Hi, Deaf and Hard of Hearing community members.
My name is Joel Mankowski, from Greenfield. I currently work for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as a clinical lecturer
and serve my volunteer duty for Wisconsin Association of the Deaf's Task Force on Interpreting Licensing. I would like to
explain why it is so important and how it works about licensing all community interpreters in this state.
Based on my experience, I worked for the Missouri Commission for the Deaf for three years with a great emphasis on new state
interpreting certificate and licensure systems. I have been seen that issue almost every day. I also gave presentations about that
issue across the state and saw many thorny controversial disputes between the interpreting community and the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing communities in Missouri.
When I moved back to Wisconsin last year and found out that three interpreting licensure bills were defeated for several
reasons so I began investigating that matter and collected more information in which I discovered the reason why it has been
failed trice. Three apparent reasons: ineffective communication link between the northern part of Wisconsin and the southern
counterpart, insufficient information about the difference between certificates and licensure, and interpreters' concerns
over job security.
Then I decided to volunteer for WAD as the task force on interpreting licensure and tried to re-establish the force that would
revise on previous bills and re-introduce to the state legislative members in the Spring of 2008, I hope.
After conferring with the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf of the Wisconsin Chapter,
Department of Public Instruction, Department of Regulations and Licenses, and the Governor's Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing,
we agreed that we should re-establish that force and move on with the process.
I am working with the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing staff to get funds for initiating the force on schedule so we can make
more effective moves for the target time: Spring 2008. Our nickname is Operation Go Forward that we will have to go ahead without
waiting or stopping. I want to thank those ODHH stafff or their hard work and commitment to get it done. Bravo to them!
The first task force will be started on Saturday, April 14 in Stevens Point, because we feel that we should get involved with
the northern communities. I will post the exact location and time on WADNet soon. The force will be consisted of about 8-10 members
from various organizations such as WAD, RID, D/HH communities, and others which I will announce by the end of this month. Selecting
members is not a very easy one so we would like to ask for your patience and support. We also want to make sure everything in order
with cautions. After that, we will continue to call meetings on a regular basis.
The roles of the force are to ensure the revised bill would be successful and to follow up with the state legislation while
siding with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities all way to the governor's sign.
Finally, I am going to present WAD sponsored interpreting issues workshops across the state during Spring. The purpose of the
workshop is to empower Deaf and Hard of Hearing people to get more awareness about interpreting issues. Hopefully, we will present
focusing on interpreting licensure in the Fall.
The first workshop will be in La Crosse on Saturday, Feb. 24. Please check wi-deaf.org for
more details. We are working on various cities such as Fox Valley area, Milwaukee, Madison, Delavan, and Wausau area. It will be
posted on WADNet soon.
I will provide two confirmed events on May 4, 2007 at the ASL Weekend Retreat at the Wisconsin Lions Camp in Rosholt. The event
starts at 8:00PM. You may checkit on www.aslweekend.org. Another one is scheduled at the
Wisconsin Association of the Deaf Conference in Delavan in June.
If any of you would like to know more about that such issue, I will be more than happy to provide it in your hometown or the
nearest location around you. I feel that it is so important for all of us to work together and get it passed as well.
We would like to remind you that time, cost, and labor of the force will be difficult so we hope that all of you can give us
more patience. If so, it will be successful on a long run.
Don't forget three most important things to get done:
Communication, preparation, and cooperation.
All we ask for is your full support. Without you, we cannot approach. You are our greatest ally. You are our most valuable people.
Remember our state motto: FORWARD.
Thanks,
Joel Mankowski
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