Solutions – Interpreting Forward 2030

1 Educate Potential Hiring Entities & Employers: Promote The Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund
2 Commission Host Self-Advocacy Training via Train-the-Trainer
3 Commission Lead a Public Campaign to Raise Awareness about the MJB Court Interpreter Program’s ADA Grievance Procedure and Complaint Processes
4 Educate Potential Hiring Entities & Employers: ADA Responsibilities
5 Educate All Entities on ADA Responsibilities and How to Access Interpreters
6 Commission Host Self-Advocacy Training via Online Videos
7 RateMyInterpreter.Com as a Way to Support Professional Development for Interpreters and Transparency for Consumers
8 Establish a New Fund for Home & Community Services Interpreting Needs
9 Explicitly Teach DDBHH K12 and College Students about Working with Interpreters
10 Create Centralized Website of Resources, Including a Directory of Interpreters and Specializations
11 Complete Studies about DDBHH Communities and Interpreting Field
12 Support Business Development by Developing a Public State Payscale for Freelancers
13 Require All Major Local News Services to Provide Picture-in-Picture Interpreters
14 Expand Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services Grants
15 Create a Central State Government Interpreting Services Office
16 Recognize Less Frequent Specialty Areas of Interpreting
17 Unionize Interpreters
18 Establish Licensure for Interpreters
19 Centralize Referral System under Minnesota Commission
20 Make Interpreters State Employees
21 Create Quality Specialist Position in State Government
22 Host DeafBlind & Interpreter Meet-and-Greet
23 Interpreter Referral Companies Host Community Conversations about Their Policies and Practices
24 Host DDBHH & Interpreter Meet-and-Greet
25 Invest in CDI Professional Development
26 Mentor Programs Focus on CDIs Mentoring Hearing Interpreters
27 Establish Grievance Process for Quality Control – Restorative and Timely Process
28 Review Model, Policies and Practices of Interpreter Referral Companies
29 Establish a Code of Professional Conduct for Interpreter Referral Companies
30 Minnesota-Based Interpreter Referral Companies Create Partnerships with Other Interpreter Referral Companies in Neighboring States
31 Interpreter Referral Companies Establish and Maintain Self-Reporting to the Public
32 Provide Co-Navigating and Other Workshops to Interpreters
33 Legislate Requiring Consumer Grievance Process for Referral Companies
34 Lobby for Additional Funding to Strengthen Disabled-owned and BIPOC Interpreter Referral Companies
35 Accredit Interpreter Referral Companies
36 Centralize Information about Community Gatherings
37 Interpreters and Interpreter Referral Companies Donate 3% of Revenue or Provide Pro Bono Interpreting
38 Host Semi-Annual DDBHH & Interpreter Community Forums on Interpreting Topics
39 MRID Diversify Professional Social Events
40 MRID Resolve to Host Annual Anti-Racism Workshops
41 Recruit to Interpreter Training Programs via Signing Community Housing
42 Explore Interest in Community of Practice for CDIs in K12 Settings
43 Revise K12 Educational Interpreters’ Mentor Program
44 Minnesota Judicial Branch Court Interpreter Program Hire Staff CDI
45 Minnesota Judicial Branch (MJB) Court Interpreter Program to Revise and Enforce Policy to Honor Hearing Interpreters’ Requests for CDI Teams
46 Promote K12 Educational Certified Deaf Interpreters
47 Develop Best Practices for Certified Deaf Interpreter (CHI) and Certified Hearing Interpreter (CHI) Teams
48 Provide ProTactile and Communication Intensive Trainings for DeafBlind Minnesotans
49 Conduct a DeafBlind Minnesotans Study
50 Host DeafBlind Convention in MN
51 Host ProTactile Language Interpreting Intensive in Minnesota
52 Establish Minnesota-based ProTactile House for DeafBlind
53 Pursue Legislation for DeafBlind Students in K12 Education
54 Educate DeafBlind Youth in ProTactile
55 Educate Health Care Systems on the Need for On-Site Interpreters
56 Educate Health Care Systems on the Best and Inadvisable Uses of VRI
57 Seek or Create a Grant to Assess Medical VRI Services Statewide
58 Advertise Interpreting in Greater MN as an Attractive Career to Recruit Interpreter Training Program (ITP) Students
59 Enhance Broadband Internet Access in Greater Minnesota
60 Regulate the Use of Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) in Critical Settings
61 Secure Funding for a Rural Interpreter Mentoring/Professional Development Program
62 Secure Funding for Greater Minnesota Interpreter Training Program (ITP)
63 Promote ASL for All High School Programs
64 Campaign to Support Interpreters in Greater Minnesota Being Hired by Local State Agency Offices
65 Develop Legislation and Mechanism to Prohibit Unqualified K12 Educational Interpreters
66 Establish Fund to Offer Moving Bonuses to Out-of-State Interpreters Moving to Minnesota
67 MDE Partner with State Services Internship Grant for Greater Minnesota K12 Educational Interpreters
68 Create and Share Resources for Advocating about Quality Interpreting Services with K12 Education Administrators
69 Create Roster of Interpreters Qualified to Work in K12
70 MDE Promote NTID Course for Provisionally Licensed K12 Interpreters
71 License K12 Interpreters through the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB)
72 Prevent Repetitive Motion Injury and Burnout by Hiring Team Interpreters in K12 Settings
73 Interpreter Training Programs (ITPs) Include K12 Education Components in Curricula
74 Advocate for Legislative Limits and Standards for K12 Interpreting Services
75 Advocate for Health Care Systems to Develop Welcome Packets
76 Encourage More ASL-Fluent Mental Health Professionals for Direct Access to Mental Health Services
77 Increase Number of Qualified Mental Health Interpreters via Grant Funding
78 Increase Compensation for Medical and Mental Health Qualifications
79 Strengthen Joint Health Commission’s Standards for Provider Accountability and Patient Choice
80 Pursue Legislation for Automated and Transparent Requests in Health Care Settings
81 Establish a Health Care Systems Advisory Board
82 Promote Community Health Workers for Health Care Settings
83 Develop Legislation to Regulate the Minnesota Judicial Branch Court Interpreter Program Advisory Committee
84 Provide Legal Interpreting Workshop Series
85 Minnesota Judicial Branch Court Interpreter Program Consistently Enforce Rule 8 Prioritizing Interpreters Holding RID’s Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L)
86 Promote Texas’ BEI Court Certification to Demonstrate Qualifications to Interpret in Court and Legal Settings
87 Study Court Interpreter Program Compensation Practices
88 Establish a Professional Group for ASL Teachers
89 Develop a Tool Kit for School Districts to Establish ASL Classes
90 Develop Policy Standards for ASL Teachers
91 Recruit Interpreter Training Program (ITP) Students from High School ASL Classes
92 Recruit ITP Students from Career Fairs
93 Return to RSA Model for Recruiting HS Students to ITPs
94 Establish ASL Summer Camp as Feeder to Interpreter Training Programs (ITPs)
95 Develop Publicly Funded Scholarships for ITPs
96 Recruit to Interpreter Training Programs (ITPs) via Student Loan Forgiveness
97 Advertise Interpreting in MN is an Attractive Career: Short Advertising Videos
98 Recruit Interpreters from Other Professions
99 Develop Alternative Pathways to Certification
100 Secure Funding for BEI Certification Scholarships
101 Review Historical ITP Results
102 Emphasize Direct Community Experience as Part of ITPs
103 Encourage Community Input on Interpreter Training Program Curricula
104 Diversify Faculty at ITPs
105 Emphasize ITP Curricula to Aid in Certification
106 Teach Freelancing and People Skills in ITPs
107 Centralize Mentorship/Internship Program Information on a Website
108 Centralize Workshops and Courses for Interpreters on a Website
109 Develop Models of Typical Interpreting Career Paths
110 Increase and Enhance Paid Internships with Active Mentoring
111 Expand Communities of Practice to Focus on Retention of Emerging Interpreters
112 Centralize Information about Communities of Practice on a Website
113 Hiring Entities Provide More Employment Options for Interpreter Compensation
114 Develop More Communities of Practice as Professional Supports for Interpreters