I Don't Have to Interpret for Meanies
Sometimes I have to remember to take care of myself and not interpret for people, organizations, or situations that I consider abusive.
If I think a certain company is scamming people, then I don’t have to interpret for that company. If a certain client is abusive to me and/or everyone s/he communicates with, then I don’t have to interpret for that person. If I am so disturbed by what I am interpreting that I don’t feel I can remain impartial and interpret faithfully, then I have an ethical duty to abstain from interpreting.
Most important — for the preservation of my own mental health — I have the right to refuse to interpret for anything or anyone that I conscienciously object to. And I will exercise that right!
Posted on September 1, 2006, in Interpreting for the Deaf and tagged ethics, opinion. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
I felt compelled to respond to this post as this is a subject I feel very strongly about. Just as you have the right to refuse to interpret for a business you believe is scamming people, so do we, the consumers, have the right to refuse to patronize those businesses whose code of ethics violates our own principles. Sometimes the best way to communicate with a business is to hit them in the wallet!