INTENTIONAL GATHERINGS

interpreter community

Several relaxed clips of a small group of people gathering in a circle and conversing in ASL. The room is a plain rehearsal space with black curtains and floor. A TV on a trolley shows simple slides throughout, and large poster paper with questions written on them are mounted around the space. Captioned transcript throughout:

Thank you for coming. Let’s take thirty seconds just to get settled…

… value reciprocity. It’s not only about taking…

… Deaf-centric is still interdependent…

… that’s why I feel it’s a community approach, rather than individual. Second, more of a suggestion, I want to see…

… feels like it matches everything you described…

Second, what I expect in my head before I go in…

… will pick up more comfort in signing, build more relationships, and more interest to get involved…

… hard of hearing folks use interpreters too, but sometimes they don’t identify themselves as Deaf. They’re still using our access, but not really coming out and naming themselves.

… the contract means we have the same understanding, we follow it, and that builds trust and relationship…

… I expect some formal business at the AGM, and then a general mingle. So please come to that if you can.

Click the image below to read our full report.

ASL translation available here.

A circle of people sitting in a rehearsal room. They are all listening to one person in the circle. Black curtains line the room, and a small kitchenette is in the back.

Black and white. Three people sit close together, smiling. They all wear casual and comfy clothes.

A tall person stands just in front of a TV display, which says “land acknowledgement.” He is mid-sign and looking up thoughtfully while several others are seated and listening.

Black and white. Four people sit close together, one cross-legged on their chair. They are all smiling at someone out of frame. The person on the far left holds up the “I Love You” sign in ASL.

A narrow-angle shot behind someone’s head while they are signing. Three people are seated in a row beyond, their heads turned toward the person and camera in an almost-perfect row.

Black and white. A person is mid-sign with several headshots displayed on the TV just behind them. Two others in the background watch.

Black and white. A staggered stack of large poster paper, each with a question written out along the top edge.

A person is mid-sign while seated, looking up thoughtfully with a slight smile. Two others watch.

Black and white. Close-up of someone’s hands on their crossed legs, writing on a pad of sticky notes. Their pants have a pattern of photo-real varieties of cacti and succulents.

We gratefully recognize Connect Society’s support and expertise in providing accessibility support for DeafBlind participants.

The Intentional Gatherings community consultation series was made possible with generous funding from Canada Council for the Arts’ Sector Innovation and Development program.