ABSTRACT
This chapter reports on the initial findings of my interviews with designated interpreters and Deaf professionals in the United States. The interpreters and professionals both discuss the unique role that interpreters have in professional settings, as well as the unique relationship that develops between the interpreter and the Deaf professional. The chapter provides a profile of the designated interpreter-Deaf professional relationship based on my research and the available literature on interpreters who work for Deaf professionals. It reports on findings of interviews with other interpreters who serve individuals who are not Deaf professionals and draw some comparisons to those who work with Deaf professionals. The chapter add perspectives from the designated interpreter interviews that are specifically related to ethics and decision making as it pertains to their specialised role. It compares the work of designated interpreters to that of other types of interpreting, exploring similarities and differences, with consideration of the changing role of the interpreter in general.
