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2021 PCRID Conference

Panel & Workshop Descriptions

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Register for the 2021 PCRID Business Meeting

conference Day #1

Friday, Dec. 10th
Conference Schedule

"Deaf Interpreter Panel" 0.125 CEUs

6:15-7:30 PM ET

Panel Description

Unique perspectives from Deaf interpreters of colors sharing their experiences. *Presented in ASL*

Panelists: Erin Sanders-Sigmon (she), Stephanie Hakulin (she), Vyron Kinson (he), Hunta Williams (he, they), Topher González Ávila (he) & Marsellette Davis (she)


"Multicultural lens on interpreting: Why does it matter?" 0.125 CEUs


7:45-9 PM ET


Panel Description

This panel is for interpreters who themselves do not come from multilingual/multicultural (ML/MC) backgrounds and are looking for guidance for how to appropriately move in these spaces. It's also a warm hug for those who do come from ML/MC backgrounds and do not see themselves reflected in the field but want to know they are seen and supported. Topics to be discussed include: concrete tips for how to do appropriate ML/MC matching when scheduling interpreters like what questions you should ask and the dangers of flattening acronyms like BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). *Presented in ASL*

Panelists: Dr. Pamela Collins (she), Rafael Treviño (he), Su Isakson (she) & Marina Martinez Cora (she)

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Conference Day #2

Saturday, Dec. 11th
Conference Schedule

"An Introduction: Empathetic Frameworks and Their Applications in Interpreting" 0.15 CEUs


10-11:30 AM ET

Workshop Description

Introduction to the concept of empathy as an anchor for professional conduct and  effective engagement with their community. 

  1. Intro to empathy—defined  
  2. Physiology of empathy—tracking the major systems of the concept and their evolution in humans  
  3. Physiology of distraction and stress—how the amygdala impacts empathy and our capacity to communicate  
  4. Strategies to engage the PNS and empathy—mindfulness/breathing to support empathetic communication  
  5. Closing and resources

*Presented in English with ASL Interpretation*

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand the physiology and neurobiology of empathy 
  2. Be able to differentiate between empathy and related concepts like sympathy and emotional contagion
  3. Understand the importance and utility of empathy in engaging diverse communities and as a professional charged with interpreting ideas from one community to another

Presenter: Kristin Moody (she)


"Interpreting is Not Just for Deaf Adults: Interpreting for Deaf children" 0.125 CEUs


11:45 AM-1 PM ET

Workshop Description

This workshop aims to provide participants with an opportunity to analyze and address power dynamics during an interpreting assignment with children. In general, interpreters receive training in a setting with the expectation of working with Deaf adults in academic/social/healthcare settings. As a result, interpreters usually do not have the interpreting awareness of working with young Deaf children in various capacities. This leads to the frequent infantilization of interpreting for Deaf children and impacts the quality of their service. 

Interpreters also often express discomfort while interpreting for a Deaf child in front of a Deaf parent due to fear of being criticized. This dynamic also has an impact on the Deaf child’s interpreting experience. Parents and caregivers who also use interpreting services experience feelings of disappointment and frustration that their child is not receiving the same quality and/or access as their parents/caregivers. 

As a parent/caregiver, we strive to maximize the in-depth awareness of child-interpreting dynamics so that the child will be able to utilize interpreting services and receive quality access as Deaf adults and for the interpreters to be linguistically aware of children’s interpreting needs and be in a position to deliver quality appropriate service.  

Awareness is a vital part of maintaining an ethical and high-quality interpreting environment for children. This workshop will be presented in a multi-approach format. This will allow participants the opportunity to reflect and analyze various techniques of working with Deaf children. This workshop aims to provide tools for strengthening or improving interpreter-child interpreting relationships and their interpreting team. *Presented in ASL*

Learning Objectives

An interpreter would be able to learn by the end of the presentation: 

  1. They will demonstrate an application of the signing language register in the K-12, healthcare, social/recreation settings, and more. 
  2. They will interpret in an appropriate professional setting for Deaf/HH children. 
  3. They will implement the information from the presentation and apply for Deaf/HH children.

Presenters: Norma Moran (she), Najma Johnson (they) & Georginia Fitzpatrick (she)


"Modeling Visual Language in the Classroom" 0.125 CEUs

2-3:15 PM ET


Workshop Description


Educational interpreters are language models for Deaf students. For some Deaf students, their interpreter is their only language model for a signed language. This workshop will help you explore the meaning of being a ‘language model’ and how this modeling impacts students acquiring at least two languages within the school system, American Sign Language and English. The workshop then introduces concepts from cognitive linguistics to analyze how language provides access to knowledge structures through categorization and how each language provides a specific way of viewing, or construing, that knowledge. With this foundation in place, you will then review and practice the  depictive components of ASL. You will learn how each concept is used in the spoken language community, and then how the Deaf community has further specified and evolved these depictions into language and modality-specific units. After practicing these concepts, you will use real-world classroom stimuli to practice further entrenching these depictive techniques. One final goal in this workshop is to work toward becoming comfortable with using conventional depictive expressions in the ways, and with the frequency, that Deaf people do. *Presented in ASL*


Learning Objectives

  1. Participants will be able to define metonymy and give one example of how it is used in depictive devices in ASL

  2. Participants will be able to demonstrate how the English word photosynthesis can be metonymically depicted in ASL

  3. Participants will be able to define how domains and construal helps us understand linguistic utterances

Presenter: Windell "Wink" Smith Jr. (he)


"De-centering Ableism" 0.125 CEUs


3:30-4:45 PM ET


Workshop Description


This workshop is to provide an opportunity for participants to analyze and address power dynamics while working as an interpreter as a team or on the job by addressing unconscious ableism. Being intentional is a difficult thing to do, as we strive to be culturally responsive by addressing our bias and assumptions about disabilities or what we think that is a "disability".  Accountability is a vital part of maintaining an ethical and culturally responsive interpreting environment. This workshop will be presented in a multi-approach format. This will allow participants the opportunity to reflect and analyze various techniques addressing unconscious ableism. This workshop is geared to strengthen interpreter team relationships and the interpreter relationship with people who are receiving a variety of services. *Presented in ASL*


Learning Objectives

  1. To understand and identify some people who harm may not realize that harm (oppressing) is not always intentional  

  2. To identify and utilize fundamental skills to question their own bias about abilities and disabilities on evaluation

  3. To identify some ideas on developing their understanding of the function of power and control across abilities vs qualifications  

  4. To identify and self- recognize the harm of cultural blaming (intentional and unintentional) by managing their bias and assumptions To understand and recognize the importance of all of this and incorporate accountability in ethical interpretation work.

Presenter: Najma Johnson (they)

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Conference Day #3

Sunday, Dec. 12th
Conference Schedule

"Working Effectively with Gender and Sexual Minorities0.15 CEUs


10-11:30 AM ET


Workshop Description


It’s critical for interpreters to understand that at times they will be requested to interpret in  situations about which they may have internal conflicts. Deaf individuals who identify as lesbian,  gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, or queer face numerous significant barriers in  accessing healthcare. Their healthcare experience is more challenging than they need to be if  interpreters do not evaluate their own biases with regard to LGBTQIA+ people and do not have  the appropriate knowledge and vocabulary to impartially assist this unique group of patients.  This training will provide interpreters with a framework for incorporating LGBTQIA+ issues in  interpreting work, including respectful vocabulary, that will allow clients and their family  members to feel comfortable in opening up to their healthcare provider, regardless of the  situation. *Presented in ASL*


Learning Objectives

Assess their own comfort and bias with interpreting encounters involving individuals who  identify as LGBTQ+ 

  1. Become familiar and comfortable with various terms and definitions that are commonly used within the Deaf LGBTQ+ community 
  2. Understand key factors to best serve LGBTQ+ Deaf clients, such as LGBTQ+ experiences and culture

Presenter: Bethany Gehman (she, they)


"Reframing Depiction: Constructed action, dialogue, surrogation and the like" 0.125 CEUs


11:45 AM-1 PM ET


Workshop Description

Metzger (1995) observed in the early days of sign language linguistic research that, “there seems to be general agreement that signers use their body, head, and eye gaze to report the actions, thoughts, words, and expressions of characters within the discourse” (p. 256). However, these bodily actions didn’t come with a standardized name. Some called them gestures, pantomime, and role shifting, among other things. Metzger (1995) settled on the term constructed action due to Tannen’s 1986 typology of constructed actions and dialogues. 

Constructed actions are the perceived actions that one attempts to recreate in space, however, they also may be fabricated actions from the signer’s mind. Nevertheless, the actions are construed in the signer’s mind for encoding using constructed action.

Dialogue is a type of constructed action, and surrogation is often used as a more general term for both. But does the body always report actions? Or is there another layer involved? This workshop is designed to demonstrate the body’s role in ASL depiction. In addition, useful techniques will be proposed to answer such questions as: who should be surrogated, what are the types of surrogation, and how does personification play a role?

Learning Objectives

  1. Define constructed action, dialogue, surrogation, and the body’s role in language.
  2. Define what depiction is and its role in ASL
  3. Provide one example that demonstrates depicting a self
  4. Provide one example that demonstrates depicting a body
  5. Provide one example that demonstrates depicting an action

Presenter: Windell "Wink" Smith Jr. (he)


"Deaf-Hearing Interpreter Teams in Academics0.15 CEUs


3:20-4:50 PM ET


Workshop Description

As we enter a new age, we are faced with new challenges to navigate. Everything everywhere is transitioning to the internet. How does a DI/HI teamwork online and remotely, away from each other? Led by Deaf interpreters, April Jackson-Woodard and Topher González Ávila, this interactive workshop will examine current interpreting methods, strategies and tools in DI/HI work remotely. This workshop will hold an interactive activity where attendees will have an opportunity to apply methods and strategies and to utilize tools offered in DI/HI work. *Presented in ASL*

Learning Objectives

After completing the workshop, the participants will be able to:

  1. Identify interpreting methods and strategies in academic settings
  2. Apply interpreting methods and strategies in academic settings
  3. Evaluate interpretation works for access and optimization purposes

Presenter:  April Jackson (she) & Topher González Ávila (he)


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