Students - Student’s rights regarding interpreters

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing have a fundamental right to understand their hearing loss, their communication needs, and how to accommodate communication with hearing adults and peers. For many students, interpreters will become a frequent accommodation as they become adults, build careers, continue life-long learning, and have children.

As we explore what students should know about interpreting, let’s start with their rights. What follows is a Student’s Bill of Rights.

Interpreters and Kids: A Bill of Rights

Students who use interpreters to access the general education curriculum have rights. These include:

• The right to access communication in my preferred language and mode
• The right to a competent and knowledgeable interpreter
• The right to interpretation in the student’s preferred language and communication mode
• The right to access to all curricular and extra-curricular aspects of education
• The right to equality and respect
• The right to consumer education that is developmentally appropriate
• The right to be included in discussions concerning interpreting for me
• The right to learn how to manage my own interpreting
• The right to developmentally-appropriate independence
• The right to professional boundaries and behavior from the interpreter
• The right to be a developing human, who learns from support as well as mistakes
• The right to have my family informed about my interpreting situation