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Interpreter Ethics Across Settings

My first job interpreting was team interpreting in a K-12 Educational Setting. My team sat me down and told me that the RID CPC still applies, but the NAIE Ethics was more applicable to the job. My mind was blown. All I knew was the RID CPC. I had memorized them. I had been tested in them and I knew them.


The RID CPC is made up of 7 tenets which are as follows:


1. Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication.

2. Interpreters possess the professional skills and knowledge required for the specific interpreting situation.

3. Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.

4. Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers.

5. Interpreters demonstrate respect for colleagues, interns, and students of the profession.

6. Interpreters maintain ethical business practices.

7. Interpreters engage in professional development.


NAIE CPC:


  1. Interpreters respect student autonomy.

  2. Interpreters provide access to language and communication in the educational environment at all times.

  3. Interpreters maintain confidentiality of information pertaining to their work.

  4. Interpreters support and participate on the educational team.

  5. Interpreters continually develop their knowledge, skills, and professionalism to ensure they are qualified for all aspects of their role.

  6. Interpreters avoid perceived or actual conflicts of interest.

  7. Interpreters engage in ethical professional practices.



Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Health Care

  1. The interpreter treats as confidential, within the treating team, all information

learned in the performance of their professional duties, while observing relevant

requirements regarding disclosure.

  1. The interpreter strives to render the message accurately, conveying the

content and spirit of the original message, taking into consideration its

cultural context.

  1. The interpreter strives to maintain impartiality and refrains from counseling,

advising or projecting personal biases or beliefs.

  1. The interpreter maintains the boundaries of the professional role, refraining

from personal involvement.

  1. The interpreter continuously strives to develop awareness of his/her own and other

(including biomedical) cultures encountered in the performance of their professional

duties.

  1. The interpreter treats all parties with respect.

  2. When the patient’s health, well-being, or dignity is at risk, the interpreter may be

justified in acting as an advocate. Advocacy is understood as an action taken on behalf

of an individual that goes beyond facilitating communication, with the intention of

supporting good health outcomes. Advocacy must only be undertaken after careful and

thoughtful analysis of the situation and if other less intrusive actions have not resolved

the problem.

  1. The interpreter strives to continually further his/her knowledge and skills.

  2. The interpreter must at all times act in a professional and ethical manner.


As you can see these different Code of Professional Conduct tenets are very similar. However, the medical interpreter CPC mentions the interpreter as an advocate when needed, which is something the RID CPC doesn't ever mention at all. There's some situations where it's necessary to speak up. Imagine you're the interpreter and you know the patient is allergic to a medication the doctor is about to prescribe to the patient. As a person, I can't just watch that happen and say "It's not my responsibility" when people can die as a result. But how the interpreter chooses to navigate that situation could vary.


The educational interpreter CPC mentions being a part of the educational team (teachers, aides, paras, teacher of the Deaf, IEP team, etc). This is really important because oftentimes IEP meetings happen without the interpreter present. It's important for the interpreter to collaborate with the other school staff to be able to provide a unified education for the student.


It also mentions providing access at all times. So often in school culture, the teachers will speak to each other and not address the students. These are comments that the hearing students can hear and the Deaf students should also have access to. "Don't interpret that" isn't a command I can follow in good conscience. Finding ways to politely say "If you don't want to say this in front of the student, please don't say it in front of the student". I can't filter information, sorry.


If you actually read into the further writing in each CPC it goes into more detail about the role and responsibilities of the interpreter. The RID CPC isn't being undermined by the other ones in my opinion, rather the other ones explain more clearly what our role is in that specific setting.


This article barely scratched the surface on the topic of ethics. If you're an interpreter, I'd recommend a deep dive study into ethics. Learning how to make ethical decisions is like a muscle that has to be exercised.


Here's a book I recommend that gives many different ethical dilemmas that can allow you to think through the best course of action you'd take with the ethical tenets in mind. It's called 1001 Encounters with Reality by Brenda E. Cartwright: https://www.amazon.com/Encounters-Reality-001-Interpreter-Scenarios/dp/0916883507





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