User:Torontois/AVLIC2

Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada
Founded	1979
Focus	ASL-English Interpretation
Location	Squamish, British Columbia;
Origins	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Area served	Canada
Key people	President; Christie Reaume; First Vice President; Jocelyn Mark Blanchet; Past President; Tarren McKay
Website	www.avlic.ca

The Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada (AVLIC) is a non-profit, professional association for interpreters whose working languages include a sign language. AVLIC was incorporated in 1979, and its by-laws were ratified in 1980. AVLIC has several Affiliate Chapters across the country.

History[edit]

AVLIC was established in 1979 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. At the time, the only sign language interpreter organization in North America was the recently-established Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (1964), and interpreters in Canada saw a need for a separate entity. With strong support of the Canadian Association of the Deaf and the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, AVLIC was established.

In 2010, in Ottawa, the Canadian Association of the Deaf, the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf and AVLIC signed a joint statement renewing their agreement to work in close partnership for the future benefit of Canadian Deaf people who use sign languages and the profession of interpreters whose working languages include a sign language.

Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct[edit]

In 2000, AVLIC ratified the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct. The purpose of the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct is to provide guidance for interpreters, and in so doing, to ensure quality of service for all persons involved. Only members of AVLIC uphold the values of the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct. The five underlying values are^[1]:

Professional accountability
Professional competence
Non-discrimination
Integrity in professional relationships
Integrity in business practices

Membership[edit]

AVLIC has three types of membership^[2]:

Active Member
- ASL-English
- LSQ-French
- Deaf Interpreter
Student Member
Affiliate Chapter

Title Protection[edit]

On July 7, 2011, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia granted Occupational Title Protection to members of the BC Affiliate Chapter, the Westcoast Association of Visual Language Interpreters (WAVLI). It now holds three protected titles:

Registered ASL-English Interpreter
Registered Sign Language Interpreter
Registered Visual Language Interpreter

Occupational Title Protection was granted to ensure quality of service within British Columbia.^[3] Other Affiliate Chapters of AVLIC are currently working with their respective provincial governments to achieve the same goal.

Affiliate Chapters[edit]

AVLIC has a number of Affiliate Chapters, including:

Alberta - Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Alberta (ASLIA).
British Columbia - Westcoast Association of Visual Language Interpreters (WAVLI)
Manitoba - Manitoba Association of Visual Language Interpreters (MAVLI)
The Maritimes - Maritime Association of Professional Sign Language Interpreters (MAPSLI)
New Brunswick - Association of Visual Language Interpreters of New Brunswick (AVLI-NB)
Newfoundland and Labrador - Newfoundland Association of Visual Language Interpreters (NAVLI)
Ontario - Ontario Association of Sign Language Interpreters (OASLI)
Ottawa/NCR - Sign Language Interpreters of the National Capital (SLINC)

AVLIC Certification[edit]

AVLIC certifies interpreters through the Canadian Evaluation System (CES). Certified members are granted the Certificate of Interpretation after completing the first three steps of the four phase system as follows:^[4]:

Phase One: Written Test of Knowledge (WTK).
Phase Two: Preparation Phase.
Phase Three: Test of Interpretation (TOI).
Phase Four: Maintenance

Conferences[edit]

Affiliate Chapters of AVLIC host biennial conferences related to the profession of sign language interpretation. These conferences often centre around a theme or recurring trend in the field of interpreting.

Year	City	Theme	President
1981	Edmonton, AB	unknown	Paul Bourcier
1983	Montreal, QC	unknown	Dottie Rundles
1984	Halifax, NS	"See the Shore in '84"	Wayne Letourneau
1986	Calgary, AB	"Spectrum '86"	Bonnie Heath
1988	Toronto, ON	unknown	Debra Russell
1990	Vancouver, BC	"Gateway to the Future"	Debra Russell
1992	Saskatoon, SK	"Interpreters - Bridging the Gap"	Karen Malcolm
1994	Winnipeg, MB	"Celebrating Our Roots"	Tracy Hetman
1996	Ottawa, ON	"Unity/Diversity"	Tracy Hetman
1998	Montreal, QC	"Research and Practices in Interpretation"	Kelly Mackenzie
2000	Edmonton, AB	"Hand in Hand - Through 2000 and Beyond"	Denise Smith
2002	Halifax, NS	"The Message and The Medium"	Denise Smith
2004	Vancouver, BC	"Building On Yesterday, Imaging Tomorrow"	Denise Sedran
2006	Toronto, ON	"Where Sight and Sound Converge"	Tarren McKay
2008	St. John's, NL	"Connecting Minds and Communities"	Colleen Friel
2010	Ottawa, ON	"Small Steps, Big Difference"	Christie Reaume
2012	Calgary, AB	"Creativity and Collaboration: Shaping Our Future"	Christie Reaume
2014	Winnipeg, MB	"Interpreters and Human Rights"	--
2016	Fredericton, NB	(tba)	--

Interpreter Education Programs in Canada[edit]

Currently, there are six interpreter education programs in Canada^[5]:

Institute	City
Douglas College	Vancouver, BC
Lakeland College	Edmonton, AB
University of Manitoba/Red River College	Winnipeg, MB
George Brown College	Toronto, ON
Université du Québec à Montréal	Montreal, QC
Nova Scotia Community College	Halifax, NS

References[edit]

External Links[edit]

Category:Deafness organizations Category:Deaf culture Category:Translation associations of Canada Category: Sign language Category: Language interpretation

[1] AVLIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Professional Conduct

[2] vlic.ca How can I become a member of AVLIC?

[3] WAVLI Occupational Title Protection

[4] AVLIC CES

[5] Interpreter Education Programs

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