Shifting Positionality Summary

In Cokely’s article, Shifting Positionality: A Critical Examination of the Turning Point in the Relationship of Interpreters and the Deaf Community (2005), he examines the various role changes interpreters/transliterators faced in the second half of the twentieth century. For the purposes of this paper, I will refer to them only as interpreters, as this term is more relevant for my particular area of study. These transformations not only impacted the profession as a whole, but also interpreters’ relationships within the Deaf Community. Cokely (2005) investigates several “position-altering events” (p. 25) that would ultimately reshape how both the hearing and Deaf communities viewed interpreting. Through these significant events, Cokely (2005),

304), called the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada (AVLIC). AVLIC’s goal was and still is to express “ethical principles, values, and standards of conduct to guide all members of AVLIC in their pursuit of professional practice” (AVLIC site, para. 2). The association introduced a Code of Ethics, Guidelines for Professional Conduct for Canadian interpreters, and core values required to maintain professional accountability, competence, non-discrimination, and integrity in both relationships and business practices (AVLIC

Hearing respondents felt being able to sign well (including having exceptional receptive, expressive, finger-spelling, and facial expression skills) and remaining professional and confidential were of the utmost importance, while Deaf respondents focused on the importance of an interpreter having a good attitude (including being willing to learn), respecting confidentiality, and interacting with the Community (p. 1). It is essential that we as interpreters find a middle point where we are not only striving to be the best interpreters we can be, but to also bear in mind that we have a critical role in the lives of people who might otherwise be denied the fundamental human right to communication. We have a responsibility to not only be true and honest to our consumers, but also to ourselves, which includes adhering to the AVLIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct, constantly self-monitoring, interacting with the Community, accepting feedback, and always taking necessary steps to further our knowledge through research, education, and experience. Only then can we even begin to pave the way to being a successful interpreter and an active, effective, and trustworthy participant within the Deaf