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HomeMy WebLinkAboutProclamation - Court InterpretorPROCLAMATIOl\ "Court Iraterpreter Appreciafion Day" NIay 6,2826 WHEREAS: equal access to courts is a cornerstone of the American system of justice and the rule of law; and ranguage barriers impede access to justice for individuals who are limited-Enilish p.ofi.ient or individuals who are deaf' deaf- blind, hard of hea.ng or speech-disabred individuals who rely on signed ranguage and other assistive communication; and wIIER.EAS: Kittitas county District and superior courts depend on skilled spoken language interpreters to ensure clear and accurate communication with limited-English proficient litigants, witnesses, victims, and other participants across all case types; and wHEREAs: the courts further rely on qualified sign language interpreters to facilitate effective communication with deaf' deaf- blind, hard of hearing, and speech-disabled individuals appearing as htigants, witnesses, victims' jurors' or members of the publc; and wHEREAS: court interpreters bring specralized cognitive, lingurstic, and legal knowledge-including mastery of court terminology and procedures-enabling precise, impartial, and culturally competent interpretation that is essential for lair hearings and due process, and wHEREAS: these dedicated prolessionals uphold the highest ethical standards of accuracy, impartiality' confidentiality' and professionalism, thereby saleguarding the integriry of court proceedings and strengthening public confidence in our justice system; and NOW, TIIER.EF,ORE BE IT RESOT-VED the Board of County commissioners of Kittitas county, washington' would like to recognize and honor the indispensable contribution of court interpreters to ensure equal access to justice for all residents of our diverse community, and do hereby proclaim Wednesday, Vlay 6'h, 2026' as o'COLRT INTERPRETER APPRECIATION DAy,, in Kittitas county and urge all citizens, elected officials, legal professionals, court personnel, and community stakeholders at the state and local levels to join us in celebrating and expressing heartfelt gratirude lor the expertise, dedication' and vital service provided by court interpreters every day ADOPTED this 2lst daY of APril 2026 THE KITTtrTAS COUNTY BOARD OF COIVTMTSSION ERS C ht, ch man col SEAL 7 lerk of the Eoard Commissioner March 2S26 Interpreter and Langu Access Commission s ua rterty Interpreter Appreciation DaY This upcoming May 6 is Interpreter Appreciation Day. Interpreter Appreciation Day is a relatively new hotiday that was founded by Deaf-btind advocate Joshua Jones in 2O13 after seeing firsthand how interpreters were mocked rather than respected white providing criticalaccess during an emergency broadcast. In response, he helped spark a movement to pubticly recognize interpreters for the essentiat work they do. Interpreter Appreciation Day fatts on the first Wednesday of May each year. This day joins InternationatTranslation Day as an opportunity to honor language professionats. In 2017, the United Nations declared September 3O as InternationalTranslation Day, atthough the day was celebrated before then. The date was chosen to coincide with the feast of St. Jerome, who is considered the patron saint of translators. These cetebrations reinforce the shared message that language matters. Together, these observances catlattention to the tremendous human effort behind this work. These cetebrations are also an opportunity to rethink how we view tanguage. Muttitingual communities are often framed as sites of "barriers" that interpreters must overcome, but interpretation is about buitding bridges, not fixing probtems. Interpreters expand understanding, deepen connection, and open access not onty to services, but to communities, cultures, and different ways of thinking. It may not be surprising how easy it is to overlook the work of individuats in a profession that has been traditionatty taught to be as invisible as possibte when working. However, it is important to recognize the huge amount of skitt, expertise, and knowtedge that go into being professional interpreter. This May 6, join me in cetebrating the work of these professionals that help make access, equity, and connection possibte every day. Contributed by: James Welts CONTENTS: > ILAC Updates ) Interpreter News > Upcoming Events Submit news for upcoming issues to Wanda Barrett (Wanda.Barrett@courts.wa.gov).