There are several resources to help begin the journey toward becoming a qualified, professional interpreter. You may be a beginner or an advanced signer, or perhaps you are a CODA (Child of a Deaf Adult). Regardless, the following resources should help you understand what it takes to become a qualified interpreter.

Fascination with sign language and/or the desire to "help" are admirable, but these alone are not qualifications for becoming an interpreter. Patience, persistence, professional training and exposure to deaf individuals are the keys to becoming a qualified interpreter.

One way to help you get started is by locating an Interpreting Training Program. Kentucky has two college programs:

Eastern Kentucky University
Interpreter Training Program
Laurence Hayes, Ph.D.
245 Wallace Building
Richmond, Kentucky 40475
(859) 622-4966 (V/T)

Eastern Kentucky University has a satellite interpreter training program at the University of Louisville.

When you are making a determination about where you wish to receive training, you may want to ask how many Deaf instructors the program has. It is important that Deaf people be involved in the training of sign language interpreters.

Many others Interpreter Training Programs are located throughout the United States.

The following is a list of organizations you may want to contact for additional information:

National Association of the Deaf (NAD)

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)

Kentucky Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (KYRID)
(This link is currently not available)

Upon completion of the interpreter training program, or once you are skilled enough, you can take the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) test to obtain certification as an interpreter. Interpreters MUST be certified to work in Kentucky.

Adapted from: Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.