Faces of Interpretation: A Study on the Experiences of Black American Sign Language (ASL)-English Interpreters in Legal Settings

Title
Faces of Interpretation: A Study on the Experiences of Black American Sign Language (ASL)-English Interpreters in Legal Settings
Creator
Meikayla M. Mixon
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies
Project Type
thesis
Date
6/13/2026
Abstract
Legal interpreting is a complex, highly specialized field of interpreting (Solow, 2000), one that is currently lacking sufficient numbers of American Sign Language (ASL)-English interpreters (Cogen & Cokely, 2015). Understanding the experiences and needs of those currently working in the field is vital to improving training and resources. Black and African American (B/AA) ASL-English interpreters have historically faced racism in work environments, both from colleagues and consumers (West-Oyedele, 2015). B/AA individuals are a minority in the ASL-English interpreting community and in legal interpreting spaces; the experiences of B/AA ASL-English interpreters in legal settings may align with those working in less specialized environments. The purpose of this study is to record and consider the experiences of B/AA ASL-English interpreters in legal settings and to identify the demands and controls that may impact these individuals’ work. Participants’ stories were gathered using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic narrative analysis. The participants’ responses aligned closely with existing literature, confirming that legal interpreting work is consistent across diverse interpreter groups. These findings may be used to inform interpreters’ practice and lay the groundwork for future large-scale studies.
Keywords
American Sign Language (ASL)
Black/African American
Legal/Court Interpreters
Committee Member
Elisa Maroney
Zanthia Smith
Elizabeth Jean-Baptiste
Rights
Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 07/27/2026, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.
https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en
Language
eng
Type
text
data