February 2021
Transcript available under YouTube video description
Will discuss the recent town hall meeting, scholarships, FY22 budget considerations, action items, and review our policies and procedures manual. We also welcome our “community corner” guest, Paul Glaser, who will be representing RID.
If you are interested in these topics, or would like to address the board regarding another topic, please join us by registering online.
Link to our last meeting minutes – REPORTS *[Must be a member to access]
Bylaws Update for Members - ASL Video
During the Annual Meeting at the 2019 Conference, the bylaws committee shared our decision to prepare revised bylaws to present to the members, rather than recommend small amendments at every meeting. Several sections have conflicting language, some wording is unclear, and some is just out of date. We decided that we needed to look comprehensively at the whole document and work with membership to create a new set of bylaws that would better meet our needs. Our plan was to survey members about specific content areas, then draft revised bylaws to bring to the members for approval at the 2021 annual meeting.
Well... things change. Last fall, the board made a commitment to evaluate the organization and identify opportunities to better serve and support our diverse community. The foundational work on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) that we do over the next year or two will shape the organization and the bylaws that guide it. The bylaws committee will incorporate these changes into revised bylaws, which we expect will be ready for membership vote in 2022. We still want member input. We still plan to survey members in the future. And if you have any input or ideas now, if you want to review the bylaws and make recommendations, or if you want to be involved in drafting new bylaws - we'd love to know! Please contact the committee.
Thank you and we're looking forward to working with you!
(From Whitney Hill) The Legislative Committee held a Town Hall event on January 30. Thank you to WSRID Board for suggesting the idea and setting up tech and advertising. It was a big success. We probably had 15-20 participants there. The topics were: overall explanation of legislative process, petition for rule-making process, and contract advocacy, followed by an update on current bills that may impact Deaf community, and ending with discussion on potential for interpreter licensure bill. We will be hosting another meeting this summer. Stay tuned for more details.
If you are interested in joining a committee or supporting a specific goal or project, let us know. Current committee list/information can be found on the website.
Please note: the website has not been updated to include the DEI action plan committees, but that information will be posted and available soon.
On Saturday Feb 20th, the board hosted an informational meeting to share recommendations from Ritchie Bryant, of For Community, By Us, and our plans to incorporate those recommendations as we move forward, continuing to examine our organization through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. Our goal is to make long lasting changes to ensure that WSRID better represents and serves our diverse communities.
A big thank you to all who attended and who support this work. We extend further gratitude to the individuals who demonstrated courage by sharing their experiences with the group, despite the pain and discomfort it may have caused them to do so.
Throughout the meeting, and for the past several days following, the board has received tremendously valuable feedback from the participants. It is clear that we have work to do and we are excited to have more people involved to help move this forward. We are excited for the changes ahead.
If you were not able to attend the meeting, but want to know more, please reach out. We will continue to share information as we move along on this journey.
DEI Town Hall PPt
WSRID DEI Report & Recommendations (Ritchie Bryant, 2020) *[Must be a member to access]
“It’s been a YEAR — Interpreting in the time of COVID”
To say that our experiences related to work have changed dramatically over the past year would be an understatement. Although interpreters often work in isolated settings, in typical circumstances most of us still see each other in some capacity at job sites, in workshops, or at community events and gatherings. We would love to connect! Join us for a virtual “happy hour” to catch up, check in, and hopefully share a laugh or two. Bring your own bevvy.
Upcoming workshops and event information can be found online: wsrid.com.
After gathering feedback from members and discussing with WSAD, we have decided to postpone the 2021 conference. Due to the uncertain circumstances and restrictions related to COVID-19, we have accepted that there is no way to move forward with planning an in-person conference this year. Although we are disappointed, we look forward to hosting another joint conference in 2023 with WSAD.
If you are interested in getting involved with planning for 2023, please let us know ASAP.
Despite having to cancel the conference this year, we will still have our annual membership meeting in October. Please save the date for: Saturday, October 23, 2021. More info coming soon.
For more information about our activities and projects, please check us out online and on Facebook. If you have ideas or content to contribute to this monthly email, please get in touch!
The DeafBlind Service Center (DBSC) is seeking qualified individuals who are interested in becoming SSPs and will be hosting a virtual info session on Thursday, March 11th, 2021. From 4:00-4:30pm via Zoom. Please email Jessica Phillips to sign up and get the meeting link.
Board Meetings: RID values member engagement, and supports the importance to hold space during each meeting for member questions and concerns. Your participation is encouraged!
Board meetings take place on the third Wednesday of every month. The next meeting will be the extended board meeting starting on Thursday, March 18th through Sunday, March 21st. Check your emails from RID for more info about how to register and get the agenda for this meeting.
RID's Video Interpreter Member Section (VIMS) is back!
Matt Salerno: VIMS Chair - ASL version
The new council is excited to announce our first virtual member section general meeting on Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 1PM PST/4PM EST. Please join us to share and discuss goals for 2021!
Pre-registration information available here.
That’s a wrap for this month! Have something to share or want to give feedback? Contact us!
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