DO-NOT-KNOCK

As many of you know that I have been living in DC (Alexandria, VA to be more accurate) for last seven months... and I want to announce today that I was "virgin-broke" when two missionaries came to my home.

Now if you are not Deaf, you will have difficulty to understand this phenomena that plagues the Deaf households. So I am going to give you a bit of Deafology 101 lesson...

There are many churches of different denominations. So many choices for the believers. But for Deaf believers, their choices are narrowed down by finding a church that offers signing services-- by a Deaf pastor, signing pastor, or through interpreters. And those Deaf-friendly churches wage a war among each other to get a large turnout by Deaf people at their services. War, indeed.

They draw out their battles by tracking down Deaf people (believers/non-believers) and knocking down their doors and thrust a DVD that offers an ASL version of chapters in the Bible... and then praying that those shell-shocked Deaf people will come out and pay their deeds to the church that showers them with booty.

Now what does it got to do with me?
I am Deaf. I am a non-believer. So I am considered a top priority for many Deaf-friendly churches who think Deaf people need to be saved by finding Jesus in their heart. They may believe that because I don't attend a church, they think it is because I don't know about the "100% signing" services in my area.

Growing up in an fairly agnostic/atheist household, my mother had to shoot away Mormons, Jehorvah's Witness, Christians who sign all because they share one viable information: there is a Deaf child that hasn't found Jesus. Upon greeting them at the door, she would politely smile and signed back: "no, thank you, my Deaf daughter is fine and doesn't need to meet you. Bye bye" and then deadbolting the door. Often I would ask: "the church people want to meet me again?" My mother nodded and prodded me along to finish my homework, eat my dinner, or whatever the kids won't do.
As I get older, my mother got tiresome of those missionaries banging on our door so the last resort had been taken-- simply ignoring the knocks and hoping they would leave us alone.
(One time a missionary even got the nerve of getting in our fenced backyard because he thought that we don't have flashing doorbell and didn't know they were at the door. Can't they get a frigging hint?!)

All suddenly, one day it all stopped. The visits, the VHS (now DVDs), the pitiful look on them when I said "no thanks" as if they just witness a poor Deaf person evolving into a sinner.

I forgot all about this phenomenon... until today.

I have only lived in this place for seven months and the "church people" have found me! How could it be?!
We don't invite any friends to our home (for many of them, we "live too far out of DC") nor gave addresses to any of them (however now one name pops up in my mind) so how could they know we live here?! Well, it is quite possible the neighbors are the culprits. They could mention to their pastor about "a Deaf couple who apparently don't go to a church on Sunday!"

It doesn't matter who is the culprit, but it is a well-known fact that the "church people" can sniff out Deaf people no matter how secluded one can get. Their battle formations have improved and became stealthily.

Like "DO NOT CALL" registry list for the telemarketers, I wonder if there is a "DO NOT KNOCK" list for the church people?

"CDI:explained" the Series :: Part One

"I want to become a CDI, therefore I am Deaf!"
Part one of the "CDI:explained" the Series.


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Transcript made possible by me. Let me know if you see any major errors in this translation.
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A lot of you sent me inspiring messages about Deaf interpreting— but I noticed a pattern of one single error, more like a misunderstanding... so I want to make a vlog to clarify which means I will sign slow and add transcript or subtitled, it depends, to ensure that everybody will understand me. OK, so I am talking about "CDI" which stands for "Certified Deaf Interpreters"....... okay, I don't mean to belittle you but I want to explain what CDI, the term, means exactly.
"certified" means a person that has been certified due to passing an examination.
"Deaf"... (sort of obvious what it means)
"Interpreter" (a person who interpret)
So now I am focusing on two terms, "Deaf" and "Interpreter."
What does it mean, "Deaf Interpreter"? Well, an interpreter who is Deaf themselves.... Hearing-impaired, Hard-of-Hearing, whatever label you got for us...
so an Interpreter. Is. Deaf.
You see, "interpreter" is a noun, and if you put another word in front of it which is known as an adjective which refers to the noun. So, "Deaf" is the adjective in this case which refers to the noun, "interpreter"... So let's rew back to the term "CDI."
"CDI" is who? Deaf people who have became certified interpreters.
Does it mean "CDI" include Hearing people? NO. For hearing people, you use the terminology "CI" or "CT"- CI stands for "Certified Interpreter", no mentioning whether the person is hearing or deaf.... "CT" stands for Certified Transliterator which means word-for-word. Again, no mentioning of hearing or deaf. Yet CDI does state that it is for Deaf people—it already got that capital "D" in its name!
So, hearing people cannot apply to become CDI. The organization RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf) will require proof if you want to apply as a CDI by showing your audiogram to justify your deafness. So RID already enforces the position of CDI to be for Deaf people only. Hearing people who want to become interpreters take up the CI/CT test which is now known as NIC "National Interpreter Certificate" which is new.
So again, I want to clear something up—
I am DEAF. I cannot hear nothing. I am Deaf, pathologically and culturally with a capital D.
And I want to become an interpreter.
An oxymoron? No. It is quite possible!
"Interpreters for the Deaf" is a line that is overused.... "Interpreter for the Deaf" again and again, even the RID included that line [aside: like hey?] so I understand how it is easy to get into that rut by automatically assuming that CDI means Certified Interpreter for the Deaf.
No...actually if you want to think about it, Certified Interpreter for Deaf should say "CID."
My situation, what I want to be, is CDI [Certified Deaf Interpreter]... so remember, Deaf interpreter, Deaf Interpreter, Deaf interpreter...
Thumbs Up?

Survey for Deaf Interpreters

I have received this in an email and thought I will pass this on to my fellow Deaf Interpreters. This is a survey conducted by an organization to be passed out to Deaf Interpreters who have experience of interpreting (certified or not) to see what experience they bring to the job. As many of you know, Deaf Interpreting is still a fuzzy area that has became more clear in recent years with people being more aware and the job became articulate in whats duties and Blogger: dorkette: EXPOSED - Edit Post "Survey for Deaf Interpreters"performances it requires.

Hopefully the statistic will show that more resources are needed to promote professional developments for Deaf Interpreters!

Read below for the message and the link to take up the survey. Be honest in the survey-- we need to provide more data about Deaf Interpreting!!!!

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NCIEC Conducts Deaf Interpreter National Survey February 14-March 14, 2008

As part of its efforts to understand the practice of Deaf Interpreting, the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers is conducting a national survey of Deaf Interpreters. The survey will be open online from February 14 - March 14, 2008. Deaf individuals who work in the capacity of interpreters in any setting,
whether on a part-time or full-time basis, and whether certified or not, are invited to participate. It is hoped that the survey will shed light on the background and experiences of Deaf interpreters, whom they work with, in what settings, and what their professional development needs are. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. Results of the survey will be available in mid-April.

Interested Deaf Interpreters can view an ASL invitation to participate at http://www.asl. neu.edu/nciec/DI_surveyintro. html, or go directly to the survey at http://www.zoomeran g.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB22796PD SKFE