The Deaf Studies Digital Journal (DSDJ) is a peer-reviewed, digital journal in American Sign Language and English text dedicated to advancing the cultural, creative and critical output of work in and about sign languages and its communities, in the form of scholarly video articles, original works of signed literature, interviews, reviews, and historical resources. This project will preserve and migrate past issues of DSDJ to a new open-access, technologically sustainable platform, which adheres to and advances accessibility standards in publishing through fully bilingual video and text articles, advanced interactive videos, integration into library databases, and innovative peer-review processes that support the exclusive use of sign language to produce the next iteration of DSDJ in an effort to transform scholarly communication.

In this study, we investigate the use of American Sign Language to establish and maintain social distance between deaf undergraduate students and deaf faculty members. One of the functions of language is to mark social standing and convey respect between interactants. Drawing on prior studies of spoken language in postsecondary settings, in this study we examine the use of address terms, reference terms, and introductions in ASL. Address terms are used in language to get attention, to single out an addressee, and to convey social and interpersonal meanings between individuals; reference terms convey social and interpersonal meanings, and provide cues for the existing relationship between the speaker and the referred person; and introductions reflect the current relationship between people, and how people expect the newly acquainted individuals to address each other. We will engage in two types of data collection: (a) observational data of natural language interaction, and (b) interview data with deaf undergraduate students and deaf faculty about their use and perceptions of these linguistic forms. The results will shed light on how deaf students and faculty create and sustain social distance and boundaries in the postsecondary setting.

Much data exists documenting the dearth of interpreters of Color in the field of ASL interpretation; today the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf membership is 88% White. The lack of representation and recruitment of qualified interpreters of Color has been documented in a recent National Interpreter Education Center survey as reports of bias toward non-White signers, bias which in turn potentially contributes to and perpetuates a largely homogeneous interpreting profession unable to meet the needs of the rapidly diversifying American Deaf community. This pilot study hypothesizes that racial bias is a factor in determining quality standards for interpretation and translation products of ASL-English interpreters, with ASL products from a White interpreter source being preferred over non-White sources. Further, this study hypothesizes that colorism will be a contributing factor, meaning signing sources with lighter skin tones will be generally preferred over those with darker skin tones regardless of race. The question this study asks is: Does racial bias impact perceived quality of an ASL translation?

Effective writing is taken to be a measure of academic development at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, but interpreter education has not provided guidance for how to develop these skills in our students. Using a case study approach, the co-investigators will focus is on the development of students' cognitive maturity and self-authorship by examining their perceptions of the Cognitive Apprentice instructional approach during their writing coursework. An ultimate aim of this study is to determine whether cognitive apprenticeship may be a useful approach in guiding interpreting students in the development of their academic writing skills and, if so, to disseminate this information to other interpreter educators.

This shift in workplace dynamics continues to see a growth in the number of active Deaf professionals (DPs), a phenomenon which requires an increase in the pool of interpreters with advanced ASL to English competencies. In an effort to meet the needs of this population, additional attention has been given to the "Deaf professional-Designated interpreter" model of linguistic and cultural mediation; however, the challenges surrounding DPs' access to qualified interpreters on the job persists. Previous research has examined this issue from the perspective of DPs and documented the impact of interpreter's work on the perceptions of DP's hearing, non-signing colleagues. Yet, those studies have not focused on effective linguistic tools employed by expert interpreters in practice. Through comparison of a novice and expert interpretation, this study aims to identify linguistic strategies that can be used to refine ASL to English interpretations and bridge the gap between general practitioner and specialist with regard to business and government related subject matter. Study results gathered through discourse analysis, interviews and focus groups can elevate the level of awareness and effectiveness of interpreters working with Deaf professionals in the workplace which can result in more socioeconomic success among the wider Deaf community.

The notion of language attitudes has a place in psychology, sociology, anthropology, education, and history, among other disciplines Bilingualism and minority languages are not topics that are confined to linguistics or language studies, but are debated in a wide variety of fields, including Interpretation and Translation Studies. Drawing from data on social media sites, this study addresses the following questions: 1) What language attitudes do signed and spoken language interpreters, translators, and lay persons hold, specifically in relation interpretation and translation work? 2) What attitudes do signed and spoken language interpreters, translators, and lay persons hold about languages, specially in relation to one another's work? The aim of this project is to confront issues of attitudes within interpretation and translation and to show that they will refine and improve our understanding of how we view one another in Interpretation and Translation Studies.

Federal legislation mandates effective communication for deaf U.S. hospital patients. Despite this directive, evidence indicates that access to healthcare remains inadequate, inappropriate, or unethical. This study employs an institutional ethnographic approach to investigate established policies for legislative compliance vis-à-vis medical professional actions and deaf patient experiences within a U.S. health care system. Participant observation, interviews, and textual analysis can isolate points of disjuncture and reveal institutional processes implicated in negotiating access. The aim is to identify systemic factors contributing to disparities reported by deaf patients.

Translation and Interpreting Studies (John Benjamins) accepted proposals for a special thematic issue on signed language interpretation and translation to be published in April of 2018. The editors bring together papers that address critical issues in the linguistic analysis of interpretations and translations that occur between a signed language and spoken or written language. The volume includes data driven papers on the spectrum between a microanalysis of one specific lexical item to the examination of a full interpreted or translated discourse. Papers may take a descriptive, applied, or theoretical approach to interpreting and translation of a signed language. The editors encourage a broad range of methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.

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