A deaf person has the same right to information as anyone. If something is said that a hearing person in the room can hear, the interpreter will interpret it for their deaf client. Its relevance to the deaf person is not the issue: side conversations and even the audible side of phone conversations will likely be translated into ASL.
If there is something you feel should not be interpreted, be careful how you express it. Saying “Don’t interpret this…” will probably be translated before the sign language interpreter realizes what you are trying to say. If you have something to say you do not wish the deaf person to be aware of, step out of the room or move beyond the interpreter’s earshot. Extend the same level of courtesy to the deaf person as you would anyone else.
Show Cultural Awareness
Deaf Americans have their own culture, like people from any other language group. There are several small ways to respect Deaf Culture and ease your interactions with deaf individuals:
1) Respect ASL as a true language
2) Increase eye contact
3) Understand deaf “labels”
Respect ASL As a True Language
Linguists have proven American Sign Language to be as complex, structured, and powerful as any spoken language, and many deaf people take great pride in their mastery of it. Show respect for the deaf person’s native language by speaking of ASL in the same manner you would speak of French or Spanish: as a language that is different but equal to English.
Increase Eye Contact
Because ASL is a visual language, eye contact is much more important to deaf individuals than it is to hearing people, since the best way to ignore someone signing is to look away from them! When addressing a deaf person, maintain much more eye contact than you would with a hearing person. The deaf person will probably spend some amount of time watching the interpreter, but will “check in” with you regularly, as much of the emotion behind your words can be transmitted visually.