Our Director of Interpreting, Shannon Morrison, authored a very useful handbook – simply called the Interpreter Handbook – where an interpreter can read, use, and lean on anytime you need to. This handbook aims to empower you with all the resources you need in order to have a smooth experience as an interpreter and as a contractor working with us. You can even use this handbook for your personal use; we want to create a more dedicated interpreting experience that feels right to you!
We connected with Shannon to discover the magic behind her work in creating this handbook. Read below to learn more about the whole process!
How did this handbook happen? Was there any inspiration in creating this document?
Shannon Morrison (SM): So, when an interpreter onboards with us, I’m usually the first person they’ll meet with as they go through the interview stage and I get the same questions asked again and again. It’s nice to have a document ready to share with interpreters for the frequently asked questions (FAQs) so they can just read through on their own. As an interpreter myself, I totally understand the desire to have my questions answered when I meet with an agency, so I hope this handbook is a great way to get what they need.
I have a degree in graphic design, so this was actually a fun project for me to come up with a vision of how I wanted this handbook to look like. Readability and user-friendliness were the big goals I wanted this handbook to accomplish, so I made sure to prioritize these as I designed this handbook.
This handbook is really built by the feedback and ideas from interpreters like you. This handbook aims to make your experience with Heritage Interpreting a smooth, easy, and positive one!
What was the section you enjoyed writing the most?
SM: Definitely the FAQs section! It’s like a synthesis of the handbook. I wanted to make a dedicated section on FAQs so that interpreters can easily find what they need, click on the shortcuts I made, get instant answers and that’s it. No scrolling up and down searching for answers — I understand too well the frustration in searching for what you need in handbooks and struggling to find them in a sea of words.
I wanted to make this handbook a resource that people can really use anytime they need and on the go. The last thing I wanted to do is to create a handbook that people needed but didn’t find it enjoyable to read.
I love that we have a dedicated focus on health and safety for interpreters — how did you come up with such a thorough section? Was it mainly based on research, through stories and anecdotes you heard from other interpreters, or your personal experience, or a combination of all three above?
SM: I want to give Will [Estes, our CEO] a shoutout for this part. Health and safety for our interpreters is and will always be our top priority as an agency, so Will and I wanted a section that’s for health and safety. One of our core foundational tenets as an agency is ensuring your safety at all times.
We’ve heard many stories and examples from other fellow colleagues and interpreters who had been in tough situations and how these really took a lot out of them. We also are interpreters and we have been affected in situations where safety may have been compromised, so we understand the experience. That section really influenced how we made it.
We just want this section to make interpreters feel empowered in making best decisions for their health and safety; it’s not just about agencies but how we want to support you in making the best decisions.
Interpreters are always a priority in everything we do, and we can’t be a good agency if we don’t take interpreters’ safety and health in account.
What do you hope interpreters (or anyone) gain by reading this handbook?
SM: I hope this handbook can be a resource. I’d like for interpreters to feel they can expect more from their agencies. I think there’s a small gap in how agencies and interpreters support each other — we’d like agencies to be more people-centered spaces where interpreters can confidently feel they’ll be safe and that agencies have the best interest for them at all times.
There needs to be an active role in how we can serve the communities. Interpreters work with deaf clients and agencies handle the consumers — they can work together to support each other for the best interest of the deaf community.
What things would you want to share with other interpreters as the Director of Interpreting for our company?
SM: The handbook can represent the community. We’re responsible to each other, and share the same values. This handbook is yours as much as it is ours — a place where you can feel supported to share feedback — and how an agency working in a community can look like.
I hope this handbook will show you how much we care about interpreters as people first. 💚
To read the handbook, click here. Need more resources? We got you covered. Check out our brand-new Resource Center!