Interpreting Beyond the Words, Managing the Other 70% of Communication in Legal Settings

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Includes a Live Web Event on 09/16/2025 at 7:00 PM (EDT)

This Professional Studies program is offered for 0.2 PS-Legal CEUs at the little/none Content Knowledge Level. RID HQ is an approved RID CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities.

This presentation explores the systemic barriers faced by Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) individuals, highlighting legal, communicative, and institutional challenges. We will examine the impact of the issues, drawing on real-life accounts. We will also delve into the multifaceted roles of interpreters who often serve beyond their role, navigating complex legal and rehabilitative systems as educators, advocates, and mental health supporters. Finally, we examine advocacy strategies to foster critical reflection on the necessity of equitable access and systemic reform.

Roger C. Williams

Roger Williams is the owner of Hands On Interpreting, LLC, a private practice specializing in consulting and training related to the needs of deaf adults in the mental health system. Until his retirement in 2023, he was employed as the Executive Director of the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health. He received his B.S.W. from the Rochester Institute of Technology, his M.S.W., specializing in community mental health, from the University of Illinois and completed coursework towards a doctorate at the University of South Carolina, College of Social Work. Mr. Williams is licensed in Florida and South Carolina as a Licensed Independent Social Worker – Clinical Practice/Supervisor and holds an RID Certificate of Transliteration and an SCAD/NAD IAP Level 5 and has been recognized at the state and national level for his leadership in mental health services within the Deaf community.