Statement on Racism and Audism in the Profession

Hallenross and Associates, LLC stands in solidarity with all members of the interpreting profession in the fight to end the -isms that have harmed our communities and the individuals with whom we work and serve. As a company, we cannot and do not condone any actions or messages that are in opposition to this fight.

Further, we acknowledge that these -isms (namely racism and audism) are not new to the profession and that we, as an organization and as individuals, have been complicit in the system through our silence, unexamined business practices and unexamined personal beliefs and behaviors. Therefore, we commit to making Hallenross a place where all people, those providing services and those relying on services, feel valued and where oppression is neither foundational nor ignored, by:

• Ensuring that all who work with us are paid an appropriate and equitable wage, considering cultural knowledge and lived experience

• Intentionally attending to the language that we use so that ASL and those who communicate in ASL are not seen as the barrier to communication

• Creating pathways to increase BIPOC, AAPI and Deaf presence throughout an interpreter or ASL student’s education

• Creating pathways for Deaf people to have input into interpreter selection and assignment

• Collaboration with organizations that represent BIPOC and AAPI interpreters

• Exploring alternative pathways to interpreter education for both hearing and Deaf individuals, particularly those without the financial means to attend college

• Advocating for alternative pathways to certification and/or other forms of “right to work” for BIPOC, AAPI and Deaf interpreters

• Continuing to offer professional development opportunities regarding social justice/social transformation