Mission Statement & Goals

I am an interpreter that believes in the dignity and worth of every individual. Human dignity is sacrosanct and inalienable to every human being. This belief informs all my other values. Applying this to interpreting means that the Deaf community has a right to full and equal access, communication, and participation in society. They have a right to informed choice and the highest quality interpreting services. I believe these things, and so I take my work as an interpreter seriously.

Each of the tenets of the Code of Professional Conduct is in harmony with my desire to respect the rights and dignity of those around me, and to provide the highest quality of interpreting services. The Code of Professional Conduct supports and guides my decisions as an interpreter. It protects interpreters and our clients, both Deaf and hearing, and represents the values and guiding principles of the profession.

I am an interpreter that can be trusted to protect confidentiality. I can be trusted to provide the highest quality service regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other factor. I can be counted on to be dependable and behave professionally, to work cooperatively with team members, and to pursue ongoing development of my knowledge and skills. Most of all, I can be trusted to render the message faithfully, conveying the spirit and the content of the original message to the clients, both Deaf and hearing. This is the heart of what it means to be an interpreter. This means that I will assess my ability to meet the demands of an interpreting situation before and during any assignment and adjust as needed, whether this means requesting support or declining/withdrawing from the assignment when necessary. This also means that I refrain from giving counsel, advice, or personal opinions. That is not my role. My role is to render the message faithfully. When I do this my clients are empowered to make their own decisions about the content of that message. This respects the dignity, freedom, and authority that each person should have over their own life, thoughts, and decisions.