Arranging interpretation for your event

Interpretation makes the event accessible – it is needed when people don't speak the same language or a hearing impairment makes communication difficult. Interpreting creates linguistic equality because all parties can express themselves in their first language. You can arrange for interpreting for your event even if you don't know whether there will be hearing-impaired or sign language speakers attending. Arrange for interpretation and promote your event as accessible!

A quick checklist for the organizer

1. Who do you want to arrange interpreting for – sign language speakers or the hard of hearing /deaf? The target audience determines the language to be used and the interpreting method. The most common of those are sign language or sign supported speech or speech-to-text reporting. Of course, you can also hire more than one interpreter; for example, one for sign language interpreting and another for speech-to-text reporting.
2. Contact the interpreter centre or interpreting services provider located closest to you as soon as possible. One place to find contact information is the Finnish Association of Sign Language Interpreters website at http://www.tulkit.net/in-english/finnish-assosiation-of-sign-language-interpreters/. By hiring an interpreter through an interpreter centre or service provider you can be sure that the interpreter is professionally trained and skilled.
3. Be prepared to answer the interpreter centre's questions about how long the event will last, the programme, the languages to be used at the event, and as whether or not the event will be recorded. It is also recommended to provide the interpreter centre or provider with the contact information of the person in charge of the programme.
4. After accepting the commission the interpreter centre or service provider finds a suitable interpreter or interpreters. Depending on the duration and nature of the event one or two (team interpreting) interpreters are booked for the task. Before the event, the interpreters usually contact the organizers and/or the speakers of the event to ask for more information on the topic and to ask for other material. It will make interpreting easier if the interpreters have had a chance to take a look at materials such as the Power Point presentations to be shown at the event or the speakers' notes beforehand. Any information you can provide ahead of time helps the interpreters!
5. Inform your target audience about the event. Some ways to promote an open to all event are  through local associations as well as the teletext pages for the hearing-impaired.
6. Before the event starts, find a suitable spot for the interpreter at the front of the place near the speaker. Make sure to also reserve seats for those watching the interpreting so that they can see it properly. Make sure that audibility and visibility are good enough and that there are enough breaks during the event. You can ask your interpreter for help with these issues.
7. During the event, the interpreter translates everything said or signed at the event, but doesn't otherwise participate. Simultaneous discussions should be avoided but otherwise the attendees and the speakers at the event can talk as usual.
8. If you want to, you can give feedback after the event about the interpretation to the interpreter centre or service provider through which you hired the interpreter.

Other websites of interest:

• Finnish Association of Sign Language Interpreters
• Kuulokynnys  (in Finnish)
• The Finnish Association of the Deaf

Authors:

Kati-Maria Snäkin and Helmi Koukka

Opetustulkkikeskus Otto

University of Applied Sciences HUMAK

Instructions in .doc format (in Finnish)