By Barbara Russ Smith, MA, NIC
In August 2014 I had the great privilege to experience five wonderful, work-filled days at the first International Deaf-Blind Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thanks to the generosity of the SignTalk Foundation, I was granted a scholarship to attend as a volunteer interpreter and Support Service Provider. Here I was able to work along with 25 other interpreters from around the country and across the world to interpret various workshops, such as “Know your rights under the ADA”, “The Basics of Pro-Tactile”, “Advanced Pro-Tactile”, “Meet the Federal Communications Commission”, and more. Over 175 DeafBlind attendees were present, many with at least one or sometimes two Support Service Providers (SSPs). We all convened in a huge conference room the size of half a football field for the workshops. It was an awesome feeling to stand near the front of this room and look out at a sea of moving hands – hands that were learning, laughing, and socializing – a truly rewarding opportunity.
The logistics of the communication set-up were impressive to observe. In addition to the often multiple platform interpreters, there were different “stations” throughout the room that provided close vision and tactile interpreting. There was also live CART interpreting as well as voice-over support for individuals relying on their hearing for communication. Regardless of hearing and vision status – everyone had access to communication! I had the good fortune of working with an interpreter from California and a top-notch CDI from Washington state. Although somewhat jetlagged from my flight, it was energizing to witness so many people, including the organizers and SSPs, working so diligently to make communication for such a diverse group seem so seamless.
Attendees were from all over the United States and Europe. At the Saturday evening banquet I was delighted to sit with a DeafBlind man from Washington, DC, along with his two Deaf friends who acted as his SSPs. Earlier that day I was asked to relieve his SSP/interpreter. Having limited experience with tactile interpreting, he was extremely patient and willing to guide me as we went along.
The Interpreter/SSP Coordinators were constantly checking in on our well-being. Every 20 minutes there was an organized, simultaneous break to switch interpreters, insuring that we received the necessary rest periods. Unlimited snacks and water were provided for the SSPs and Interpreters, courtesy of the Bapin Group, the sponsor of the event. In preparation for the event the Coordinators asked each interpreter which situations we were most comfortable working in, such as platform interpreting, tactile interpreting, tracking, small group one-to-one, secondary SSP/workshop interpreter, exhibit hall interpreting, etc. The Coordinators did their best to place us accordingly and their attention to our needs as interpreters was appreciated by all.
The first International Deaf-Blind Expo offered a rich cornucopia of education and communication experiences for interpreters and DeafBlind participants, as well as a venue that fostered enjoyable networking. Additionally, the event offered a fascinating exposure to the many communication and assistive technologies at the vendor exhibits. The interpreters & SSPs and the DeafBlind community are eagerly anticipating the next International DeafBlind Expo which is scheduled for 2016. If you want to learn more about the event or upcoming events please visit www.bapingroup.com and like Bapin Group LLC on Facebook! To learn more about the DeafBlind community and communication modalities visit www.aadb.org, www.hknc.org and www.deafblindtip.com.
