The interpreter will need to stand or sit where the hearing client can be heard and the deaf client can see them and be seen. Usually, interpreters will try to position themselves near the speaker so that the deaf client need only shift their line of sight slightly to watch either the speaker or the interpreter. You don’t want the deaf client to feel like they’re watching a tennis match!
Special Presentations
If your presentation involves slides, audio or videotapes, whiteboards, or other visual or audio aids, alert the interpreter to these elements. Sometimes, the interpreter will want to adjust their position during these moments in the presentation to reduce the “tennis match” effect for the deaf client. Remember that the deaf client needs some amount of light to see the interpreter; completely darkening the room to watch a video can make the interpreter’s work very difficult. If possible, always provide some area of light for the interpreter’s work to be seen.
Conversing with a Deaf Person
While you are giving the presentation in our hypothetical example, the interpreter will be silently working away, simultaneously translating what you say. Your style of delivery during the presentation probably need not to altered at all. If your meeting is more interactive, however, or is a one-on-one session with the deaf client, there are a few things to keep in mind.