Los Angeles Community College District

Coordinates and schedules the interpreting services for deaf and hard of hearing students and participates in interpreting educational and general information exchanged in an educational setting by using manual and oral methods of communication for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Coordinates and schedules the interpreting services for deaf and hard of hearing students for classes, meetings, and student activities.

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

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

Provides in-service training for other college departments and communicates with instructors explaining deaf and hard of hearing student services.

Using manual and oral means of communication for the deaf and 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.

Provides general information regarding the nature and problems associated with the deaf and hard of hearing.

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 problems encountered and progress being made by deaf and hard of hearing students and reports observations to instructional and program staff.

May perform a variety of ministerial duties related to the effective operation of programs for the deaf and hard of hearing such as accepting telephone calls, disseminating information, preparing and processing correspondence, reports, and records, and maintaining files.

Performs related duties as assigned.

A Senior Sign Language Interpreter Specialist coordinates and schedules the interpreting services for deaf and hard of hearing students and participates in interpreting educational and general information exchanged in an educational setting by using manual and oral methods of communication.

A Sign Language Interpreter Specialist II, in addition to using oral and manual forms of communication to convey the full meaning of the message, achieves and delivers conceptually accurate higher-level academic material utilizing English and/or American Sign Language (ASL).

A Sign Language Interpreter Specialist I conveys the full meaning of the message using oral and manual forms of communication for deaf and hard of hearing people and voices the deaf/hard of hearing person’s message with an oral presentation in proper English syntax.

General supervision is received from an academic supervisor or administrator. Provides work direction and coordination over the activities of Sign Language Interpreters I and II.

Knowledge of:

Standard methods of manual communication for the deaf and 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 and 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 computer systems, equipment, and software used in providing interpreting services for the deaf

Skill in:

Conveying the thought, intent, and spirit of a speaker to a deaf/hard of hearing person

Interpreting/transliterating expressly and receptively, using manual and oral methods of communication for the deaf and hard of hearing

Ability to:

Coordinate and schedule the work of a group of interpreters

Train and assess training needs of Sign Language Interpreter Specialists I and II

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

Establish and maintain effective relationships with deaf and 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 discuss concerns with the instructional and program staff as needed

Maintain 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 computer applications

Education:

Graduation from high school or its equivalent AND completion of an American Sign Language Interpreting program of at least 30 units or its equivalent.

A bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university is desirable.

Experience:

Two thousand four hundred hours of paid, volunteer, or family-related experience as an interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing.

National Interpreter Certification (NIC), Certificate of Interpretation (CI), or Certificate of Transliteration (CT) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or Level IV or higher certification from the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) as well as experience in coordinating interpreting services are 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.