Association of Sign Language Interpreters in India

India now has its own national association for sign language interpreters, the Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI). This organization was formed in 2007 by Arun C. Rao and others. Interpreting in India is still growing, although at this time it has not been recognized as a profession by India's government. In fact, according to Mr. Rao, there are people in India who are providing interpreting services without the benefit of formal training. About.com interviewed Mr. Rao.

Q: How much need is there for interpreters in India?

A: We have a population of 7 to 10 million deaf persons, so there is a great [need].

Q: How many licensed interpreters for the deaf are there in India? How many are unlicensed (working as interpreters without formal training)?

A: Rao provided About.com a report, "ASLI India Report Segovia 07," presented at the 2007 World Association of Sign Language Interpreters conference in Segovia, Spain, that stated an unofficial interpreter training program conducted by the Deaf Way (an organization in India that Mr. Rao is an administrator of), which has resulted in about 100 interpreters.

Q: Does India have any formal interpreter training programs?

A: India has only a sign language training program, which doubles as an interpreter program. It is inadequate by western standards, but we have to make do.

Q: Why did you form ASLI?

A: The need for recognition for the profession was the driving force. I am the parent of [a] deaf woman and have been involved with the deaf movement in India for many years. I was on the working group creating a sign dictionary in 1999 to 2001, then was actively involved in advocacy work with regard to the imprisonment of a deaf British man in India, Mr. Ian Stillman.

[Stillman] was held without a trial for a long time and then at the trial had no interpreter. [He] was wrongfully accused of possession and trafficking [of] narcotics. His good speech led the court to assume that he [had] hearing, and he had no access to a fair trial. It highlighted the problems faced by the deaf in India.

A group of deaf people here then set up the Indian National Association of the Deaf (NAD) [in December 2005]. I was given the honour of being the founding President, and at the end of my term, it was resolved that henceforward no hearing person would be on the board. I now serve in an advisory capacity on the advisory board with hearing and deaf persons.

I have [also] been involved with the [World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI)] since the year 1999 with the Brisbane [Australia World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)] Congress, and I was asked to represent Asia at the first World Symposium of Sign Language Interpreters at Deaf Way 2002. Unfortunately, I could not get a U.S. Visa and missed the Symposium.

[However], my NAD involvement was so intense that I could not devote time to the idea of an Indian [Association of Sign Language Interpreters]. I led the NAD till September 2007 and then resigned from [the Presidency] on October 1st, 2007, and now am working to set up and activate interpreters in India.

Q: What are your plans for ASLI? Will you have conferences?

A: ASLI will begin by identifying interpreters within the community of deaf persons. [That] will be our number one priority. It is these "untrained" interpreters that we will be offering an opportunity to enhance their skills and go professional. [Currently] there are literally hundreds of these ad hoc interpreters who are devoting time and energy (often gratis) to deaf organizations and individuals. We will be working to identify these and hold conferences and small training workshops [for] these individuals. We hope to [link] up with an interpreting team or school abroad who will be able to help us with training on a regular basis.

Q: How will ASLI promote interpreting as a profession?

A: The advocacy wing of the NAD is actively working on creating a position in the government for "interpreter for the deaf." Ludicrous as it may seem, our country, which boasts 3,000 spoken languages, [including] 21 official languages for use by [the] government and in [the] courts of law, still does not have a [position] of "interpreter" for any language. It is going to be an uphill task; however, the movement to make Indian Sign Language an official language is under way and hopefully things will develop.

Q: Will ASLI hook up with any American interpreting organizations, such as America's Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf?

A: I have met and discussed the idea of mentoring our organization with Cheryl Moose, President RID, in Spain at the WASLI meeting. We are rather new and the prospects are wide open.

Q: Will ASLI develop and offer its own certification like RID does? (See RID Certification Page.)

A: This is the dream I have, to have our own certification system. However unless there is a real need to have interpreters as perceived by the public and supported by the government, this may not go anywhere. If public funding for interpreting services is not forthcoming and the government employment policy and nonprofit grant in aid policies [does] not change, then the profession will not develop. The need to create a demand is very important as is the need to create awareness of the demand for interpreters.

_{Related on About.com:}

Deaf People in India
Case of Ian Stillman
World Association of Sign Language Interpreters

Elsewhere on About.com:
GoAsia: India
GoIndia
Geography: India