sage Encyclopedia of Deaf Studies and the Routledge Encyclopedia of Interpreting Studies are also available.
Check out the organization Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). The National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers (NCIEC) is a great professional development organization.
If you have questions, feel free to contact me, Joan Naturale - I am the NTID and Deaf Studies Librarian and am happy to help.
If you need an interpreter at RIT, complete the Access Services form.
Check out the Signs of Development Video Streaming Database. There are many topics to help improve your language and cultural skills. An interesting video is Social Justice: An Obligation for Sign Language Interpreters?
Search for book, video and journal titles using the RIT Libraries Catalog below.
We have information about the career of sign language interpreters. Check out the Occupational Handbook and look up a field you are interested in. It will give you expected pay, required education and certification, job duties, and job outlook. Take a look at Discover Interpreting to learn about career paths of interpreters.
There are many types of interpreters: educational, health care, mental health, legal, trilingual, Deaf-Blind, video relay, video remote interpreting, international, and community interpreting. In addition, we have Deaf interpreters who often work in the legal and health fields, and with the Deaf-Blind. There are also community, cued speech, and oral interpreters for the Deaf.
At RIT, we have about 120 full-time interpreters, then there are about 15 apprentices that are hired (Access Services representative, 2015). The 3 most popular interpreter agencies in Rochester are listed below.
Interpretek has about 100 active interpreters that work weekly and about 100 more that only work occasionally (Interpretek representative, 2015).
Sign Language Connection has about 150 active interpreters (Sign Language Connection, Inc. website, 2015).
Center for Disability Rights (CDR website, 2017).
Interpreters' pay in Rochester range from $30-$60 an hour with a one hour minimum for interpreters hired from agencies. Sometimes there is a start-up fee of $15. Pay varies across the country: in cities like Washington, DC the pay is double this, and in rural areas, one-half of the Rochester pay. In heavily populated deaf communities like Rochester, Washington, DC (VA and MD), Los Angeles, Dallas, etc. you will find proportionately more sign language interpreters of the deaf.
For more information about interpreters' pay and demographics, check the Interpreting Practitioner Needs Assessment of 2012 Final Report.
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