PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES PAPER 1 Position Paper: Video Relay Interpreting VRS Committee AVLIC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES VRS Page 2 The Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada (AVLIC) has received input from AVLIC members about interpreting in the video relay service industry (VRS) and reviewed various publications and resources. This paper promotes the health and well-being of all video relay interpreters to VRS providers and provides educational and general information of best practices for the interpreting community. Introduction to Video Relay Service VRS allows callers from two distinct demographics to call each other through a sign language interpreter: those who are Deaf and hard of hearing (HoH) sign language users and spoken language users. Video relay interpreters - usually located in a remote call center - use technology (e.g. phone, internet, video equipment) to connect and facilitate communication between the sign language and spoken language callers. VRS was first established in Sweden in 1997. In the early 2000s, the United States began to provide VRS in American Sign Language (ASL), English and Spanish. In 2016, VRS was established in Canada to provide interpreting services in ASL, langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), English and French. The demand for sign language interpreters continues to increase as VRS expands across North America. Interpreters and VRS Interpreters working in a VRS setting encounter a range of unique challenges: the quick pace at which calls are processed, the variety, length and topics of calls, having limited or no prior knowledge of callers and call content, in addition to the need to be adept with ever-changing telephone communication technologies. As with all sign language interpreters working in Canada, video relay interpreters should maintain Active membership in good standing within AVLIC, Canada’s national interpreting association. As such, all members will adhere to the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct (CoEGPC) developed and monitored by AVLIC. AVLIC members working as video relay interpreters should take note of particular tenets of the CoEGPC: 1.0 Professional Accountability 1.1 Confidentiality 1.1.1 Members will respect the privacy of consumers and hold in confidence all information obtained in the course of professional service. 1.2 Professional Conduct 1.2.5 Members shall take into account the limitations of their abilities, knowledge and the resources available to them prior to accepting work. They will remove themselves from a given setting when they realize an inability to provide professional service. 2.0 Professional Competence PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES VRS Page 3 2.1 Qualifications to Practice – Members will possess the knowledge and skills to support accurate and appropriate interpretation. It is recognized that members work in a range of settings and with a variety of consumers. This demands that members be adept at meeting the linguistic needs of consumers, the cultural dynamics of each situation, and the spirit and content of the discourse. 3.0 Non-Discrimination 3.1 Non-discrimination – Members will respect the individuality, the right to self- determination, and the autonomy of the people with whom they work. They will not discriminate based on ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, personal beliefs and practices, social status or any other factor. 3.2 Communication Preferences – Members will respect and use the form of communication preferred by those deaf and hard of hearing consumers for whom they provide service. 3.3 Deaf Interpreters – The services of a Deaf interpreter may be required when working with individuals who use regional sign dialects, non-standard signs, foreign sign languages, and those with emerging language use. They may also be used with individuals who have disabling conditions that impact on communication. Members will recognize the need for a Deaf interpreter and will ensure their inclusion as part of the interpreting team. Canadian Labour Regulations The Government of Canada stipulates that the standard hours for an employee working in a federally regulated Canadian industry are: • Up to eight hours in a day (any period of 24 consecutive hours) • Up to 40 hours in a week (the period between midnight on Saturday and midnight on the Saturday that immediately follows) • Entitlement to one full day of rest each week, which usually falls on a Sunday. During a week when one or more holidays occur, the standard hours of work is reduced by up to eight hours for each holiday. In addition, employees have the right to: • Be informed of known or foreseeable risks in the workplace and be provided with the information, instructions, training and supervision necessary to protect their health and safety. • Have access to government or employer reports related to the health and safety of employees through a workplace health and safety committee or representative. • Participate in identifying and correcting work-related health and safety concerns. • Refuse to work if there is reasonable cause to believe that the workplace, or the performance of an activity, constitutes a danger to the health and safety of employees. Health and Safety Due to the nature of the work required of interpreters working in the VRS environment, there is an increase in physical and mental demands. Video relay interpreters must interpret a diverse spectrum of incoming calls, ranging from everyday conversations PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES VRS Page 4 Video relay interpreters should self-monitor in order to determine the appropriate duration of interpreting calls that maintains positive health and well-being, while abiding by the employment regulations set by the federal government. Staff and employers are also encouraged to work together to document injuries or hazardous trends in the workplace, in order to monitor and potentially eliminate future injuries for video relay interpreters. Video relay interpreters should be permitted to switch between sitting and standing at ergonomic workstations whenever possible, in order to break up a static or repetitive physical environment. Through a membership survey, interpreters identified the need to be permitted regular breaks, especially after 35 minutes of continuous interpreting, in order to lessen mental and physical strains. Video relay interpreters must also be mindful of self-care and have access to information about Repetitive Strain Injury concerning sign language interpreters. Upon completion of a VRS call, a minimum of 30 seconds should elapse before a new call is received and processed. For extended calls, and after continuously interpreting for 35 minutes or more, the video relay interpreters should be permitted the ability to request an interpreter to team, thus monitoring the interpretation for message equivalency and providing the option to switch interpreters. Compared to working in community or educational environments, video relay interpreters may be unable to properly prepare for the demands of the work ahead, which adds to the mental demands of interpreting the calls. Community and educational interpreters have better opportunities to collect preparatory materials and receive more breaks between assignments. In the VRS environment, video relay interpreters must adhere to the business model of processing calls for the VRS providers while determining how to sufficiently rest between calls in order to alleviate the physical demands of working in a stationary environment. Employment of Video Relay Service Interpreters In order to maintain the highest quality of interpreting, professionalism and cultural partnership, VRS providers in Canada should employ sign language interpreters who are active members in good standing with AVLIC. The VRS providers should develop and implement specialized screening processes that mirror the environment and challenges of VRS interpreting Interpreter Preparation and Call Handling Video relay interpreters should be permitted to collect critical information from the callers prior to processing a VRS call so as to maximize message equivalency and significantly increase the effectiveness of the interpretation. Collected information can include but is not limited to: • Call type (i.e. family/friend, medical, legal, conference call, interview) • Particular needs of the caller(s) (i.e. signing style, Deaf-blind caller, need for teamer or Deaf interpreter) • Potential length of call (i.e. conference call) • Use of sign names, regional signs While collecting the above critical information, the video relay interpreter would also have an opportunity to assess the emotional state of the caller in order to improve message equivalency. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES VRS Page 5 All information gathered is to be used for the duration of the call for the sole purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the interpretation; any information collected in writing must then be erased and/or securely destroyed upon completion of the call. Emergency calls made to 911 must be directed solely through video relay interpreters who have received sufficient special training to handle emergency situations. AVLIC interpreters strive to be knowledgeable in a variety of areas. Certain fields, such as legal, mental health and medical, require further and specialized studies. For the benefit of the callers, the video relay interpreters should have the ability to transfer these types of calls (if possible) to other interpreters who have specific training and experience in these fields. Team