Millaista viittomakielen tulkkia tarvitaan tulevaisuudessa?

Författare

• Raija Roslöf
• Terhi Rissanen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.145931

Abstract

The whole field of Sign Language (SL) interpreting is restructuring in Finland, and the interpreters gathered together in the workshop to discuss their own role and prospects in this process. The Finnish Social Insurance Institution (Kela) will take over the financing and the administration of SL interpreting service provision by 2010. The centralization is expected to mean more equal opportunities to the clientele and the interpreters in all parts of Finland. The subjective right to use SL interpreter services has been guaranteed by the constitutional legislation since 1995. There are over 300 000 hearing-impaired people in Finland, out of which c. 3000 are deaf persons using Sign Language as their primary means of communication. The service provision has become more established as the municipalities –and the interpreters themselves – have started agencies and firms offering SL interpreting services. In 2007 about 100 SL interpreters had a permanent job in an agency or a firm. There are 12 private firms and 19 municipal agencies in Finland. The quality of SL interpreting services is the focal point now. The use of SL interpreters increases as the standard is raised. Team interpreting and mentoring of the novices in the field buffer the  polarizations of interpreters in the growing competitive entrepreneurship with demanding assignments and quality requirements. The training of SL interpreters must be one step ahead of the change. Interpreting is learning by doing, and the same applies to any changes in the field: Be proactive, make a change!