ASL Interpreter Residency Program - ECU Health

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ECU Health is now accepting applications for the ASL Interpreter Residency program. This two-year program is designed to attract and educate interpreters who are looking to grow their skills in medical interpreting. Their mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina can only be achieved when access is no longer a barrier.

To share more about the program and what residents will experience during their time with ECU Health, they will be hosting two open house sessions. They invite you to attend one or both sessions to learn more about what ECU Health has to offer.

  • Virtual – Wednesday 12/4/24 5:00-6:00 PM

  • In person – Friday 12/6/24 5:00-6:00 PM

*Registration for open house will close Friday 11/29/24. Open house participation is not mandatory for application submission.

Feel free to email any questions or concerns to ASL.Residency@ecuhealth.org

Call for Nominations - Executive Positions

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In even-numbered years, the Executive Positions (President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary) of the NCRID Board of Directors are up for election. We are currently seeking nominations for folks interested in running for these positions. You may self-nominate. These positions will be voted on at the general membership meeting on June 22, 2024. In the event that there are multiple candidates for a given position, we will ask that candidates make a short video introducing themselves, giving their background, and explaining why they think they would be a good fit for the position.

Please see this page for information on position qualifications and duties, and for instructions on how to nominate someone (or yourself!).

ASL Interpreter Residency Program - ECU Health

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ECU Health is offering a two-year ASL interpreter residency program. This full-time position will provide the opportunity for hands-on learning and supervision in healthcare interpreting situations.

The link to learn more and apply is https://careers.ecuhealth.org/jobs/13527990-asl-american-sign-language-interpreter-resident and for more information about the ASL interpreter residency program, please contact Reid Barnes at Reid.Barnes@ecuhealth.org.

Stacy Wilson Memorial Fund

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Stacy Wilson was a beloved member and leader of the North Carolina Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. The NCRID Foothills regional committee has decided to honor Stacy by kickstarting a donation campaign to help raise funds for the North Carolina Deaf-Blind Associates. Visit this page to learn more and donate to this fund in Stacy’s memory.

Remembering Stacy Wilson

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We are sharing some very sad news - a longtime member of the NCRID community, Stacy Wilson, passed away the evening of June 19, 2023.

Known to many in the Morganton community and beyond, if you've been to Conference in the past you've seen her friendly face welcoming you at the registration window.

For information on funeral arrangements, please visit https://www.sossomanfh.com/obituaries/stacy-wilson/

Call for Regional Reps

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NCRID elects Regional Representatives in each odd-numbered year. New or continuing representatives will be elected at the General Membership meeting at the 2023 NCRID Conference.

Are you interested in representing your region on the NCRID Board? Regional Representative positions serve in 2-year terms, and are elected in odd-numbered years. This is a great opportunity to give back to your profession and peers, as well as to help strengthen your professional network in NC!

Learn more and see how to submit your interest at this page.

Publicly-Accessible Membership List

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In an effort to help strengthen the network of interpreters in our state, NCRID will make public its list of Members beginning with the 2023-2024 membership year.

We seek to be a resource to help folks know who the interpreters are in their area. This will be esepecially helpful for interpreters new to the state or to their region, as well as to new interpreters entering the field and seeking professional mentors and contacts.

There are also times when the public needs to verify who is a member of NCRID - such as for Awards nominations each year, or when seeking support to run for a Regional Representative positon.

This improvement also brings us in line with RID, which has a publicly-accessible, searchable directory of RID members.

This list will include the Member's name and Membership category, and will optionally include their NCRID region. No contact information or other personal information will be included.

February 2023 President's Corner - NCRID Conference

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Hello everyone! As many of you know the NCRID conference is just around the corner (June 15-17, 2023). It has been a long time since we have been in-person for a conference. It is a perfect time to reconnect with each other!

Often, I hear interpreters ask, “What is the point of attending conference?” Others say “I already have all the CEUs I need so why spend money and time going to the conference.” I wanted to take a moment to mention the benefits for attending the NCRID conference.

Of course, when you attend a conference you will expand your knowledge, learn new skills, and take your interpreting to the next level. One thing unique with NCRID’s conference is the presenters. We try to give you presenters that you normally do not see by just attending local workshops. We search for presenters nationwide and try to pick topics that will truly help to improve the interpreting profession. We find presenters who are on the cutting edge and have done extensive research and study. Plus, NCRID always does its best to make the conference financially feasible. We search out sponsors and different ways to keep conference costs low. We work hard to negotiate low rates for hotel stays.

Now take a minute and consider other reasons for attending conference. Networking! Our profession tends to be more of an isolated profession. We do assignments, often alone, sometimes we are lucky and have a team. If we have been working long enough, we have a handful of people we can go to for advice. Depending on where we live, there might not be many interpreters.

When you attend a conference, you are no longer alone! Think about the people from different geographical areas, people who have different skill sets, and people with diverse cultural experiences. What better place to share valuable feedback, experiences, and resources. You are with a community who values you and your ideas. A community that truly understands what you go through daily.

Then of course attending conference is fun! You get to have meals and conversations with people from across the state, and possible other states. There are door prizes you can win. There are information booths where you can get freebies and learn about programs. Also, this year NCRID is partnering with Black ASL Expo. They will be having Juneteenth festivities including food, fun, vendors, cultural enrichment, and entertainment.

This is only a portion of what you gain from going to the NCRID conference. NCRID has many exciting options for workshops. Please keep an eye on the NCRID website and Facebook posts for conference information (northcarolinarid.org). I truly hope you consider attending this year!

-Tanya Miller

This was included in the February 2023 Newsletter

NCRID call for representative on the Governor’s North Carolina Council for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NCCDHH)

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NCRID is looking for individuals who would be interested in representing NCRID on the Governor’s North Carolina Council for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  The person we are looking for must be willing to advocate for NCRID and interpreters in general.  They must be willing to bring concerns or information that interpreters are privy to that would impact discussions and decisions made by NCCDHH.

The representative would be responsible for:

  1. Attending the NCCDHH board meetings

  2. Representing the NCRID and the interpreting community

  3. Reporting back to the NCRID board at the NCRID board meetings

If you are interested please submit a letter of interest to the NCRID board at ncridpresident@gmail.com by March 24, 2023.

DSDHH to Host ISVL Listening Sessions

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Public comment is being sought on the Interpreter Services Vendor List (ISVL) used by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to secure American Sign Language interpreting and Cued Language Transliteration services.

The NCDHHS Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DSDHH), as the contract administrator, is inviting sister agencies, individual interpreters/transliterators, and interpreting agencies, whether active on the ISVL or not, to attend upcoming listening sessions.

The purpose of these sessions is to gather feedback on possible changes to the contract from current and potential contractors or NCDHHS divisions who use the ISVL. This feedback could include but is not limited to changes to travel and portal calculations, changes to hourly rates, cancellation policies, and invoicing. Two sessions will be held virtually and one in-person with more sessions may be added if needed to gather the feedback necessary. Additionally, the sessions provide an opportunity for detailed explanation of changes to the contract, as well as to answer questions about contract terms.

NCRID Adopts a New Communication Policy for Board Meetings

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As NCRID has members and stakeholders who are Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, and hearing, we seek to foster a welcoming, accessible, and equitable environment at our Board meetings. As such, the official assumed language for Board meetings and functions will be ASL. The Board reserves the right to adjust the primary language used at any specific meeting, for reasons including the preferred language of participants at that meeting. When needed, based on these language preferences, interpretation will be provided. The Board also reserves the right to make specific alternate arrangements at our state Conference and at workshops (for example, to best meet the educational and linguistic considerations of workshop presenters and requirements).

The above policy was drafted between the August and November 2022 Board meetings, and approved at the November 19, 2022 Board meeting.

2023 Conference Message

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We wanted to send out an update to folks about the 2023 NCRID Conference. Please read this message, as there is important information you need to know!

Save the date! The 2023 NCRID Conference will be in-person again! Mark your calendars for June 15-17, 2023. We will be at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, the same location we have used in recent years.

As we have done for the last two years with our virtual conference, when you register you will be able to review the agenda and pre-select the workshops you wish to attend. This will be our first time implementing virtual logistics in a physical space, but are confident it will streamline things for us and you. No more worrying that the workshop you want will fill up before you can get to the room; you'll be able to guarantee that you have a seat!

There is also an enhanced membership perk that is new this year. Early Bird Registration will only be accessible to those with a valid membership as of September 30, 2022. We appreciate your involvement throughout the membership year, and offering a valuable discount to the NCRID Conference is our way of saying thanks! Once the Early Bird Registration window ends, general registration will be open to the public, including a slightly smaller discount to members. If you haven't yet renewed your membership for the 2022-2023 year, make sure you do so soon!

We cannot wait to welcome you again to in-person conference, and are working hard to plan an exciting, engaging agenda of speakers and events. We are taking all that we've missed about in-person conference for the last 3 years, and combining it with all we've learned from virtual conferences to make sure 2023 is the best year yet! Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for more!

Rare Deaf-Hearing Team Interpreting Practice Opportunity!

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The Deaf Interpreting profession is growing exponentially all across the U.S. Have you always wondered what it would be like to work as an effective team with a Deaf Interpreter (DI)? Or have you experienced working with a DI but have a desire to hone your skills? Check out this upcoming training!

Deaf Interpreter Professionals In Training (DIP IT) have a few spots remaining in their upcoming Deaf-Hearing Teams Mock Interpreting Practice.

This training is online, on Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6, for a total of 1.0 CEUs provided. Cost to register is $120 per person.

Per the organizers, “Please ignore the sign-up dates noted in the advertisement - we welcome all applicants! We are excited to forge stronger bonds between hearing interpreters and deaf interpreters.”

If interested, complete the registration form here: https://forms.gle/JV1wAGusC6ZktZuo7

NCRID ByLaws Revisions Adopted

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Over 2021 and 2022, the NCRID Board has worked hard to update our organizational ByLaws to match current practices, be in line with RID’s ByLaws, and to clarify some terminology and phrasing.

Starting with the work of a ByLaws committee, then continued with the full NCRID board, this work was competed in early 2022. The proposed revisions were put to a vote of the general voting membership of NCRID, and as of June 24, 2022 these revisions passed (with greater than ⅔ of voting members voting in support).

The updated revised ByLaws can be found on this page.