major, students have the opportunity to add depth and breadth to their base of knowledge while specializing in specific content areas that are congruent with their professional interpreting goals. iv Required courses at Western Oregon University include history, theory and processes in addition to a 350-hour internship for degree seekers. Conclusion: There is a clear need for trained and certified ASL interpreters, both in Washington and around the nation. An 18% growth rate for interpreters and translators compared to the meager number of open positions, indicates both an increasing need as well as the reality that many companies and organizations may not be able or willing to hire dedicated interpreters. Undoubtedly, with only a 30% fulfillment rate and no available interpreters through the state utilized CTS LanguageLink interpreter services, a dire need exists. However, given the realities of organizations to devote funding to highly specialized positions that may not experience a persistent demand for those services, it may be more pragmatic for students to pursue a degree in ASL Interpretation while pairing that degree with a more technical minor or double major option. The department of World Languages and Culture could pursue more interdisciplinary collaboration with other departments across campus that might be a natural fit with ASL, including Computer Science, ITAM, Public Health, Law & Justice, and Education to name a few. This type of collaboration would allow students to pursue a degree in ASL while simultaneously developing a practical skillset that will improve their marketability. Additionally, until more broad recognition of the need for ASL interpreters and translators become reality, we will continue to see a very real need for qualified interpreters, but a market for those jobs that is lagging. It is encouraging to note that in the 2019 Washington State legislative session, this need was made more visible through newly proposed legislation that would have supported a grant program dedicated to developing and producing more qualified ASL interpreters. Although this legislation didn’t pass into law, it represents a good first step toward a broader recognition of this need.
i Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. National Interpreter Certification (NIC) , on the Internet at https://rid.org/rid-certification-overview/available-certification/nic-certification/ ii Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook , Interpreters and Translators, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/interpreters-and-translators.htm#tab-6 iii www.indeed.com (search of American Sign Language Instructor, American Sign Language Interpreter) iv http://www.wou.edu/dsps/dsps-degrees-programs/program-information/
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