Exploring The Hegemonic Whiteness In Sign Language Interpreter Education Program Curricula

Prior to the establishment of formal instructional programs for sign language interpreters, Deaf community members selected and trained individuals to provide these services. The implementation of federal laws mandating sign language interpreting services for these consumers in various public venues prompted the need to provide more skilled practitioners. Sign language Interpreter Education Programs (IEPs) were established to address this need. However, over the years, the number of White students who enroll and successfully complete these programs continues to greatly surpass the number of Black students in IEPs. This study examines how IEPs are addressing the call for diversity in their programs specifically related to Black students by utilizing Critical Pedagogy as a foundational framework focusing on the intersection of race, identity and education (Jennings & Lynn, 2005.) In addition, program data were analyzed using Content Analysis as the methodological approach. Information incorporated from face-to-face interviews with 20 program directors, faculty, and students, served as the corpus of data to address the research question. The findings show that while these IEPs theoretically want their programs to be more diverse, they are not making progress in
achieving this goal. The absence of Black faculty, lack of a substantial number of Black students enrolled in these programs, and the scarcity of Blacks in the IEP curricula are contributing factors that impede diversity efforts within IEPs. To date, there has been few empirical studies related to Blacks in the field of sign language interpretation. This study will add to the body of literature on this topic and may provide IEP program directors and faculty with assistance in recruiting, and retaining Black faculty and students in a more appropriate manner.

Will add later.