- Established 1877
- Incorporated 1905
-
Illinois Association
of the Deaf
2501 North Luna Avenue, #3
Chicago, IL 60639
President
Michael K. Berger
Vice President
Jodi Miller
Secretary
Susan Dramin-Weiss
Treasurer
Ramesh Phadke
Chicago Chapter
Heartland Chapter
Fox Valley Chapter
Illini Chapter
Jacksonville Chapter
Springfield Chapter
Membership Chair
State Pageant Director
State-Wide Bulletin Editor
Youth Chair
Webmaster
Past President
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ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEAF'S
POSITION PAPER
-
- Dear Sir/Madam:
-
- Illinois Association of
the Deaf (IAD) supports Senate Bill #2292, Interpreter for the Deaf
Licensure Act of 2006, which would replace the Interpreters for the Deaf
Act. The bill provides for the regulations of interpreters for the deaf
through licensure by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission. The bill
also establishes a Board of Interpreters to oversee
- the implementation of the
licensure.
-
- IAD supports SB 2292,
which would mandate that any interpreter can practice as a licensed
professional interpreter within the deaf community. Licensure assures
that the deaf community will be able to determine whether a person is
appropriately qualified to interpret in any given situation.
-
- IAD supports the licensure
of interpreters as it will aid deaf consumers and the professionals that
serve them to ensure that any given interpreter is qualified to handle
complex communications such as medical, legal, relay services, mental
health. Moreover, licensure will assure that interpreters are held to a
high level of ethical and professional conduct, or be subject to
punitive action for any violations.
-
- IAD supports the bill’s
creation of a Board of Interpreters that will have the expertise,
knowledge, and experience to properly govern the licensing of
interpreters seeking to work in Illinois. IAD strongly supports the
reserving of two seats on this Board of
- Interpreters for two deaf
or hard-of-hearing consumers.
-
- IAD supports the provision
of SB 2292 which preserves the professional standards promulgated by the
National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and the Registry of Interpreters
for the Deaf (RID). Both NAD and RID have a long history of issuing
certificates to highly qualified interpreters, and SB 2292 ensures that
this history continues in Illinois. IAD also supports the promulgation
of rules that will preserve the use of the Illinois Skills Assessment
Screening (ISAS) to encourage fledgling interpreters to improve their
skills through work and experience as they strive for NAD/RID
certification.
-
- In summary, the Illinois
Association of the Deaf fully supports SB 2292 and urges that the
Illinois legislature pass this bill into law to meet the needs of the
deaf community.
-
- Sincerely,
-
- Michael K. Berger
- President of IL. Assoc. of
the Deaf
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