Describe yourself professionally in a few lines.

I am an Irish Sign Language/English interpreter, who has also had the good fortune to learn some American Sign Language, British Sign Language and “International Sign”. I am also an academic. My research work focuses on aspects of the linguistics and applied linguistics of sign languages, and a great deal of my work focuses on aspects of interpreting.

When and why did you decide on a career in translating/interpreting?

Interpreting chose me. In 1990, I was working as a houseparent at St. Joseph’s School for Deaf Boys in Cabra, with teenagers aged 15-20, and I was horrified by the lack of access to information that they, as Irish Sign Language users had. Fortunately for me, in 1992, the Irish Deaf Society, in partnership with the Centre for Language and Communication Studies at Trinity College Dublin and led by the Centre for Deaf Studies at Bristol University secured European Commission Horizon funding that established first Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter (and Irish Sign Language teaching) training programme. I was a successful applicant, and that programme truly changed my life, showing me what excellent interpreting looked like and introducing me to my other great ‘love’, linguistics. I’ve always felt extremely fortunate to have had training from both signed and spoken language interpreters, which has always helped me to see the value of conversations between sign and spoken language interpreters. 

Name the most important thing you did that helped you launch your career.

On completion of the Diploma in Deaf Studies (Interpreting), I had the opportunity to work as the Irish Deaf Society’s first in-house interpreter, and subsequently, to work in Brussels for the European Union of the Deaf. Working as in interpreter raised critical questions for me which informed – and continue to inform – the issues that I tackle with my research.

How important are training and qualifications for a career in translating/interpreting.

I believe that education is increasingly important for interpreters and we see that for sign language interpreters, there has been a continued move towards bachelor and, indeed, masters level qualifications internationally. In an increasing number of countries, an interpreting qualification is now a pre-requisite for licensing/registration, or, in the absence of that, to working for public bodies. Here in Ireland, we have (since 2009) offered a 4 year pathway to ISL/English interpreting at Trinity College Dublin.  Today, stakeholders are rightly increasingly conscious of quality; the Gardaí and the Courts increasingly ask about the qualification of interpreters. For example,  I have seen this come up when interpreters have been called to Court to give evidence around their interpretation in police interviews, And, on the foot of the Irish Sign Language Act (2017), there are moves towards a national register of sign language interpreters, which will move us towards embedding minimal qualification requirements for those working as interpreters here.

How do you find clients?

I’m fortunate in that they find me! I accept interpreting work via a number of agencies/bodies that specialise in ISL/English interpreting, and also sometimes have requests from the European institutions.

Do you think it is necessary to specialise?

Over the past 25 years, the contexts in which deaf people operate, and the levels at which they engage has significantly changed. Today, we have deaf PhDs, hedge fund managers, healthcare providers, business owners who are deaf, and interpreters have to keep up. Further, we have become increasingly aware of the need for specialist training for practicing interpreters in a range of domains (e.g. public service settings, education, workplace settings). However, given the relatively small number of ISL/English interpreters, there is a need for us to have the capacity to be good generalists, with some opportunities for specialism. For example, some ISL/English interpreters have completed Bachelor of Law degrees, which enhances their understanding of the legal system, and a number of European projects that we’ve worked on at the Centre for Deaf Studies has led to the development of training and open-access resources for interpreters, deaf community members, and other stakeholders. Ultimately, it is impossible to embed “everything” in initial education pathways, and as a result, continuous professional development opportunities, and potentially, a postgraduate pathway that addresses some specific domains may be a viable option at some point.

What is your favourite type of text/assignment?

I particularly enjoy interpreting in contexts dealing with applied linguistics issues, or in political/diplomatic settings. In terms of language direction, I love working from Irish Sign Language or “International Sign” into English.

What is the best/worst thing about being a translator/ interpreter?

The best thing about being an interpreter is about bearing witness to a moment in another person’s life. I’ve been incredibly humbled to interpret for people at moments of great happiness, great sadness, at moments of opportunity, success, and in the mundane moments of the everyday.

As interpreters we can make a difference, but we need to tread lightly and remember that it is not about us. Our presence impacts though – and I think that as interpreters, we sometimes don’t realise that while we made interpreting decisions that seemed good in the moment, we will rarely (if ever) know how the combined effect of our interpreting decisions, and those of other interpreters, impact on how deaf and hearing people perceive and experience each other over time.

The worst thing about being an interpreter is leaving an interpreting assignment where someone is in emotional pain – in a locked unit of psychiatric unit, in a prison cell, having had a child removed from them, having told a harrowing story of abuse – and not knowing if will access support in an accessible language. Having interpreted for a significant number of survivors of abuse over the years, the emotional impact of their stories stays with me and has certainly touched me to my core. I’m very grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to complete training with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, which certainly helped me to deal with this difficult aspect of our work.

Is it possible to have a good standard of living?

This is an area that certainly needs further attention as sign language interpreting fees have generally not been increased in well over a decade. A colleague, Cormac Leonard, carried out a survey of interpreter income in 2016 and reports that the average income in 2016 was €27,812, with just 16% reporting annual incomes of more than €30,000. However, there have been a number of remote interpreting positions offered in the past few years that are aligned to public service salary scales. This, with the potential of increased interpreter provision arising from recognition of Irish Sign Language (and ratification of the UNCRPD in 2018, which makes reference to sign language users too), there is scope for interpreter organisations to push for improved financial outcomes for interpreters.

What advice would you give someone thinking of embarking on a career as a  translator/interpreter?

Consider yourself a lifelong learner and take opportunities to learn. Be open to feedback and seek to integrate your learning into your work. Find a mentor and develop an individual plan so that you can track your development. Remember the value of reciprocity in deaf communities – be a community member and make time to give something back to the community.