On January 29, RID sent out an email referendum on Motion CM2017.07. The initial email provides information about the motion, the text of the motion, and links to comments by the RID Board, RID Diversity Council, RID Professional Development Committee, Hawaii RID and RISPRI (Registro de Intérpretes para Sordos de Puerto Rico, Inc.). The individualized voting credential information was sent out in a separate email. We encourage you to check your filtered email folders, such as spam or promotions (Gmail), to make sure you don't miss the opportunity to participate in this referendum.

The Board of FRID would like to echo the sentiment expressed in the opinions released above. We agree that passage of this motion would place undue burden on people living in remote areas, on islands, or those living/working abroad. The costs associated with these interpreters having to then travel to and attend on-site workshops could be exorbitant. Further, we are concerned about the impact this motion would have on single parents, sole income providers, and caregivers, who are potentially limited in both time and money. 

Additionally, we challenge the statements that "ASL is...best understood in a face-to-face interaction" and that "professional development is most effective in a face-to-face environment." Without evidence to back these claims, it makes it hard to accept them as anything more than supposition. It is worth mentioning that there are several accredited universities that offer online degrees in ASL and interpretation.

Lastly, we would like to dispute the fiscal impact statement: "there may be a positive fiscal impact if Affiliate Chapters present more workshops." In our experience, onsite workshops are far more costly to Affiliate Chapters than online workshops. For example, onsite workshops may include fees for the facility, and travel and hotel costs for the presenters, which would not exist for online workshops. 

In conclusion, the Board of FRID stands opposed to this motion.  We encourage all voting members to participate in this referendum. As a reminder, in order to participate in RID votes, there is a requirement that you hold membership in an affiliate chapter so please ensure that your membership is up-to-date.

The deadline to vote in this referendum is March 30, 2018.