Relay Communication Assistants and Video Interpreters: Role, Ethics and Confidentiality

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Relay Communication Assistantsand Video
Interpreters Role, Ethicsand Confidentiality
ITU-T Workshop"The Impact of the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities on the work of the ITU-T"Geneva, 2
November 2009

• Judith Viera, Telecommunications for the Deaf,
  Inc.
• Maya de Wit, European Forum
• of Sign Language Interpreters

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Types of Relay Services

• Text telephone
• VCO
• HCO
• Captioned telephone
• Internet text
• Internet Video
• Wireless Text, Video, SMS
• Total Conversation
• Speech-to-Speech Telephone, Video
• Deaf Blind Relay

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Relay User Groups

• Deaf who sign and speak
• Deaf who sign and do not speak
• Deaf who speech read and speak
• Deaf who speech read and do not speak
• Late-deafened who sign and speak
• Late-deafened who do not sign, do speak
• Late-deafened who do not sign, do not
  speech read but do speak
• Hard of hearing who use amplification
• Deaf-blind who use telebraille, large print
• Speech disabled with normal hearing

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LARGEST RELAY USER GROUP

• PEOPLE WHO
• CAN HEAR AND SPEAK
• RELAY IS FOR ALL!

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ImportantA consumers needs can
change over time requiring a change in the
preferred technology and/or service. For
example Hearing loss may be progressive and
reach the point where amplification is no longer
enough.
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Europe

• Preliminary results efsli survey
• Remote interpreting established in UK, Germany,
  Sweden, Denmark, Finland (Jan. 10), France,
  Czech Republic, and Spain
• Ad hoc remote interpreting, for example the
  Netherlands and Ireland.

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Europe - experience

• Remote interpreting in Europe little to no
  experience
• Some special training
• No special professional code of conduct for
  remote interpreters
• Respondents survey No different ethical
  dilemmas expected with remote interpreting

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RID Code of Professional Conduct

• 1. Adhere to standards of confidential
  communication.
• 2. Possess skills and knowledge required for
  specific interpreting situation.
• 3. Conduct themselves in a manner appropriate
  for specific situation.
• 4. Demonstrate respect for consumers.
• 5. Demonstrate respect for colleagues.
• 6. Maintain ethical business practices.

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Contact

• Judith Viera, TDI
• judith.viera_at_comcast.net
• Maya de Wit, efsli
• www.efsli.org - president_at_efsli.org