Exploring Ethics: A Case for Revising the Code of Ethics
Temas
Detalles
The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the fundamental assumptions and perceptions underlying current Codes of Ethics that have been put forward for Sign LanguageInterpreters/Transliterators. While the hope is that the discussion and analysis that follows may be applicable to all such Codes, the specific focus will be the Code of Ethics put forward by theRegistry of Interpreters for the Deaf, the professional organization of Sign Language Interpreters and Transliterators in the United States of America. Specifically this paper questions whether the assumptions and principles that were at work in formulating the current Code of Ethics continue to hold validity for the profession and the communities which Interpreters and Transliterators seek to serve. This paper also suggests that, in contrast to the current Code’s focus on the interpreter’s duties, a fundamentally different approach to developing a Code of Ethics might more appropriately recognize and acknowledge changes in the social milieu in which Interpreters and Transliterators now work. This paper suggests that rather than a duty-based approach to our Code of Ethics, Interpreters and Transliterators and the communities with which they work might be better served by adopting a rights-based approach to our Code of Ethics.