Press Announcement - CSD Chosen As a National Interpreter Certification Supersite

From: CSD - Jan 2, 2007

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
Release Date: Jan. 2, 2007
Contact: Derric Miller
CSD Communications Office
dsmiller@c-s-d.org



CSD Chosen As a National Interpreter Certification Supersite

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Jan. 2, 2007) — Founded over 30 years ago to provide sign language interpreting in the Sioux Falls area, CSD has now been recognized by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) as a testing site. The RID is a renowned organization for interpreter certification that since 1972 has been focused on the continued growth and development of the professions of interpretation and transliteration of American Sign Language (ASL) and English.

Local testing administrator Kay Oldfather-Daigle will be coordinating the newly designed testing system process at CSD. The new test, called the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) test, has been developed through a partnership with RID and the National Association of the Deaf.

This will be an immediate boon to interpreting students seeking certification in the region.

“Previously, the closest location for taking the test was in Denver or Minneapolis” said Kay Oldfather-Daigle. “Now with CSD being recognized as a testing supersite, we will be able to serve those candidates in this region by offering a full range of testing options”.

In order to become an RID testing supersite, CSD had to go through an extensive approval process which included the Local Test Administrators submitting their vita and filling out several applications to insure that a conflict of interest was not present. After being designated a supersite, prospective interpreters can now take a written test in these areas:

* NIC knowledge
* Certified Deaf Interpreter
* Oral Transliteration Certification
* Specialist Certification: Legal

The written exams are scheduled twice a year on the first Saturdays of June and December. The Certified Deaf Interpreter test is offered at sites year-round, and is scheduled between the candidate and the site coordinator.

Performance-based test in the following areas are also available:

* NIC Interview and Performance
* Certificate of Interpretation
* Certificate of Transliteration
* Certified Deaf Interpreter
* Oral Transliteration Certification
* Oral Transliteration Certification

The only NIC test that is not available at the CSD supersite is the computer-based knowledge test.

“Interpreting as a profession didn’t come into its own until the late ‘70s,” said Ben Soukup, CSD chief executive officer. “By becoming a nationally recognized testing site, we are building on the momentum we created in 1975 and staying true to the foundation of CSD — sign language interpreting. We look forward to providing a closer option for certifying interpreters in the region, because the need for quality and qualified interpreters has never been greater than it is today.”

For more information about the NIC test, contact Kay Oldfather-Daigle by phone at (605) 367-5760 or via e-mail at koldfather@c-s-d.org.

About CSD
CSD (aka Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc.) was established in 1975, primarily to provide sign language interpreting services to deaf and hard of hearing adults in South Dakota. Today, CSD employs over 3,000 individuals in offices across the nation, providing a broad continuum of social and human services programs, as well as telecommunications relay services. CSD is a private nonprofit agency dedicated to providing quality services; ensuring public accessibility; and increasing awareness of issues affecting the deaf, hard of hearing and individuals with speech disabilities. For more information, please visit www.c-s-d.org.

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* CSD ~ An Official Sponsor of the 2007 Winter Deaflympics