First International Conference of Sign Language Interpreters

6 - 10 September 1999

El 1er Encuentro Internacional de Interpretes de la Lengua de Señas


Cuban interpreters between conference sessions

Sign language interpreters from up and down the Americas met in Santiago de Cuba 
for a four day conference to discuss the state of the art.

In Cuba:

• There 30 full-time Sign Language interpreters who work for about $7 USD a month,
• Other interpreters work at other professions and interpret as volunteers on the side,
• Interpreters are evaluated by an all-Deaf panel from all over the country,
• Interpreters are moving from the "helper" model to a "facilitator" model in their work.

Sign Language Interpreters from throughout the Americas

Fidel Montemayor (right), president of the Mexican SL interpreters association with Noelquis Herrera Pérez (Camaguey, Cuba) interpreting.

(Right to Left) Fidel Montemayor (Mexico), Cuban restauranteur, Eugenio Ravelo (Venezuela), Guatemalan interpreter, Anne Leahy, (U.S.) Guatemalan interpreter

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