Scholarships for Deaf Interpreters
Become a Skilled Interpreter, Get Paid Well
The need for interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing has sharply skyrocketed in recent years, due in large part to the demands of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under this legislation all government and public programs are required to provide an interpreter for the deaf community as needed. The job of an interpreter is much more than simple sign language. A skilled interpreter must be able to communicate via a deep pool of semantic vocabulary, as well as take into account the many ethnic variations in the population of deaf and hard of hearing persons and be able to connect in this fashion.
Scholarship Programs
The Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf is just one of a couple organizations that offer incentives to individuals who may be interested in pursuing a program in deaf interpretation. Money talks and school of any kind is not cheap, so the MN RID offers a number of scholarships:
- The Pioneers Scholarship is a $500 award given to a student who is already well into their interpretation program. Applicants must be able to articulate their career intentions in an essay.
- The Mentorship Scholarship goes to a student who is willing to serve as a mentor for the deaf. Awards are $100.
- Educational Interpreter Scholarship.
The Colorado Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf also sponsors a popular scholarship program. The Diane Alexis Whipple Memorial Scholarship is widely focused to include a variety of members from professional to student. Applicants may be enrolled in an interpretation/transliteration program or pursuing some other related course of study.
The National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf offers its own scholarships:
- Daniel Pokorney Memorial Scholarships are given to those students who can prove financial need for funds that will assist them with the cost of their certification test.
- Students pursuing a course of study in interpretation for the deaf may apply for the Elizabeth Benson Scholarship.
Deaf Interpreter Services, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas not only provides high-quality interpreter/transliteration services, but the company continues to build its presence in the community with philanthropic contributions. Along those lines, DIS offers modest scholarships for eligible students who are enrolling in DIS deaf signing and interpretation courses provided through DIS.
Recently the State of Utah decided to devote more funding for the education of interpretation for the deaf students by allocating enough state money to build training curricula at a number of key community colleges in the state. The program also makes provisions for a certain number of student scholarships under a scholarship-for-service agreement; in other words, any recipients must be willing to work in Utah as a deaf interpreter. Awards will vary and the program is expected to expand to include more institutions in the future.
