Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
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The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc (RID) is a non-profit organization founded in 1964 and incorporated in 1972 that seeks to uphold standards, ethics, and professionalism for American Sign Language interpreters. As an important part of this mission, they maintain a certification program. On their website, RID claims to have "worked diligently to provide the "three Q's" of interpreting: Quantity, Qualifications and Quality," and they claim to have 10,412 members as of July 2003.
[edit] Code of Professional Conduct
As part of their push to improve the ethics of the profession, RID developed the following tenets which apply to all their members and certified interpreters. These tenets were adopted July 2005 and replace the old Code of Ethics.
- Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication.
- Interpreters possess the professional skills and knowledge required for the specific interpreting situation.
- Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.
- Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers.
- Interpreters demonstrate respect for colleagues, interns, and students of the profession.
- Interpreters maintain ethical business practices.
- Interpreters engage in professional development.
[edit] RID Certifications
RID has a national certification system with three key components:
- The National Testing System (NTS)
- The Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) - assures the continual skill development of certified interpreters
- The Ethical Practices System (EPS) - gives consumers the ability to express concerns or make complaints about the quality of interpreting/transliterating services
In previous incarnations of the NTS, the following certifications were given to interpreters meeting the testing criteria:
- CSC - Comprehensive Skills Certificate (offered 1972 - 1988)
- RSC - Reverse Skills Certificate - awarded only to Deaf / hard-of-hearing interpreters/transliterators (offered 1972 - 1988)
- SC: L - Speciality Certificate - Legal (offered 1975 - 1978)
- SC: PA - Specialty Certificate - Performing Arts (offered 1975 - 1978)
- OIC: C - Certification in Oral Interpretation (offered 1979 - 1983)
- CI - Certificate of Interpretation (first offered in 1988, being phased out as of 2005)
- CT - Certificate of Transliteration (first offered in 1988, being phased out as of 2005)
- CDI - Certified Deaf Interpreter
- OTC - Oral Transliteration Certificate
- SC: L - Speciality Legal Certificate
As of July 2005, a new certification test, developed with the NAD, was implemented and the CI and CT tests began to be phased out. The new certification is the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) and has three levels: NIC Certified, NIC Advanced and NIC Master.
[edit] Relationship with National Association of the Deaf
Since August 2004, RID has been building stronger ties with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), including the merging of their respective certification programs. They jointly developed the National Interpreter Certification test (NIC) which was adopted in 2005.
