IF:

• An activity is offered as open to the community
• A fee for participation in that activity is required
• The primary means of communication during the activity is oral
• A Deaf or hard of hearing individual signs up to participate in the activity whose communication method is sign language

THEN an interpreter is required.

An interpreter works to provide clear, effective communication. Clear effective communication means accurate transmission of the message from coach (or staff) to participant. Even with audible instruction clearly stated by the coach, the hearing athletes often perform the drills incorrectly. For the deaf athlete, it is vital to have clear, effective communication to remain competitive within the sport. To the casual observer, sports interpreting appears easy. On the contrary, terminology found within the context of sports interpreting is one of the challenges unique to specialized interpreting. The athlete who uses American Sign Language (ASL) as communication and the athlete who uses oral communication should have equal access to information provided by the coach and staff. Maintaining conceptual accuracy requires a broad-based understanding of the sport, including skills used while participating in the sport, the general format of the sport and desired outcome, as well as the rules that apply to the sport.