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Welcome to the National
Alliance of Black Interpreters, Inc. !
NAOBI
is the only national organization that supports sign
language interpreters from the African diaspora. As
such, we recognize that we stand at an important crossroads.
We do not stand alone. The fact that many cultures meet
and converge here is what makes our existence so important.
- We are sign language interpreters.
We constantly seek to recognize changes in American
hearing culture and in American Deaf culture to improve
our ability to contextualize communications between
them. We work ably with all interpreters and are integral
to interpreting organizations all over the U.S. We
endeavor to be fit and ready to interpret in any mainstream
setting.
- We are interpreters of color. In
the Deaf world and in the hearing world, we enjoy
membership in both the mainstream culture and in a
sub-culture that is unique and special to us. We celebrate
that sub-culture and explore its nuances so that we
can communicate it properly. We strive to be the best
cultural fit for interpreting within the Black community
and for providing an American Sign Language to Spoken
English interpretation for Black Deaf consumers.
- We are not the only interpreters
of color. We have sibling groups in the Native American,
Hispanic/Latino, and Asian sub-cultures. We plan to
partner with our peers, to help each other, and to
provide references across the sub-cultures.
- We exist along a continuum. Some
of us are certified; some are qualified for certification;
some are 'working'; some are volunteers; some are
just beginning; some are in ITPs; some are just thinking
about becoming an interpreter. We want to move each
of us along that continuum to become "certified".
We will provide support and encouragement to each
other at each rest stop along the way.
This is NAOBI,
Inc.. Standing at the
crossroads. Relishing our interaction with the many,
varied groups of people that pass our way. This site
is intended to showcase our joy, our work, and our partners.
Happy traveling!
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