Student volunteer interpreters
Ensure your event is both accessible and welcoming to everyone, with the support of our student volunteers from VCC's sign language interpretation program.
Students in the Sign Language Interpretation Program benefit from opportunities to practice their developing interpreting skills in the community. The program welcomes requests for students to do volunteer interpreting in certain low-stakes, non-critical and non-demanding settings. We look for "win-win" situations in which students learn from their hands-on experience while Deaf community members gain some access to an event or communication.
The faculty, staff and students of the VCC Sign Language Interpretation Program value the rights of Deaf, hard-of-hearing and Deaf-Blind people to have quality access to communication, information and participation in all aspects of life. Sign language interpreting services provided by appropriately qualified and experienced professional interpreters are an integral part of such access.
Having student volunteer interpreters at your event will not result in a level of access that can be provided by professional interpreters and will not meet the standard for sign language interpreting access as per the Accessible BC Act or the Accessible Canada Act.
Need a student volunteer interpreter?
Students do not provide volunteer interpreting where professional interpreters are typically employed. Not all requests will be suitable for students. Program faculty must approve each request.
Examples of the kind of events where students may provide interpreting include:
- Family reunions, celebrations
- Social events
- Community/recreational activities
- Scout/Guide meetings
- Some events for Deaf children, if appropriate
- Some children's activities that Deaf parents wish to attend.
Please contact us to confirm the suitability of your event.
Availability
Students are available to do volunteer interpreting only when they are not in classes. Students are generally not available from late December to early February each year.
Contact
Please make your request at least two weeks in advance of the event and include the following information:
- Description of event
- Location
- Date
- Start time
- Finish time
- Contact person’s name and email address
All requests are reviewed by program faculty.
For more information or to request student volunteer interpreters, contact intr@vcc.ca.