Dr. Sherry Shaw discusses "Trust and Responsibility in the Deaf Community: The Role of Community Engagement for Interpreters and Students" on Tuesday, February 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in MLC, Room B111.

This presentation addresses the fundamental elements of community-interpreter relationships of trust and responsibility. In recent years, interpreter education has evolved from cultural, social, experiential, and linguistic immersion in the Deaf Community to a classroom far removed from the community. One solution is community based learning in which interpreting students learn to recognize their responsibility as allies with the Deaf community to restore elements of trust that were the roots of our profession. The presentation will differentiate community based learning from community service, internship, mentorship, and other field based experiences of new interpreters. It will explore the concept of 'boundary work', and provide information on re-centering the Deaf community in our professional development so ethical boundaries are maintained while partnerships are formed to empower the Deaf community in reaching its goals. Participants will learn to create asset maps of the local Deaf community as a form of strength-based assessment. They will learn how to prevent perpetuating oppression through dysconscious audism by joining forces to solve problems or meet needs that the community deems are valid. The presentation emphasizes key concepts of oppression that must be avoided in community-interpreter alliances where the goal is to empower and build trust with community partners.