About us – Interpreters of Colour Network

When we look at the interpreting profession of those that completed the ASLI 2021 survey 89.56% White and 8.84% Ethnic minorities

Akbar Sidker (2019) quotes the OPM figures that 20% of the total deaf population is from ethnic minority. He breaks this down as 1% South Asian heritage, 0.4% muslin, where the Muslim population in the UK is 5% of the total population.

However, when this is broken down IOC’s – interpreters of colour are a fraction of the total interpreting population.

We can add in the mix religion, culture and language and we can see that Black/Asian Deaf population is under served.

Interpreters of colour seeks to redress this under representation of IOC’s within the profession and offer a safe, nurturing and supportive environment for our colleagues of colour.

- Challenging colonial attitudes towards race, ethnicity and culture to Reframing the conversation on race, ethnicity and culture away from stereotypes to reflect the present construction of European society.

- Challenging racism in the SLI profession and in society more generally. To Challenging the negative views of IOC’s held by some in the SLI profession and in society more generally.

Supporting research that explores interpreting with ‘third cultures’, culture brokering, the impact of race, ethnicity and culture, and post-colonialist or deconstructionist approaches – Change Supporting research that explores interpreting with ‘third cultures’, culture brokering and the impact/contribution that race, ethnicity and culture has on the interpreting profession.

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