Sign Language Interpreting and Interpreter Education: Directions for Research and Practice

ISBN-13: 9780195176940 Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication date: 04/14/2005 Series: Perspectives on Deafness Edition description: New Edition Pages: 328 Product dimensions: 9.56(w) x 6.50(h) x 0.82(d) More the 1.46 million people in the United States have hearing losses in sufficient severity to be considered deaf; another 21 million people have other hearing impairments. For many deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, sign language and voice interpreting is essential to their participation in educational programs and their access to public and private services. However, there is less than half the number of interpreters needed to meet the demand, interpreting quality is often variable, and there is a considerable lack of knowledge of factors that contribute to successful interpreting. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that a study by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) found that 70% of the deaf individuals are dissatisfied with interpreting quality. Because recent