September is Deaf Awareness Month!
September 28: RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf)
The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) was founded on June 16, 1964 and later incorporated as a nonprofit to promote standards, ethics, and professionalism for American Sign Language (ASL)–English interpreters; early meetings and federal-funded workshops in the mid‑1960s helped move interpreting from a volunteer activity toward a recognized profession.
RID developed national certification programs and a Certification Maintenance Program to assure continuing competence, and it has worked closely with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and interpreter‑trainer organizations to professionalize practice and training.
RID’s role as the principal body defining ASL interpreter qualifications is shown by its national certification system and partnership with the NAD on the Code of Professional Conduct—milestones that established interpreters as skilled linguistic and cultural mediators rather than ad‑hoc “helpers”.
RID’s website: Haben’s website: rid.org