Deaf-Blind Interpreting/SSP Scenarios:

 1) You are interpreting for a DB person when you notice a guide dog getting up and walking around. What do you do?

Visual information is important! If it is the same DB person that you are interpreting for, you let him/her know immediately. If it is not the DB person that you are interpreting for, you will still share the environmental information. Keep in mind - what you see/hear is what you will "relay" to the DB person.

2) How do you get a DB's person attention?

Never, ever wave in their face! Tap nicely on their shoulder.

3) A Deaf-Blind person just walked into the room. How do you relay that info to the DB client that you are interpreting for?

"Polly just came in. Her interpreter met her. They're walking, walking, walking, walking. She is now sitting down two chairs from your right."

4) A table in the back room just collapsed. What do you do?

Share that information with the DB person you're interpreting for! Put yourself in their shoes. Environmental information is very important. Let them know what is going on.

5) You arrive to the job site and found out that you are being matched up with a DB client that you had requested not to work with again. How do you handle this?

If the on-site coordinator is not frantic, talk to him/her in PRIVATE and see if there's any possibility for a switch. Be flexible as there may be no opportunity for a switch. Smile through the job. After the job is over, send a friendly email message to the coordinator, reminding him/her that you'd prefer not to be matched up with that specific client again.

6. You are on the planning committee to plan a holiday party for the Deaf-Blind community. The committee chairperson asks you to do the following things:
a. to recruit volunteers for SSPs,
b. to recruit volunteers as drivers for the DB people who need a ride; A
c. to make calls to different places to order things for the party;
d. to plan several activities for the children who come to the party;
e. to find donations of toys for the children and
f. to find a signing Santa for the party. You feel overwhelmed with all the responsibilities as you have your own planning for your family to visit you during the holidays. What will you say or do?

 7. You are SSPing for a Deaf-Blind woman you met for the first time. You arrive 5 minutes late for your appointment because of traffic. Even though you apologized, she blew up at you for being 5 minutes late. You tried to lead her inside a store that is really crowded because of the holidays and she bumped onto a corner and bawled at you for this accident. When it was time to drop her off at home, she said in the car, I change my mind to pay you for gas because you are a lousy SSP, what will you say to her?

 8. You are SSPing for a Deaf man for the first time. After some time, he would rub your arm, rather than tap on it for attention, ask to feel your face and your shoulders to “get to know you”, and started asking you very personal questions such as, “Are you married, do you have a boyfriend?, how would you feel about dating a Deaf-Blind man, etc. You are starting to feel uncomfortable SSPing for him. Would you consider this as hitting on you or as part of the “Deaf culture thing”? How do you know the difference and what will you do or say to him?