President’s Report for 2005 AGM

The following report highlights the major achievements of ASLIA (NSW) Inc. over the past financial year (July 2004 – June 2005).

The Association

Executive
Our executive committee comprised 10 members; Della Goswell (President), Marcel Leneham (Vice President), Viona Woodroffe (Treasurer), Karin Banna (Correspondence Sec), Joe Sabolcec (Email Sec), Kerrie Lakeman, Chevoy Brown, Sandra Carroll, Bek Cramp & Judy Jacobs.

Membership
In the last financial year we had 88 members: 29 Paraprofessional level, 16 Professional level, 29 Associate, 6 State Corporate, 8 reciprocal. ASLIA (NSW) now has a further category of membership for Deaf members who have successfully completed a recognised training course in Relay Interpreting.

Demographic profile
With all new 2005/2006 memberships, we have sent out a survey to collect data from our members, including: location in NSW, interpreting qualifications, type of interpreting work, number of hours of work per week, etc. From the analysis of this information, we hope to better tailor our services and efforts to our members’ needs.

ID card
ASLIA (NSW) continues to provide members with an ASLIA ID card, for identification & verification purposes. Members use their ID card to receive discounted registration for ASLIA NSW workshops and with other member organisations, eg ATOD.

Strategic Plan
The Executive held a planning session in November 2004 to review and update our Strategic Plan. We will continue to hold annual planning sessions.

Website
Functioning well – still a work in progress, but saving lots of paper!

Regular email updates
Our e-correspondence secretary (Joe) sends out weekly emails to members, which include ASLIA-specific information, and notices of related professional development and employment opportunities.

New Newsletter
In late 2004 we had a competition to name our new Newsletter – the winning entry was “Talk to the Hand” This is edited by Marcel, distributed quarterly, and includes letters to the editor, gossip, news, and editorials. Members are welcome contributors.

Lobbying & outreach efforts

Regional interpreters
As a coalition of agencies, the NSW Department of Education & Training, Deaf Society of NSW and ASLIA (NSW) Inc have continued to provide interpreting outreach weekend workshops in regional NSW – one further session in Orange district, one in Tamworth (with others planned), with the Illawarra region next on the list.

NSWAD
We have been consulting on a regular basis throughout the last year with NSWAD about working partnerships. We co-presented a very successful Interpreter awareness/ “Bloopers” session at a Deaf festival event in November 2004, and have just survived our first theatrical co-production “Other Side Story” featuring Marcel in a lead role, and 4 other ASLIA mbrs in the cast.

CRC (Community Relations Commission)
Along with the Deaf Society of NSW, ALSIA (NSW) made representations to the CRC (who co-ordinate interpreting services for the Police and Courts) about the provision of Auslan interpreters (including Deaf relay interpreters) in NSW courts.

National Competency Training Package
Individual members of ASLIA (NSW) (Della & Jemina) have been involved in consultation sessions for the industry-wide development of competencies.

Professional Development

Workshops

• July 2004, “Masterclass 2” (from Auslan to English) – interpreting of a videoed presentation by 3 guinea pigs (Andy Carmichael, Rebecca Ladd, and Della Goswell).
• October 2004, Cynthia Roy workshop at RIDBC, where she presented on discourse analysis (including gender influences).
• December 2004, M2005 Deaflympics and ASLIA (NSW) co-sponsored an International Sign weekend workshop (presented by Jemina Napier and Andy Carmichael), with participants from QLD and NSW.
• Early July 2005, joint provision of Religious Interpreting workshop (primarily sponsored by Ephpheta centre) – led by Peter Bonser (QLD).

Guest speakers

During the past financial year, ASLIA (NSW) Inc has invited guest speakers to present at meetings as follows:

• March 2005, Jemina Napier presented highlights from her trip to the Critical Link 4 conference (Sweden 2004)
• June 2005, Della Goswell and Maree Madden provided NAATI test tips at a pre-test workshop, where they ran parallel sessions for both paraprofessional and professional level candidates. A number of regional interpreters travelled to Sydney to attend this presentation.

Financial assistance 2004 – 2005

• Della Goswell, Karin Banna & Lorraine D’Arcy – ASLIA Winter School, Cairns
• Contribution to NT delegate to Winter School, Cairns

Resources

• The video/DVD of the first ASLIA(NSW) Masterclass 2003 (with Peter Bonser, Maree Madden and Jemina Napier) is now edited and available for purchase.
• Now that the borrowing library has been audited, ASLIA (NSW) has committed to acquiring further resources for members to borrow (books and audiovisual materials) - especially to support rural and regional interpreters.

Future plans

• More planning, workshops and resource development, including Relay Interpreting, Theatre Interpreting and Legal Interpreting.
• Building on our rural outreach program.
• Continued dialogue between us and other relevant organisations (e.g., ASLIA national & state orgns: DSoc, DEN, NSWAD, ATOD & AUSIT).

Della Goswell
President
ASLIA (NSW) Inc
16 September 2005