Deaf sign language interpreter BA-students are new in academia and to the market as professional interpreters, in Norway. Our study discusses the extent to which the marked is prepared for these new professionals. We discuss if equal education is enough to be treated equally in the market.
Today Norwegian bachelor level signed language interpreter training programs are open for both deaf and hearing students. However, deaf professional interpreters are still novel in Norway, as in many other countries. Our research question is: Will equal education alone create equal opportunities on the market? When entering the market deaf professionals will be working together with hearing signed language (SL) interpreters. By exploring the hearing SL-interpreters expectations of the new comers, deaf interpreters, this study borrows some methodology from action research. By initiating a dialogue we have started a process towards preparing the market for the deaf interpreter students. Up until now, no deaf interpreter has been employed by the national interpreter services, which is organized by the Norwegian labour and welfare administration (NAV) or working as free lancers for NAV. However, for some special assignments NAV hires deaf language brokers to assist hearing interpreters. Still, the majority of hearing interpreters do not have any experience working in a team with a deaf interpreter, let alone professional deaf interpreters. How does the SL interpreters' market respond to opening up for the new deaf interpreter colleagues? Our results suggest that knowledge is required at both the individual and the structural level about what deaf professional interpreters can contribute with. Recognition of deaf interpreters' sign language competence opens up for collaboration and for the deaf interpreters' equal access to the market. Our findings are based on data gathered by an online questionnaire that was distributed to all SL-interpreters at NAV's interpreter services, as well as free lancers in Norway. The research design allows full anonymity for the respondents.
