NEW ORLEANS, LA—The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) National Conference will be held from Saturday, August 8 to Wednesday, August 12 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The conference, themed “Let The Good Times Roll For A Brighter Future,” provides numerous workshops, discussion panels and guest speakers, on various topics related to improvements, advancements and research in the field of sign language interpreting.  For those who are unable to attend, the conference will also be live-streaming some of the sessions, which can be viewed here.

The conference also is offering an award called “#MyRIDstar” which seeks to honor people who have positively influenced others as an interpreter.  Conference attendees are encouraged to submit their nominations online by tonight August 9, 2015.  Those chose as #MyRIDstar recipients will be shown during the “NIGHT OF THE STARS EVENT” on Tuesday, August 11 and also will receive #MyRIDstar tribute on the RID website after the conference ends.

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The logo for the Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf, Inc.

RID has been in existence for 50 years, and has chapters established in all 50 states and both the District of Columbia and the territory of Puerto Rico.  The mission statement of RID is to “promote excellence in the delivery of interpreting services among diverse users of signed and spoken languages through professional development, networking, advocacy, and standards” according to their website.

RID offers six different types of interpreter certifications: National Interpreter Certification (NIC), Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI), Oral Transliteration Certificate (OTC), Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L), Conditional Legal Interpreting Permit-Relay (CLIP-R) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:K-12). Each certification process is different, but many require multiple exams or documentation proving experience.  The organization also recognizes credentials assessed and awarded by the National Association for the Deaf (NAD).

RID also provides multiple scholarship opportunities each year. Some of the different scholarships’ criteria involve those who cannot afford certification fees, people who have made outstanding contributions to the field of interpretation/transliteration, people who have shown dedication to and involvement in the field of interpreting on local, regional and national levels.