ASL interpreter urges New Mexico courts to expand access to specialized deaf interpreting and training

An ASL interpreter speaking at a New Mexico Courts webinar said courts risk serious miscommunication when deaf people do not receive appropriately trained or specialized interpreting services. The presenter described instances in which classifiers and grammar choices in American Sign Language (ASL) can change legal meaning in plea and evidence settings and urged courts to provide preparatory materials and specialist interpreters for high-stakes proceedings.

The presenter said "full access to language for deaf people only comes visually," and added that interpreters need evidence or case documents in advance so they can choose accurate classifiers and signs. "I could change something from a felony to a misdemeanor by the classifier I choose," she said, describing how visual classifiers convey size, shape and context that courts must understand.

Why it matters: In…