Deaf signers in Flanders and 25 years of Community Interpreting

Abstract

Looking back on 25 years of Community Interpreting in the Deaf communi- ty in Flanders at least three issues seem to be noteworthy. Linguistic research into Flemish Sign Language has clearly influenced the sign language interpreter training programmes. When the first programmes were started up in the early 1980s, interpreter students were taught Signed Dutch. The shift to Flemish Sign Language came about in the latter half of the 1990s, some years after the first results of Flemish Sign Language re- search were made available in the public domain. A second important factor is the professionalisation of the interpreter. The internationally recognised evolution from a ‘helper philosophy’ via a ‘ma- chine (conduit) philosophy’ to a ‘bilingual-bicultural philosophy’ has also taken place in Flanders. Thirdly, we can see a certain impact of Community Interpreting on Deaf Empowerment. Since it is very hard to exactly identify this and more re- search would be necessary, these will only be brief and tentative statements.