Continuing Education Program Frequently Asked Questions
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Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are divided into two broad subject categories: Professional and General Studies. You are required to obtain a minimum of at least 2.0 CEUs in Professional Studies and a maximum of no more than 1.0 CEUs in General Studies per two year CEU cycle. An interpreter may earn all of the 3.0 CEUs through Professional Studies courses.
Professional Studies
Professional development courses focus on skills and knowledge attained for personal professional development and career advancement.
2.0 CEUs (20 hours) MINIMUM REQUIRED.
There are five (5) categories of professional development courses.
1) Linguistic and Cultural Studies
Linguistic Studies focus on the scientific study of human language: Language form, language meaning and language context. Linguistic Studies include the study of any language or linguistic system such as American Sign Language, English, or other forms of sign language. Cultural Studies address the study of a culture with its past historical precedents, conflicts, and issues. Cultural Studies concentration can be on Deaf ideology, Deaf social class, or deafness in groups of nationality, ethnicity, sexuality and/or gender.
2) Theoretical and Experimental Studies
Theoretical Studies concentrate on a natural language that arises in an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken, signed, or written. Experimental Studies focus on taking measurements of the system under study, manipulating the system, and then taking additional measurements using the same procedure to determine if the manipulation has modified the values of the measurements.
3) Mentorship
Mentorship refers to a personal and professional developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person.
4) Specialization Studies
Specialization Studies target on a study or major at an academic institution or may refer to the field that an interpreter would like to specialize in or practices such as performing arts, medical or law interpretation.
5) Field of Sign Language Interpreting in General
The field of sign language interpreting in general focuses on the complexity of American Sign Language and may include studies in speech and hearing disorders, treatment techniques, deaf culture and history, audiology, development of speech and language, morphology (inflection, derivation, compound words), phonology (science of speech sounds), and syntax in ASL.
General Studies
General Studies cover many different aspects of learning including a broad range of skills necessary for various interpreting assignments. The focus of General Studies is to acquire a broad knowledge base to assure a well rounded educational foundation.
No Minimum. 1.0 CEUs (10 hours) MAXIMUM ALLOWED.
There are two (2) categories of General Studies.
1) Human Service and Leadership Studies
Human Service Studies concentrate on knowledge in social services, mental health, family services, corrections, gerontology, youth programs, psychology and sociology of various populations to improve human life and society. Leadership Studies address leadership in organizational contexts and in human life. Leadership Studies include workshops or courses in perspectives on leadership: principles and practices, self-leadership, group leadership, communication, cultural competence, ethics and integrity, experiential learning, public relations, and public speaking.
2) General Knowledge Studies
General Knowledge Studies refer to courses beyond American Sign Language, Interpreting, or Transliteration. Workshops or courses in General Knowledge may be diverse on various topics that interest the interpreter’s passion or desire to learn.
Code of Ethics Courses
As a subset to the Professional Studies requirement, you are also required to complete a minimum of at least 0.3 CEUs in Code of Ethics courses per two year CEU cycle. Code of Ethics courses are Professional Studies.
0.3 CEUs (3 hours) MINIMUM REQUIRED.
Code of Ethics courses should focus on the various code of ethics related to the profession of sign language interpreting such as the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Code of Professional Conduct and Hawaii Quality Assurance System. Additional courses relating to the interpreting field may be taught at the Kapiolani Community College and University of Hawaii at Manoa Center for Interpretation and Translation Studies. Code of Ethics instruction studies the difference between 'right' and 'wrong' and how to apply this standard in the field. The ethical choices affect three parties (hiring agency, deaf participant and interpreter). Instruction or review of code of professional responsibility covers difficult issues and difficult decisions that often need to be made, and provide clear guidance as to what behavior is considered "ethical", "correct", or "right" in an interpreting assignment.
In addition to the subject categories, CEUs are also divided according to the study method. You are allowed a maximum of no more than 1.5 CEUs each in Independent and Participant-Initiated study per two year CEU cycle.
Independent Study
No Minimum 1.5 CEUs (15 hours) MAXIMUM ALLOWED.
Interpreters must also get prior approval from DCAB at least thirty (30) days before the event via Summary Form.
Examples include, but are not limited to: home study, research, literature reviews, study groups, being a mentor or mentee, curriculum/workshop development, or teaching a workshop. Other types of independent studies examples are studies or research or videotapes related to interpreting, linguistic and cultural studies.
Participant-Initiated Study
No Minimum 1.5 CEUs (15 hours) MAXIMUM ALLOWED.
Interpreters must get prior approval from DCAB at least thirty (30) days before the event via Summary Form.
Examples include academic coursework, in-service workshops, workshops or conferences offered by organizations not directly related to deafness or interpreting.
The following steps are required and defined:
1) The number of CEUs earned equals 0.1 per credit hour (i.e. three academic credit hours = 0.3 CEUs).
2) The course must be taken during the interpreter’s two-year CEU cycle.
3) When the academic transcript is complete, include the tracking or summary form any additional information.
4) Be sure to retain a copy of the transcript. The interpreter must earn a C or better to receive CEUs.
5) Proof of attendance or completion by the instructor is required after the study is completed.
Pre-Approved Studies
Workshops or conferences from the following agencies are pre-approved. The interpreter must report to DCAB and confirm their attendance prior to participation.
Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB)
Aloha State Association of the Deaf (ASAD)
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) or Hawaii Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (HRID)
Kapiolani Community College (KCC) - American Sign Language (ASL)/English Interpreter Education
American Sign Language Teachers’ Association (ASLTA) sponsored workshops
National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers sponsored workshops
National conferences (i.e. ADARA, PePNet, etc.)
The HQAS Continuing Education Program uses password protected Google Site pages. Only approved Google Accounts can access the Continuing Education Program forms. Never share your Google Account Password with anyone. The Disability and Communication Access Board will never ask you for your password. Data from embedded forms are collected in a database maintained by Zoho.com a secure online form creation and database management site. Only the HQAS administrator has access to this database. If you suspect your information may have been compromised, please contact the HQAS administrator with the specific information immediately.
We apologize for any inconvenience the Continuing Education Program Online may have caused you. Please send an email or write a letter to the HQAS administrator requesting to be removed from the online program and submit all your forms by mail.
To insure efficiency and avoid confusion, the Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) requires that you choose just one method of submitting forms, either online or by mail. To opt out of the online program and continue submitting forms by mail, please send an email or write a letter to the HQAS administrator requesting to be removed from the online program and submit all your forms by mail.