Looking at the results of the Colorado Interpreter Survey

Jonathan Henner, Ed.D.∗ Katrina Cue, Ed.D.†

Contents1 Introduction 2

1.1 Importing and organizing the data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2 Descriptives 22.1 Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.2 How long participants have lived in Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.3 Relationship to the Deaf Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.4 Jobs in the communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.5 Jobs: Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.6 Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.7 Certification: Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 Questions associated with HB-19-1069 43.1 If you are not a Sign Language Interpreter or Communication Facilitator (or other similar job),

how do you relate to Sign Language Interpreter(s) or Communication Facilitator(s)? . . . . . 43.2 Currently Colorado only accepts RID certification under section 6-1-707(1)(3), C.R.S. (Colorado

Consumer Protection Act: Use of title or degree - deceptive trade practice) With House Bill19-1069, we have the opportunity to amend that law. In your opinion, what would be the bestapproach? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3.3 How have you been impacted by the new HB-19-1069 Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53.3.1 Unable to get certification (Explain) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53.3.2 Have other certification not recognized by law (Explain) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3.4 How else have you been impacted by the new HB-19-1069 Law (Explain) . . . . . . . . . . . 53.5 What recommendations do you have? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63.6 Should we keep RID as a certification? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.6.1 What levels? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93.6.2 If no, then why not? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3.7 Should we add another certification? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103.7.1 If no, then why not? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3.8 What additional certification should we recommend? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103.9 Any final comments? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4 Conclusion 15

∗The University of North Carolina at Greensboro†Ktquiet, LLC

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1 IntroductionDr. Katrina Cue was contracted by the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind(CCDHHDB) to conduct research that would support its goal to determine how to ensure a population ofcertified signed language interpreters for the deaf people of Colorado. Dr. Cue hired Dr. Jonathan Henner toassist her in developing and implement the research methods that would ensure that the CCDHHDB wasable to have the data necessary to meet its stated goal. Dr. Henner has over ten years experience developingand researching how to assess signed languages.

Towards that end, Dr. Cue and Dr. Henner developed two surveys. One was targeted at gathering informationfrom Colorado community members. The second was designed to elicit information from the assessmentcompanies. The surveys were developed using Qualtrics, an online survey platform.

This document is a reporting of the results.

1.1 Importing and organizing the dataThe programming language used to analyze the results is called R. R requires libraries to be loaded before wecan analyze the data. I have loaded five libraries that will assist us in the analysis. The next step is to readthe CSV file into R.

Our first step is to remove all participants who did not consent to participate in the survey.

Our second step is to remove all participants who did not identify themselves as citizens of Colorado. This isa survey specific to Colorado residents. Some people did not indicate either yes or no that they were Coloradoresidents. As we cannot verify their residence they are also removed.

2 Descriptives2.1 ParticipantsHere we report the total number of participants after filtering out non-residents. There are 94 total participants.

Q2.1 freq pct_valid pct_valid_cum pct_tot pct_tot_cumYes 94 100 100 100 100No 0 0 100 0 100<NA> 0 NA NA 0 100

2.2 How long participants have lived in Colorado

Q2.2 freq pctLess than 1 year 0 0.0000001 - 3 years 4 4.6511634 - 7 years 4 4.6511638 - 11 years 5 5.81395412 years or more 73 84.883721

2.3 Relationship to the Deaf Communities## Error in pryr::where(obj_name) : length(name) == 1 is not TRUE

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value freq pctDeaf or hard of hearing consumer 36 41.860465Deafblind consumer 1 1.162791Deaf and disabled consumer 1 1.162791Hearing consumer 35 40.697674Family member of DHH consumer (eg parent or child) 13 15.116279

2.4 Jobs in the communities

Q2.4 freq pctYes - Sign Language Interpreter 22 25.58140Yes - Communication Facilitator 10 11.62791Yes - Other 11 12.79070No 43 50.00000

2.5 Jobs: Other

xStudentASL English Interpreting ProviderUsed to be, no longer practicingOral certifiedEarly Language interventionsign language providerUnlicensed sign language interpreterGraduated from IPP and previously worked as an educational interpreter but no longer doEIPA authorized educational interpreterSupport Service Provider for DeafBlindFormer Ed interpreter; still certified but not currently working

2.6 CertificationNext we examine the list of 49 different possible certification choices for interpreters by jobs. We eliminateall certification that no one chose as an option. This left us 4,606 possible data points. Note that this doesnot correspond to 4,606 people but 94 people with 47 possible certifications per person (94 * 47 = 4606).The largest reported certifications were educational based with 22 people indicating they had some form ofeducational certification (e.g., EIPA, Ed: K-12).

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n freq pctBEI Advance 1 1.754386Certificate of Interpretation 6 10.526316Certificate of Transltieration 5 8.771930Educational Certificate K-12 8 14.035088EIPA 3.5 9 15.789474EIPA 4 5 8.771930Master Comprehensive Skills Certificate 2 3.508772NAD IV Advanced 2 3.508772NIC Advanced 4 7.017544Oral Interpreting Certificate: Comprehensive 1 1.754386Oral Transliteration Certificate 2 3.508772Specialist Certificate: Legal 5 8.771930Uncertified 7 12.280702

2.7 Certification: Other

xEIPA 3.9NICCertified Deaf InterpreterSC:LNicEIPA 3.6NICNIC - Written only (so far)

3 Questions associated with HB-19-10693.1 If you are not a Sign Language Interpreter or Communication Facilitator

(or other similar job), how do you relate to Sign Language Interpreter(s)or Communication Facilitator(s)?

Q2.6 freq pctI use them for communication access purposes 21 77.777778Scheduler 0 0.000000Agency Owner 1 3.703704My family member(s) use them for communication access purposes 5 18.518518

3.2 Currently Colorado only accepts RID certification under section 6-1-707(1)(3), C.R.S. (Colorado Consumer Protection Act: Use of title ordegree - deceptive trade practice) With House Bill 19-1069, we have theopportunity to amend that law. In your opinion, what would be the bestapproach?

Q3.1 freq pctLeave it as it is (accept RID only) 7 10.144927Add additional certifications (e.g. BEI) 57 82.608696Replace it with a different certification 5 7.246377

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3.3 How have you been impacted by the new HB-19-1069 Law

Q3.2 freq pctUncertified communication facilitator 10 14.492754Unqualified to get certification (explain) 1 1.449275Deaf Interpreter 5 7.246377Possess other certification not recognized by law (what?) 5 7.246377Moratorium on RID testing 4 5.797101Educational background 1 1.449275Issues with maintaining CEUs 1 1.449275Decreased pay 0 0.000000Difficulty in obtaining interpreting services 12 17.391304Other 30 43.478261

3.3.1 Unable to get certification (Explain)

The only person to identify that they were unable to get certification indicated that it was because they donot have a four year degree. This stopgap is by design.

xI am unable to take the test because I do not have a 4 year degree

3.3.2 Have other certification not recognized by law (Explain)

The bulk of respondents indicated that their educational interpreting certification does not allow them towork in the community. Again, this stopgap is by design. Educational interpreting is an oblique skillset whichmay not lend itself to community interpreting environments. On the other hand, this is true of certificationfor community interpreting. They may not be qualified to work in the educational environment. However,educational interpreting is typically perceived as being an interpreting environment that is lower status, lowerpaying, and lower skilled. Given how critical language access is in education, this assumption is incorrect.

xRID Ed:K12 certification is not recognized as a certification for community therefore amRID certified with Ed:K12 but can not work legally in the communityA:EI (educational interpreter authorization)Authorized: Educational Interpreter (A:EI through CDE)BEI

3.4 How else have you been impacted by the new HB-19-1069 Law (Explain)While some people indicated that they were not really impacted, those that were impacted tended to eithernot be certified or experience difficulties in obtaining interpreting jobs. Many commenters highlighted thatthey were certified but their certification was not RID certification Because their certification is not recognizedby the state, they cannot get jobs that require certification. As RID assessment is not productive, there doesnot appear to be a way to resolve their situation.

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xnoneTalented potential providers are lost in limbo waiting for RID. They’re afraid to even trybecause of CO law.difficulty hiring certified interpreters causing too high of interpreting ratesno impactDeaf community wanted this law to require that everyone be RID certified, disappointedthat it was watered downNot really impactedYou need experience to have the ability to certify however there are less jobs available forthose who are not certified. I was "qualified" for numerous jobs however certification wasrequired. There are plenty that I have met who are "certified" however due to numerousreasons, manybe certification was obtains years ago, that their skills have declined. Also, forthose like myself that can interpret in front of thousands of people but may have test anxiety.Grew up with Deafness in my family, taught Deaf/HH for 30+years, never got formalcertificationWork with consumers who have been impactedNo impact for me, I’m oral, I don’t use sign languageBeen affected with more than 1 choice. Decrease pay, non recognized certificates, CEUs areonly for specific areas,Impact not feltNo ImpactNot ApplicableLooking forward to more certificationsDifficult to get licensedNo Impactnot impactedI am a hearing individual who works for the state in providing services to the DDBDDHHcommunity. While I have not been impacted as an interpreter or Deaf consumer, but assomeone who often hires interpreters for Deaf consumers who have dealings with the state, Irecognize that RID is not serving the needs of consumers or interpreters and additionaloptions should be available to ensure communication access.UC Health has been reliableNononeI’ve not been impacted that I’m aware of.Not familiar with the lawBecause I have RID certification NOW, I have not been impacted. Beforehand I wasimpacted.NaAs an educational interpreter who is uncertified, I cannot call myself a sign languageinterpreter in the state of Colorado, even tho I hold a dual credential and have beenpracticing for five years professionally

3.5 What recommendations do you have?The majority of recommendations ask that Colorado accept multiple certifications. Some believe thatColorado set up its own licensing and screening board. However as professional assessment theorists, we donot recommend this route. To do so would be a time-consuming and expensive venture.

xtrainingopen up other options

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Add the additional certifications - open more doors for these certifications and allow moreavailable interpreters to fill the gaps.N/aWe can’t "put all of our eggs in one basket" in terms of certifications. We have to have 2 ormore options to recognize safe providers of interpreting services, and options that range inprice, range of certs offered, and accessibility of testing materials (RID has beendiscriminatory to test takers with disabilities that do not affect interpreting).Add additional certifications and develop recommended pay rates for RID certs and newlyadded certs to ensure equitable pay ratesNonerequire that all persons providing interpreting services be RID certifiedCreate a licensure exam for Colorado Residents that take into account national or otherstates certificationsI think just add the BEI to the list of certifications is good enoughProvide a way for those needing practice/skill building to gain experience and provide waysto certify that are not so intimidating. I was qualified however the amount of jobs availableto me as a qualified, not certified interpreter were limited and I could not make enoughmoney to make this a career nor get the skill building I needed.ADd several options instead of just RID.n/aShould make it easier, less time intrusive, and less money required to become certifiedI DON’T KNOW the issues! Why is RID so screwed up? And I hear the tests are way tooexpensive and are no objective. RID has a lot of infighting and alphabet soup certifications.If they can’t clean this up, RID needs to close shop and we should not invite this optionwhen RID is dysfunctional!N/Aremove the college degree requirement for (educational) interpreters.I use RID interpreters and also use CDI 9 which I provide Advocacy services to deafcommunityease restrictions.noAs the leader of an organization who uses interps, we often cannot find qualified interps oreven any interps. Our consumers face little to no communication access because of the lackof certified interps in COaccept BEIReview all interpreters...Then divide them into categories where we can identify level ofqualificaitons that fit with situation.No opinion - I’m not impactedLook at what other states are doing. Accept EIPA as a field, add BEI, maybe bring back theold NAD cert.Licensure program or focus on developing requirements for the position such as mentalhealth therapist who has to earn hours before she/he becomes licensed or certified andallowed to practice in the fieldMaybe temporary certifications for those who are qualified in rural areasAllow deaf to be involved and test if desireI’m not sureNot sureNo negative impactRID certification Ed:K12 should be legally recognized in the state to work with adult DeafconsumersAccept multiple certifications.

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Make certification classes more availableAdding more certification opportunitiesNoneSince RID has failed to serve the needs of consumers and interpreters by consistently offeringcertification testing, additional certifications, such as BEI, should be accepted in Colorado.If medical interpreter then request that interpreter be medical and basic scienceknowledgeable.Allow other certifications such as BEI to be recognized. BEI is the only certification entityto have an actual certification for Deaf interpreters right now.Work with RID (if that’s possible) to find out their strategies and timelines related tocertification; seek out other avenues such as state licensureTesting with a live panel would be ideal.allow some one to take the test without having to have a 4year degree.Not sureAllow more options for CertificationAccept other certifications like the BEIAllow BEI certifications/levels of certification depending on the setting. Work to bring BEItesting to CO.noneN/ANeed a better screen for non certified interpreters.Help with the cost of certificationI don’t know when the new HB-19-1069 Law became law and don’t know what is in this law.There is nowhere on this survey for me to backtrack to find that person to contact if havequestionssMore levelsAccept A:EI as valid interpretersNeed more ASL signers not sign exact word for word.by allowing various certifications, the interpreter workforce will increase; I would like to see acommittee/board oversee all certificationsI believe adding additional certifications will help. Also, would it be of benefit to Coloradoto create their own certification?Fortunately referring to myself as a service provider (instead of interpreter) with the A:EIhasn’t negatively impacted me.Require business entities and government entities to have an interpreters and CARTavailable at all times.Add out of state certifications that are the same level as RID or such. Not educational oranything below.Recognize other forms of certifications such as BEI for Deaf InterpretersFind a way to ensure comprable skill levels between the different testing certifications. Andfigure equitable rates for the different certifications.More funding for people who want to become certifiedIncreasen/aRemove title protection.

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3.6 Should we keep RID as a certification?

Q3.4 freq pctYes (what levels?) 42 60.869565No (why?) 5 7.246377Maybe 15 21.739130Not sure 7 10.144927

3.6.1 What levels?

xall?Additional certifications will supplement this.Yes, all levelsall of themonly fully certifiedAll levels. Current levels is classified as NICAll levelsAll of themAllNICas an optionAllYes, don;t know the levels but those who already have RID certification should not have tonow do another set.AllAll. Keep RIDNIC, etcYes, if other options are available NIC and Ed:K12BEI and EIPAAllAllAll levelsAll levels but certain certain levels should be restricted from accepting certain types ofassignments.NICYes (not super familiar with all the levels)CI, CT, NICAllAll current certifications from RID.NICthe highestIVNIC, CDIallRID, I don’t know what else. Whatever the top levels are for certification.all but include BEI as wellYes, all levelsCI CT NIC

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3.6.2 If no, then why not?

The majority of comments argue that RID as an organization is unstable and the assessment itself is messy.

xRID has been compromised in recent years and is not a reliable organiziationRID is a hot mess. Demand that they clean up their act before we will recognize theircertification here.Too strict on testingIt’s unstablenothing wrong

3.7 Should we add another certification?

Q3.5 freq pctYes 57 82.608696No (why?) 4 5.797101Maybe 7 10.144927Not Sure 1 1.449275

3.7.1 If no, then why not?

xno evidence that any one certification is better than the other; at least with RID there is along history, let’s assist RID in resolving their issues. Not impressed with any of the personsholding BEI certificationsToo many different certifying bodies–no level of equivelencynothing has been proven to be betterup to them

3.8 What additional certification should we recommend?Quite a few commentators believe that the BEI should be added to the Colorado certification list. Somemention the EIPA. However, the EIPA did not recognize our requests to provide information about theirassessment development and rating process. Of the multiple assessment organizations contacted, only BEIresponded to our request for information, albeit partially.

xlook at available and respected options?BEI is the only one I’m aware of at the moment. Flexible to certifications you feel is best.N/aThe BEI has an extensive suite of certifications and levels of generalist certifications thatinform consumers and providers about who should be interpreting in which settings. Theyprovide a path for new providers and experienced who seek specialization. We need that inCO. BEI also seems to have the administrative abilities to continue developing and offeringtesting that RID has struggled with for *years.* Their tests, even when you fly from out ofstate, are affordable. They’re also not hiding their testing rubric as RID does.unsurenoresearched other options available and none were better than RIDBEI level 2 and above. EIPA passing at 4 or more

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BEI, and/or create your own state certification ( a big task but there is a lot of new talent)Different levels of certification but allow an introductory level of certification. I was notallowed to interpret for a very simple class of learning how to write/deposit checks because Iwas not certified. My skills were exceptional for the job however the facility requiredcertification.BEI or NAD or a completely new one.BEIIf the Deaf Communityr in Colorado agrees on using interpreters with different certifications,then it should be allowedWhat other options are out there? BEI, many don’t know the difference. Consider educatingus about the options. Let us SEE what they look like and the issues surrounding them. All Iknow about RID problems is anecdotalAll of them if possible included Legal Credential Authorization by State of ColoradoAll certifications that are available.As many as possible.Legal and Mental Health optionnone at this time.naDon’t knowcertifications for interps in emergency prep, more legal and medical interps and even a"learners permit" that shows who is mentoring that new interp while he/she is seekingcertificationBEIColorado’s new certificationno opinion, I don’t use ASLBEI, NAD, Galaudett testing,BEI and Utah’sBEIAllow deaf the chance to test for cdi based on experience and qualification.I’m not sureNot sureBEI and any other reputable certification like Utah’sRID Ed:K12 and BEIBEI and EIPABEIBEIAny certification would need to be vettedBEI or possibly our own state issued certification though I recognize that is incredibly costlyand would require a great deal of time and coordination to bring to fruition.Emphasis area in field which interpreter servingBEII’m not an interpreter so I’m not very aware of other certifications other than BEI - whichjust based on community comments seems comparable to RID, but I don’t know that for afact.BEII think anyone with solid experience and continued exposure to the deaf community and ashow of taking professional development workshops, courses, etc. one should be allowed totake any certificationBEIBEIBEI

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BEInoneI’m unaware of themMake our own certification. Create our own group.Not sureThere are other sign language interpreting certificates, but i am not "in-the-know". Wish iknew more.EIPA, BEI, NADEducational interpreters (A:EI)Difficult to gauge as each interpreter has their own interpretation. I would like to see moreinterpreters do ASL instead of signing word for word. Hard to understand.BEI, all levels, BEI Deaf Interpreter all levels, Utah State interpreter certification; EIPAsecondary 4.3-5.0 (not PSE, not Elementary)Without researching for myself, I could not advocate for one over another. I would want theadditional certifications to be thoroughly researched and an adequate representation of theholder’s skill/abilities.I am certain there are well qualified "interpreters" who have received their education in otherparts of the country where different exams were emphasized. Having studied in Colorado,I’m unfamiliar with many of the other tests and can’t speak to this point specifically. I’msure they exist, I just don’t know what they are.Closed captioning or CART in all business entitiesBEI? Maybe you show us the list of other kinds of certifications. I don’t remember any ofthose.BEI - all levels for hearing and deaf interpretersunsureBEI, Colorado State TestingBEI Advanced or aboven/aBEI, as well as a licensure test for interpreters in Colorado

3.9 Any final comments?Many of the comments can be considered to be referring to the “pipeline” issue of training and mentoringnew interpreters. Any discussion about the interpreter pipeline will have to include representatives from twoand four year interpreter preparation programs in Colorado.

xno?NoneMany students assume that RID is the only option for certification and thus drop out due tothe expensive demands of trying to reach that certification. If BEI and other certificationsare accepted it could open up opportunities and increase the interpreter workforcesignificantly in Colorado.Thank you for undertaking this project. We need change and we need good data to makegood changes.If new certs are added, the pay rate for interpreters will be complicated. The high cost ofinterpreting services makes it difficult for small business to afford it.notoo many people with poor skills want to become interpreters, let’s not make it easier forthem

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I understand that RID is not the best option for a certifying body. But they are the mostprominent and used for the Nation and they must be considered as a certification as well.But other certifying bodies can be just as prudent and can be thought of as equalsNone, thank you for the surveyThere is a complaint of not enough interpreters for the Deaf community however thetesting/skill building is not supportive enough to keep enough interpreters in the industry.My brother is Deaf so Sign Language (not ASL) is technically my first language but with memoving away my skills declined. I went to college and enrolled in an interpreting programhowever due to my test anxiety and lack of support in obtaining jobs.....I no longer interpret.There has to be some give and take in this industry. I now have a Masters Degree however Ihave learned that this piece of paper, does not make a person qualified just because theymay be certified. I feel this is the same for ASL interpretation.NonenoneAs in life, people have various needs and this should be included in looking at interpreters.One certificated interpreter for all Deaf excludes many Deaf with a different needs.This survey asks us to give opinions without anything to help us understand the differentcertifications and issues surrounding them. How the heck would I know if one of my ’choices’made in the dark here will have a worse impact on my communication access.NoCertification for deaf interpretersnoI am a deaf service service provider to deaf community. prefer to know any changes thatimpact to deaf communityThank you for the RISP program!.naCannot wait for this to be implemented. We so need more qualified interps across the state!noNaI feel the people who use ASL should definitely have a say in what they feel works for themRID is subjective to which evaluator your tape goes to. They Do Not give feedback that isscored.n/aBring in more certification competitionNoneNot at this timeNoneNoGlad that the state and commission are addressing this issue. Because RID requires a 4-yeardegree this requirement limits the number of ’interpreters’ receiving testing to determinequalifications,Thank you considering additional options to the RID certification.NoNoNonenoWould like to more enforcement of the title protection act and hold agencies that continue touse non certified interpreters without consumer consent liable.Always appreciate interpreters with patience in sometimes congested situations.

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Please do allow other certifications to be recognized in this state such as the BEI and we canactually recognize those interpreters who worked hard to get their BEI and not feel like alawbreaker. They are certified, it’s just not recognized in this state and it’s time COrecognized it.noNot at this timeI have a lot to learn still about community interpreting but with practice and resourcesavailable (workshops/conferences/courses like RISP); over time I would like the option toeventually take the national certification. But, as of now, I can not because I don’t have anycollege experience and will, likely, never obtain a degree from a university/college.NoneNoNo thank youNone at this time.in actuality, persons holding other than RID certifications have, for the most part, proven tobe woefully inadequate; there are incompetent teachers, doctors, lawyers, drivers, etc whomanage to obtain licenses/certifications, that is simply a fact of life. It is preferable for theDeaf community to say if an RID certified interpreter is competent or not, on an individualbasis. y inadequate. RID is not perfect, but that holds true for ALL professional evaluations;there are awful doctors, teachers, lawyers, , drivers, etc. who have managed toI use interpreters rarely, so I’m limited in my knowledge of issues.NEed to create a better complaints system and really put an act to it. We have WAY toomany unqualified interpreters/signers in Colorado.Accessibilty for individuals who are Deaf and have developmental disabilities.I wished there were CCDHHDB persons available to "fill in gaps" for me. I hope to re-takethis survey after i get more infoAdd levelsCan’t think of anything at the momentAgency should show the interpreters’ credentials on their website.I would like to see different tracks: medical, mental health, legal, educational tracks added tothe certification and CEUs required for all. People who do not have certifications should notbe able to work. This may be a different issue, but the concern of non-certified peoplecomplaining about pay (i.e., some non-certs are earning $50 an hour v. cert people earning$55 an hour). We have no way to file complaints against non-certified people. I would like tosee a board oversee that process.N/ANone.I believe that we as a deaf/hard of hearing community gets a lot of informations that are outthere that are not being communicated effectivelyI recommend to share the list of certifcations. There are many abbreviations that I cannotremember. What about legal interpreting certification? Does this count? I understand somepeople move to CO and a different certification from different states. Please list those thatmatch the certification requirements.I am happy that the CCDHHDB is FINALLY realizing that the current law is not enoughfor Deaf consumers because of the RID moratorium and RID’s lackadaisical approach toremedying their situation. RID is acting irresponsibly in relation to their organizationalmanagement and certification process..already stated aboveIf there are more options for sign language facilitators to qualify for certification it can onlyhave a positive impact for the deaf community here in Colorado. More services which is nota privilege, a right, which should be the priority.Should make a pathway for Deaf Interpreters

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n/aWe need a state license in Colorado, to hold the state AND interpreters/agencies accountable

4 ConclusionThis document was a reporting of the results obtained from the CCDHHDB Colorado Residents survey. Asecond survey was send to interpreter assessment centers. Only a single assessment center replied, the Boardfor Evaluation of Interpreters Certification Program (BEI). Their responses; however, were not substantialand often referred to a supporting document which did not necessarily answer the questions. Their responsesare included in a direct print out from the survey results as an appendix. While the BEI program responseswere not detailed, we recognize an attempt to answer the questions which is an effort not duplicated by otherassessment companies.

As respondents to the Colorado Residents’ survey indicated that they would like to see other certifications,and that many chose BEI as a possible certification, we feel comfortable recommending that Colorado adaptthe BEI as a secondary certification alongside the RID certification.

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