Marina and SAF Coordinator, David Wolfenden at efsli 2008
REPORT | Ukraine 2008
by Marina Liferova
Greetings on behalf from Association of Sign Language Interpreters in Ukraine.
For the first time, SAF and EFSLI made it possible for me to really participate in such big event, with all sign language interpreters’ from Europe.
It was an excellent exchange of experience.
Thank you for motivation, for sharing information and for supporting us.
That feeling of trust and support has given me a big empowerment to make some progress with profession sign language interpreters.
For my colleagues and me that mean that we have to start now, and that it is a long process to set a quality standard in our country.
I appreciated that we had the possibility learnt valuable lessons from presenters and experienced on the Sign language interpreters' situation in different parts Europe, and all this we can use to development SL interpreters profession in Ukraine. It was very exciting to attend the EFSLI AGM to present for you situations in Ukraine.
I know English could be a barrier and my participating I could value the knowledge of foreign language, but the atmosphere was best favorable. Thank you for the given possibility because my English was bad.
Considering the importance of working together, in a relationship with the Deaf community, I appreciate so much all the presenters because they spoke from their professional experience but they also linked the information to the daily reality.
You are trying to set a good atmosphere among interpreters, working condition, possibility that you to share your knowledge with young and less experienced interpreters.
I realized that these exchanges are so helpful because one can cross the border from an individualized view to a more complex perspective. I had chances to present the situation of our country, so the colleagues from Europe could get to know about us and the challenges we meet.
This related to actual situation in Ukraine regarding sign language interpreters, it is difficult for the community to accept the fact that SLI profession is as any other.
I enjoyed also the moments when we had the chance to have group discussions in the workshops because we understood better different aspects of the quality standards, the complexity of this subject and the importance of it in our daily practice.
From the workshops I was listening various interpreters’ debate. This given me a special motivation and it was a point of view on how we can work closely with deaf stakeholders and be independent association. The exchange their opinions gave me strength to be active, I must personally is a responsibility to improve situation and the social status of for SL interpreters in Ukraine.
Very new and interesting topic was Deaf interpreters, as do not have Deaf interpreters in Ukraine now but we are aware about the possibility of utilizing. We hope in the future we will have Deaf SL interpreters working in Ukraine.
I find it very important that now an individual member of EFSLI (with membership paid by EFLI SAF for this year) is the way to keep informed about everything that is happening in Europe ( information will be available to all colleagues in Ukraine)
I hope that this will not be just one time visit to EFSLI and that we will find the way in the future to become a regular part of these events and a good partner in work. I hope next year the delegates from Ukraine will become a full member of EFSLI.
We have, general problems, which makes us worry and makes us more capable to deal, good ideas on how to try contribution to creative and professional development of the best standards of interpreter profession.
Problems of nowadays:
• Status of Sign Language in Ukraine
• Attitude to profession of Sign Language interpreters: conditions, remuneration, work time
• Absence of teaching methods and content of professional educational program of Sign Language interpreters
• Low awareness of society on culture of deaf people and on significance of Sign Language interpreter in the process of integration of persons with hearing loss in social communication.
The main aims of Sign Language Interpreters are the following:
• Increase of prestige of profession “Sign Language Interpreter”
• Contribution to creative and professional development of the best standards of interpreter profession
• Creation of realistic demands to training of the highest qualification
I would like to thank EFSLI SAF to the organizers and all the people who were the part of this event. The atmosphere was really good, it was work and fun in the same time and in my opinion it is the best way to do something.
Thanks for everything!
Thank you!
Kind regards!
Good luck at work!
Best wishes,
Marina Liferova