In this course, interpreters will learn to analyze and identify the different identities relate to social norms and how each identity impacts in discrimination and/or privilege to differential racial treatments. Interpreters will learn how to use a multiple social identities framework for intersectionality. Interpreters will analyze and explore how individual’s experiences and their social identities impact oppression and how their identities have changed in different settings. Interpreters all who have privileges will learn how to use self-strategies and navigate with different degrees and spaces in responses to an individual’s experience and the impact it has on them experiencing oppressions. Interpreters need to learn how to create comfortable spaces and become better allies/co-allies to make sure interpreters provide individuals with access to their rights and resources in a diverse society.

Target Audience: Working Interpreters 

 (Please note: interpreting students should NOT participate in this course. For student oriented material, please email [email protected])

Educational Objectives for Introduction to Intersectionality: Re-Examining Our Implicit Biases:

1. Participants will describe and summarize the concept of intersectionality.
2. Participants will identify the relationship between different social identities and social norms.
3. Participants will analyze by comparing and contrasting various intersectional strategies, interpretations, and theoretical analysis to illuminate cardinal identify categories such as, race, gender, and other statuses and their different settings in social phenomena and varied identity formations.
4. Participants will identify how an individual’s identities when they are experienced being discriminated against and oppressed by people’s privilege.
5. Participants will develop an action plan to address how they will reduce White Fragility in their work and/or social interactions with DPOC or ITOC.

Purple Communications is an Approved RID CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This PPO Professional Studies program is offered for 0.9 CEUs at the Little/None Content Knowledge Level.

Diversity Academy and Purple Communications promotes and supports policies of non-discrimination and an environment that is mutually respectful and free from bias. 

Requests for accommodations must be submitted to [email protected]. 

The proceeds from this course will be used to compensate diverse Deaf People of Color presenters and BIPOC facilitators in Diversity Academy.

Our courses are available to Diversity Academy members for $40 or to non-members for $65.

Facilitators:

Dr. Jenny Margarita Gough (Contreras) is a Deaf Person of Color (DPOC), educator, interpreter, mentor, interpreter, education specialist, and advocate.  She holds her degrees:  BA, MA, and Ed.D.  Her primary areas of study are Family and Child Studies, Linguistics, Deaf Studies, and Deaf Education; she is currently in a graduate program for teaching interpreting.  Her family is from El Salvador. Her indigenous tribes are Maya, Chippewa, Lenca, Mangue, and Pipil. She was born in Manhattan, New York, as a first generation American.  She is alumnae of the California School for the Deaf in Fremont.  

Dr Gough is department chair and professor of American Sign Language at Berkeley City College. She brings over 16 years of experience teaching American Sign Language, Linguistics, Deaf Studies, Deaf Education, and Interpreting studies at numerous colleges and universities.  She has served in many roles, including curriculum developer, interviewer, rater, facilitator for diversity, equity, inclusion, and sociocracy trainer for different organizations and Deafhood.  She has participated in Sorenson's Deaf Interpreter Education and Professional Development training for Deaf Interpreters of Color and Trilinguals, and Next Step Deaf Interpreter/Certified Deaf Interpreter Next Step. She is currently training for DeafBlind Interpreting. She was a facilitator to provide Professional Development training for National Deaf Interpreters (NDI), and is the current Vice President of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT).  Dr Gough was involved with a task force under the Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT) focused on "Interpreting Teacher certification." She was the co-operator of the California Manos del Corazon (CMC) organization. She is a member of Mano a Mano (MaM), the Northern California Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (NorCRID), the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), and the Northern California Association of the DeafBlind (NCADB). She has been blessed to raise three Deaf children and many fur babies with her Deaf husband, Daniel Gough.

Phyllis Dora Rifkin, Certified Deaf Interpreter has over 20+ years of experience in the sign language interpreting profession. Dora was born into a multi-generational Deaf Jewish family with a Deaf father and DeafBlind mother raised in New York City. She attended Lexington School for the Deaf then studied Business Administration at RIT, leading to a 30-year career at the New York Life Insurance Company as a liaison between agents and underwriters. After retiring from the corporate world and transitioning into a full-time freelance interpreting career, she furthered her studies by obtaining a B.A. degree in Community and Human Services graduating Summa Cum Laude, and participated in Project CLIMB (Cultivating Legal Interpreters from Minority Backgrounds). Her studies inspired her to document the stories of Deaf Jewish survivors during the Holocaust era as published in the April 2023 Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research. These stories are a culmination of decades of listening and learning to her Deaf family members both here in the U.S. and in Israel, with research ongoing. Dedicated to service and giving back, Dora volunteers her time with the Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT) via the awards, bylaws, and finance committees. Most recently, she pioneered the establishment of the 2023 RID Deaf-Parented Interpreter (DPI) Member Section Laurie Nash Scholarship. When not interpreting Dora devotes her time to teaching ASL, mentoring emerging interpreters, and engaging with the Diversity Academy for Interpreters. In her downtime, Dora enjoys connecting with family and friends as well as reading People magazine.

Dr. Suzette Garay is Deaf BIPOC and a third generational Latina(x) from South America, Nicaragua and a third member of my family who was born Deaf. She holds the following degrees: BA, MA. PSY.S, and a Ph.D. Her major areas of studies are Special Education with an emphasis on Deafness and Learning Disabilities, Psychology, and teaching of American Sign Language. She is currently a retired Educational Psychologist and teaches online diversity training courses and/or Interpreting sign language courses and currently facilitates the Dear White Interpreter course with the CAITE BHI program. She also co-owns a private online website working with many families, individuals, and private business owners about interpreting, accessibility, diversity, and advocacy with diverse DHHDB consumers at www.thediversityacademy.com.

Dr. Garay’s resume includes the following qualifications: 25+ years of direct teaching, evaluating, and mentoring with Special Education students, ASL/Interpreter students, working nationally-certified interpreters, and/or community business members who use American Sign Language for communicating with their consumers. She also has invaluable personal experience and success teaching, evaluating, and mentoring diverse deaf individuals and/or consumers from underprivileged socio-economic backgrounds.

Purple Communications is an Approved RID CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This PPO Professional Studies program is offered for 0.9 CEUs at the Little/None Content Knowledge Level.

Diversity Academy and Purple Communications promotes and supports policies of non-discrimination and an environment that is mutually respectful and free from bias.

Requests for accommodations must be submitted to [email protected]. 

Cancellation Policy: 

In the event that this course has to be canceled, we will notify you within 48 hours. We will provide an alternative course date. 

Should you decide that any of these courses are not for you, you may cancel with a full refund by the first week of the course.