Los Angeles Community College District

Coordinates and schedules the interpreting services for Deaf or hard of hearing students and participates in interpreting educational and general information exchanged in an educational institution by using manual and oral methods of communication including signed English and American Sign Language for the Deaf or hard of hearing.

Coordinates and schedules the interpreting services for Deaf or hard of hearing students for in-person and virtual classes, meetings, and student activities.

Conducts on the job evaluations and assesses training needs of Sign Language Interpreters and proposes and provides workshops to meet those needs.

Maintains resource materials on technical sign vocabulary to assist interpreters working in specialized subject areas.

Provides in-service training for other college departments and communicates with faculty and staff explaining Deaf or hard of hearing student services.

Using manual and oral means of communication for the Deaf or hard of hearing, interprets educational information for up to approximately 50% of the time for Deaf and hard of hearing students in the classroom, meetings, activities, and emergencies..

Continually assesses a student's communications skills in speech, lip-reading, signs, and fingerspelling in order to utilize the most appropriate communication methods based on the student's needs and preferences.

Observes progress being made by Deaf or hard of hearing students and reports observations to instructional and program staff.

May perform a variety of clerical duties related to the effective operation of programs that include services for the Deaf or hard of hearing such as accepting telephone calls, disseminating information, preparing and processing correspondence and records, reports, maintaining files, and utilization of general and specialized software programs and adaptive technology.

Performs related duties as assigned.

A Senior Sign Language Interpreter Specialist coordinates and schedules the interpreting services for the Deaf or hard of hearing students in an educational institution and participates in providing a variety of expressive and receptive sign language interpretation, sign language transliteration or oral transliteration services by using manual and oral methods of communication including signed English and American Sign Language to convey the full meaning of the hearing information being communicated.

A Sign Language Interpreter Specialist provides a variety of expressive and receptive sign language interpretation, sign language transliteration or oral transliteration services by using manual and oral methods of communication including signed English and American Sign Language to convey the full meaning of the information being communicated.

General supervision is received from an academic supervisor or administrator. Provides work direction and coordination over the activities of Sign Language Interpreters Specialists. May provide work direction to student employees.

Knowledge of:

Standard methods of manual communication for the Deaf or hard of hearing including American Sign Language, signed English, fingerspelling, and non-manual expression including facial, eye, and body language

The culture and cultural experiences of the Deaf community

Common educational processes and procedures on a college campus

Current developments, trends, and techniques in the field of interpreting for both the Deaf or hard of hearing as utilized by the Deaf community

National Association of the Deaf (NAD)-Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (R.I.D.) Code of Professional Conduct

Basic requirements of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and student services programs

Techniques of training and work direction

Recordkeeping procedures

Capabilities of general and specialized computer systems, equipment, adaptive technology, and software used in providing interpreting services for the Deaf or hard of hearing

Skill in:

Conveying the thought, intent, and spirit of a speaker to a Deaf or hard of hearing person

Interpreting/transliterating expressly and receptively, using manual and oral methods of communication for the Deaf or hard of hearing including signed English and American Sign Language

Ability to:

Coordinate and schedule the work of a group of interpreters

Train and assess training needs of Sign Language Interpreter Specialists

Utilize sufficient sign vocabulary to ensure proper interpretation for various academic or vocational subject matter

Establish and maintain effective relationships with a diverse pool of Deaf or hard of hearing students, as well as with faculty and staff

Observe the progress of a student and adapt or modify methods of communication and/or report observations to the instructional and program staff as needed

Maintain high professional standards on compliance with the established Code of Professional Conduct set forth by the Registry of Interpreters for the Dear (R.I.D.) including the confidentiality of information exchanged in an interpreting situation

Communicate effectively by signing, orally, and in writing

Meet schedules and time lines

Keep detailed and accurate records

Learn specialized software applications

Education and Experience:

A. Graduation from high school or its equivalent AND three years of full-time, paid or unpaid experience as an interpreter for the Deaf or hard of hearing. Completion of an American Sign Language Interpreting program of at least 30 units or its equivalent is desirable.

OR

B. A bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university with a major in Deaf Studies with a concentration in ASL/English Interpreting or a closely related field AND two years of full-time, paid or unpaid experience as an interpreter for the Deaf or hard of hearing.

OR

C. National Interpreter Certification (NIC) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or equivalent AND one year of full-time, paid or unpaid experience as an interpreter for the Deaf or hard of hearing.

Experience in coordinating interpreting services is desirable.

Our class specification generally describes the duties, responsibilities, and requirements characteristic of the position(s) within this job class. The duties, responsibilities, and requirements of a particular position within this class may vary from the duties of other positions within the class.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Los Angeles Community College District provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with covered disabilities on a case-by-case basis throughout the application, examination, and hiring processes and throughout employment. If an individual is in doubt about his or her ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of a position or possession of any other requirement noted in a class specification or job announcement, he or she should always apply for a position and request reasonable accommodation at the appropriate time.