Just 18 days into the new year, the DC Council held their Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting. One of the agenda items included introduction of new bills. There has been discussion among PCRID members about what is going on with licensure in DC, and there will be further news as we are made aware of the progression of events.
The bill introduced on Tuesday by Councilmember Cheh is not about licensure of interpreters. Instead, it is an amendment to other pieces of legislation that focus on access for deaf and hard-of-hearing people receiving services from DC Government funding sources, including interpreting services. While definitely applies to our profession, there is no mention of licensure. This doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns about this bill and its potential impact when and if it becomes law. Therefore, an ad hoc committee on licensure is now being established to look at this bill in preparation for the process of public participation at an as yet undisclosed meeting date. The committee will also look at any potential licensure bill being introduced.
Already, a number of people representing stakeholder groups have been engaged in discussion. Among those already involved are MDAD President Charm Smith, DCAD President David Nelson, PCRID Liaison to DCAD Bethany Melanson, PCRID Member at Large Erin Harrison, and numerous others including Andrea K. Smith and Jen Bell.
If you would like to be part of this ad hoc committee, please contact our point person on this new committee, Andrea K. Smith, at legislativeaffairs@pcrid.net. This invitation is primarily to PCRID members, but other stakeholders are invited to weigh in on the issue so we aren’t working in a vacuum. Collaboration with stakeholders is vital on the issue of providing ‘qualified’ interpreters.
As we move forward, lets all bear in mind our mission: PCRID is committed to advancing the quality, professionalism, and integrity of sign language interpreting in Maryland and the District of Columbia through education, information, and advocacy.
Thank you for participating in this process.
Michael
To keep the membership informed and up-to-date with what the PCRID Board is doing, this blog has been created. Some posts will end up on the PCRID website, some will not. But your input into our thinking is valued, and you are invited to let us know what's on your mind- even if it has nothing to do with what has been posted. -PCRID President
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
What's New in the New Year
Resolutions for the New Year are made by millions of us. Follow-through is the tough part, as we all know.
Not wanting to begin 2011 as the PCRID President with unachievable goals, I would like to suggest a few course markers in our journey together over the coming year. As an organization, we are "committed to advancing the quality, professionalism, and integrity" of our profession in DC and MD. What we may accomplish individually as professionals is significant. What we can do together as professionals to achieve our organization's mission depends greatly on our efforts to communicate with each other within the organization, and then beyond it.
Throughout the coming year, I will be actively engaged in fostering such communication within the organization. I would like to emphasize the need for certain parameters in this type of open dialogue among a large contingent of interpreters with diverse backgrounds and values. We won't always agree with one another, but we can listen* to what others have to say. It may call for us to suspend* our own beliefs and values to truly understand another person's point of view, but that can be accomplished if we listen with respect* when others share their truth. In turn, when we voice* our own thinking to others, we would like them to respond in kind.
I invite you to communicate with the Board and all its representatives, as well as with each other. And we will communicate with you, seeking your input and asking you to weigh in on issues at hand. As a result of our dialogue with each other, I believe we can effectively 'think together' in ways that impact how we fulfill the active part of our mission: "advancing the quality, professionalism, and integrity of sign language interpreting.. through education, information, and advocacy."
You have my personal commitment to foster this kind of dialogue within PCRID as we consider ways to move forward in working with consumers, clients, and colleagues.
Happy New Year!
Michael Labadie CI & CT, NIC Master
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