Roles and responsibilities of educational interpreters: moving from decades of documentation to transformative change

Educational interpreters' roles and responsibilities have long been one of the most ambiguous and controversial aspects of inclusive education for Deaf and hard of hearing students. Although it is largely agreed upon that sign language interpreters are expected to fulfill expanded roles and responsibilities in educational settings, the field has yet to reach a consensus regarding where those extended boundaries are to be drawn. Furthermore, the longstanding lack of standardized expectations for educational interpreters has left many of them making unguided guesses regarding how to best support the students whom they serve, often in domains for which they have little-to-no formal preparation or training. Through a national survey, this mixed-method study explored 482 educational interpreters' fulfillment of various roles and responsibilities and their perspectives regarding appropriateness, with particular attention to their level of involvement as Individualized Education Program team members. Results indicate that educational interpreters continue to engage in a myriad of roles and responsibilities, of varying frequencies, and while there is some diversity among their perspectives regarding specific tasks, overarchingly, they aspire to contribute more comprehensively as educational professionals. These results further compel the call for a paradigm shift in which qualified educational interpreters possess the education, training, support, and confidence required to serve as accessibility specialists within the educational team.