ATA 2023 Elections Update: Final Slate of Candidates Announced
ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections during ATA’s 64th Annual Conference in Miami, October 25–28, 2023, to elect a president-elect, secretary, and treasurer (each a two-year term), as well as three directors (each a three-year term).
The slate of candidates for the 2023 elections has now been finalized by ATA’s Nominating and Leadership Development Committee (NLDC). Article VII, Section 2 d. 2) of the ATA Bylaws states that the NLDC “shall propose multiple candidates for each elective position of the Association….”
This year’s candidates are:
President-elect
Geoff Koby
Meghan McCallum
Treasurer
Robin Bonthrone
Marian S. Greenfield
Secretary
Eve Bodeux
Helen Eby
Director
Yasmin Alkashef
Analía Bogdan
Jason Knapp
Jessie Liu
Daniel Sebesta
Robert Sette
Chaowei Zhu
Candidate statements and photos of the candidates will appear in the September/October issue of The ATA Chronicle and on ATA’s website.
Become an ATA Voting Member
Did you know that you do not need to be ATA-certified to vote? Any ATA Associate Member who can demonstrate that they are professionally engaged in translation, interpreting, or closely related fields may apply for Voting Membership. How? Just complete and submit the ATA Active Membership Review application. No additional paperwork required. It’s fast, free, and easy!
Supreme Court of Georgia Adopts Updated Rules Regarding Court Interpreters
Supreme Court of Georgia (GA) (06/27/23)
The Supreme Court of Georgia has adopted a comprehensive update to the Rules for the Use of Interpreters for Non-English-Speaking and Hearing-Impaired Persons, which was proposed earlier this year by the Judicial Council of Georgia’s Standing Committee on Court Interpreters. The amended rules will go into effect on January 1, 2024.
The Standing Committee, established in June 2021, replaced the Supreme Court’s Georgia Commission on Interpreters and was tasked with revising and modernizing the rules, which were last updated in 2012. Led by Justice Carla Wong McMillian and City of Suwanee Municipal Court Judge Norman Cuadra, the committee proposed revisions to the substance and format of the rules, including establishing licensing programs and minimum requirements and procedures for qualifying interpreters.
Among the more significant and substantive changes, the amended rules designate three categories of licensed interpreters: master licensed legal interpreter, licensed legal interpreter, and conditionally licensed legal interpreter. These designations take into account the complexity and gravity of various proceedings and the corresponding requisite skills, creating a framework that courts can use to appoint qualified interpreters from the state’s interpreter roster. The rules also allow for a designation for apprentice interpreters and for individuals to act as interpreters in situations in which it would be overly burdensome or impossible to use an interpreter from the interpreter roster.
New requirements, including continuing education, which is necessary for interpreters to maintain their licensing designation, are also outlined in the amended rules. The rules also clarify the procedures for disciplining interpreters, mirroring those used by the Judicial Council Board of Court Reporting.
“I commend the committee members for their diligence in ensuring that these amended rules increase access to justice in Georgia, in particular for those who are non-native English speakers or who are deaf or hard of hearing,” Chief Justice Michael Boggs said. “The committee’s work is another step in bolstering the professionalism of Georgia’s court interpreting practice.”
Deaf Boulder Resident Sues City, Accuses Police of Taking Children without Providing Interpreter
Daily Camera (CO) (06/28/23) Carlson, Amber
Boulder resident Joslynn Montoya and the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) have filed a lawsuit accusing the city of violating Montoya’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not providing a sign language interpreter.
Montoya, who is deaf, claims her two young children were removed from her custody after a miscommunication last year with Boulder police. According to the lawsuit, the situation could have been avoided if police had provided Montoya with a sign language interpreter after she requested one numerous times. The CCDC, a disability rights organization with statewide membership, joined Montoya as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Montoya is also a CCDC member.
A complaint filed in June stated that Montoya and her children were living at a domestic violence shelter in Boulder on May 17, 2022, when a shelter employee attempted to speak with her. Montoya couldn’t understand the employee and tried to communicate through a video relay service (VRS), which lets people with hearing disabilities converse with a voice caller via a sign language interpreter.
According to the lawsuit, Montoya understood through the exchange with the shelter employee that she and her family had to leave the shelter by 7:00 p.m. and tried to find other lodgings. Around 3:30 p.m., the staff called officers from the Boulder Police Department (BPD) to the shelter “for reasons unknown to Ms. Montoya.” At 5:30 p.m., Officer C. Davick arrived at the scene, followed by several others. The officers were aware that Montoya was deaf before they arrived and, according to reports from other officers, Davick had been called to assist because she knew sign language.
According to the lawsuit, Davick tried to communicate with Montoya, who saw that the officer was attempting to fingerspell words, but “none of the BPD agents present during this encounter ever attempted to communicate with Montoya using American Sign Language (ASL).” The lawsuit stated that Montoya cannot communicate effectively via fingerspelling and communicates mainly using ASL. She is also not proficient in lip-reading or verbal communication and has limited written English skills.
Davick’s fingerspelling of “trespass” and “arrest,” which Montoya recognized, confused her because she assumed she could stay in her room until 7:00 p.m. She then requested that the officers provide an ASL interpreter for her, but they did not do so even after multiple requests. Police reports state that Montoya then became “animated,” telling the officers they needed to adhere to ADA regulations, and described her as “defiant,” “belligerent,” and “actively resisting.”
Montoya contacted her advocate at the nonprofit Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment to relay her need for an interpreter. Police started exchanging texts with the advocate, but Davick apparently had difficulty communicating with them.
The advocate told police that the nonprofit would reserve a hotel room and pay for Montoya and her family to stay the night, but Montoya would need to provide an ID and a credit or debit card for a room deposit. According to the lawsuit, Montoya provided identification, but Davick erroneously thought she couldn’t provide everything required to secure the hotel room “due to breakdowns in communication.”
The police then removed Montoya’s children from her custody for the night because they didn’t believe she had the means to pay the security deposit. The lawsuit stated that through this action, Boulder “denied Ms. Montoya the opportunity and ability to meaningfully access and participate in her interviews with the BPD” and emotionally and psychological damaged her and her children by separating them.
The lawsuit also claimed the BPD lacks policies for communications with people with disabilities, which means disabled community members could encounter further discrimination. “I want to say how critical it is for law enforcement, and any other government agency, to make sure that communication is effective for people with disabilities before taking such drastic steps like removing their children,” said Andrew Montoya, the plaintiffs’ attorney. “The ADA has been law for over 30 years, so it’s not a secret what needs to happen.”
Boulder spokesperson Sarah Huntley said the city is “currently reviewing the lawsuit and will respond as appropriate through the court system.”
Northwest Public Broadcasting (WA) (07/03/23) Gallup, Lauren
A number of public schools in Washington State are partnering with local tribes to bring Indigenous languages into classrooms in an effort to rectify the marred history of Native American boarding schools.
When boarding schools punished Native children for speaking their languages, many of those languages were not passed on to future generations. Educators feel that having these programs in public schools is a way to broaden the reach of Native languages.
Rachael Barger is a teacher on special assignment with the Bethel School District, one of the districts partnering with the Nisqually Tribe to bring its Southern Lushootseed language into the classroom for a small subset of students. About 5% of Bethel’s student population identifies as American Indian, Alaskan Native, two or more races, or Hispanic and Native. Barger serves 200 Title VI Indian Education Program students for the district. (Title VI is a federal program that aims to meet the specific needs of Native American students.)
So far, the tribe and district have partnered to bring language classes to two elementary schools for students who qualify for Title VI. Barger said those students were excited to learn the language because it felt unique to them. “It’s something almost like they feel like celebrities because the language is now something that they own,” Barger said. “It’s been really neat to see them build confidence.”
Together with the Nisqually Tribe, Barger said she hopes the district can expand the program beyond Title VI, perhaps as an after-school program offered to older students.
The language work being undertaken by Barger and the Nisqually is part of broader efforts to expand and uplift culture and identity for the tribe.
“You’re starting to see everything awakening right now here in Nisqually,” said Willie Frank III, chair of the Nisqually Tribe. “You’re seeing everything come together for the tribes, and it all weaves together.”
Frank said he thinks it’s a perfect time to focus again on the tribe’s cultural traditions. “What I was taught was to tell our story and keep building our people up, and that’s what we’re doing with all this great work in here. I think about the art, the culture, and the language—that’s going to be something that sustains us.”
New Connecticut Law Guarantees Interpreters for Parents, but Schools Concerned about Cost
News12 Connecticut (CT) (07/12/23) Craven, John
Soon, thousands of parents in Connecticut who don’t speak English will have an easier time communicating with their children’s teachers. Lawmakers recently passed a new Parent Bill of Rights guaranteeing parents an interpreter and other language services.
Governor Ned Lamont signed the bill into law as part of a larger education bill this month, when he met with advocates for immigrant communities to explain more about who will be impacted.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to make sure this is the most welcoming state in the country,” Lamont told advocates. “You can’t be a parent involved in your child’s education if you don’t understand what’s going on in the classroom,” Lamont said.
The new law will require schools to provide parents with access to an interpreter or translated material for all school communications, including Board of Education meetings. Parents will receive a school orientation in their native language and schools are now banned—by state law—from asking for proof of citizenship to enroll. The changes impact nearly 50,000 students classified as English Language Learners. According to the State Department of Education, that number has jumped 30% in just five years.
Flor Galindo, who has two children in school, is glad that public schools will now be required to increase access to translated material and interpreters, including written materials in a family’s dominant language. Galindo, who is originally from Peru, is now looking forward to the mandates of the Parent Bill of Rights to go into effect, feeling she will be better able to advocate for her children. “My main objective is to fight for my kids’ welfare, to fight for their right to a better education, so that they can be professionals when they grow up.”
The immigrant support organization Make the Road Connecticut has been advocating for this law throughout the legislative session. “Parents can have an active voice in their child’s education,” said Megan Scharrer, a community organizer for Make the Road Connecticut.
According to a nonpartisan fiscal analysis, it’s still unclear how much the new mandates will cost. That has some school systems concerned.
“According to the State Department of Education, there are 95 native languages,” Lon Seidman with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education told lawmakers in February. “So, it may be difficult to find a certified interpreter in each of those languages.”
The bill is expected go into effect for the 2024-25 school year.
ATA Mid-Year Membership Campaign: Refer 5 Friends for a Chance to Win!
We’ve started our mid-year membership campaign and you can help! All you have to do is refer 5 potential members. If they join/rejoin by September 30, 2023, you’ll be entered to win a $500 Visa gift card!
*Make sure the person you refer writes your name on their membership application where it says “Did a Friend Refer You?”
Applications for the Student Translation Award Still Open
ATA awards a grant-in-aid to a student for a literary or sci-tech translation or translation-related project. The project, which may be derived from any facet of translation studies, should result in a project with post-grant applicability, such as a publication, a conference presentation, or teaching materials. Computerized materials are ineligible, as are dissertations and theses. Translations must be from a foreign language INTO ENGLISH. Previously untranslated works are preferred. Deadline: July 31, 2023
New Video Released by ATA’s Audiovisual Division!
“Audiovisual Translation for Latin America: The Cold, Hard Facts”
There is a vast disparity between what audiovisual translators are paid in Latin America compared to their peers in Spain and Portugal. In this video, Ana Gabriela Gonzalez Meade, a founding member of ATA’s Audiovisual Division, discusses the current reality and briefly introduces the complexities of the art of audiovisual translation.
Ana has an MA in translation studies from the University of Portsmouth and is certified by the University of Barcelona in Spanish proofreading and style. She has over 10,000 translated and reviewed program hours for broadcasting, DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming media found on content from Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Fox, Disney, Apple TV+, and the big screen. A previous territory manager for Latin America at Pixelogic, and now at IDC NY, she raises awareness for the field as an active audiovisual translation educator, speaking at international conferences and seminars. She is the editor of Deep Focus, the division’s newsletter.
New to T&I? The Savvy Newcomer Blog Is Here to Help!
The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a regular basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
Register for ASTM F43’s Virtual Biannual Meeting of All Members July 26 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. EDT
Welcome to our ATA Standards Committee Spotlight, where we bring you concise updates highlighting the latest developments, revisions, and advancements in various industry standards, ensuring you stay informed and connected to the ever-evolving landscape of global standards on language services. Click here to learn more about ATA’s Standards Committee.
WK46396 New Practice for Analytic Evaluation of Translation Quality
WK54884 Holistic Quality Evaluation System for Translation
Discussion on the Implementation and Publicity for F2575-23 Standard Guide for Quality Assurance in Translation
Registration
These sessions are open to the public, so take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the latest development in the standards community! You can register for the F43.03 sessions via this Zoom registration link.
Any questions on this meeting can be directed to F43.03 Subcommittee Chair Steve Lank at SLank@cescols.com or F43 Technical Committee Chair Kathleen Diamond at duchess47@comcast.net.
The first round of sessions for ASTM F43’s Biannual Meeting of All Members was held on June 1. Check the F43 Committee’s website to learn more about this technical committee charged with writing international standards on language services and products for ASTM International
Purchase a Recording Today!
ATA’s Translating and Interpreting the Future Virtual Conference
Did you miss ATA’s Translating and Interpreting the Future Virtual Conference on Saturday, May 20, 2023? Don’t worry. You can purchase the recording on ATA’s website. The following sessions are included:
Keynote Presentation: AI, NMT, ChatGPT, and Little ol’ Me: How AI Will Continue to Change Our Industry and Your Work (presented by Jay Marciano)
Finding the Value in Human Translation and Interpreting When Machines Are So Good (presented by Jonathan Downie)
Confessions of an MT Post-Editor: A Report from the Trenches of the World’s Newest LSP Profession (presented by Matthew Schlecht)
TM & MT Tools: Rivalry or Symbiosis? (presented by Yuri Balashow)
Translators & Interpreters Speak: Where We Are and Where We’re Going (with moderator Jost Zetzsche and panelist Matthew Schlecht)
Note: If you registered to attend the virtual conference, log into the virtual conference site to access the videos. Conference attendees will have access to the videos until August 20, 2023.
Professional Partnerships for Interpreters July 29: 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. EDT Presenter(s): Maha El-Metwally
Interpreters are communicators. However, we could find ourselves limiting our communication to our clients and colleagues. In this webinar, we’ll look at the benefits of expanding our professional network and forging partnerships with professionals from other domains. Attend this webinar to discover how professional partnerships can advance your business!
You will learn:
How to see when partnering needs to happen.
How to choose the types of partnerships that make sense for interpreters.
The ATA Podcast provides listeners with a behind-the-scenes look at ATA’s programs, events, and plans. Plus, learn more about the dedicated volunteers who make it all happen!
Episode 87: AFTI Scholarship Recipient
The American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI) offers a limited number of $500 scholarships to students/recent graduates of translation or interpreting studies programs or related fields to help defray the cost of attending ATA’s Annual Conference.
In this episode, ATA Podcast Co-Host Andie Ho speaks with Halla Bearden, recipient of the 2022 AFTI First-Time ATA Conference Attendance Scholarship. Halla tells listeners the reasons she applied for the scholarship and what attending her first ATA Annual Conference was like. Halla also shares some tips on what she did to ensure she got the most from her conference experience. Listen Now
Episode 88: Scams
In this episode, ATA Podcast Host Matt Baird speaks with Carola F. Berger about the types of scams out there and what scammers are after. Over the years, Carola has helped ATA and language professionals stay knowledgeable and aware regarding scams as they’ve evolved. Scamming is an ever-present concern for freelance translators and interpreters. Make it your business to learn how scams work and how to avoid them. Listen Now
It’s Not Too Late to Enter ATA’s School Outreach Contest
Did you share your translation or interpreting career with students this year? Did you capture the moment with a photo or screenshot? Then you’re all set to enter ATA’s School Outreach Contest for a chance to win a free registration to ATA’s 64th Annual Conference! The contest deadline is July 31, 2023.
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