Oklahoma § 63-2408 - Definitions

§ 63-2408. Definitions

As used in the Oklahoma Legal Interpreter for the Deaf and Hardof-Hearing Act:

1. "Deaf person" or "hard-of-hearing person" means an

individual whose sense of hearing is nonfunctional for the ordinary

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 63. Public Health and Safety

purposes of life, and also may include a person who is deaf-blind,

meaning a deaf or hard-of-hearing person whose vision is also

nonfunctional for the ordinary purposes of life;

2. "Qualified legal interpreter" means:

a.

an individual certified by the State Board of

Examiners of Certified Courtroom Interpreters, or

b. (1)

an individual who possesses the knowledge and

skills necessary to accurately and impartially

interpret spoken English into the equivalent

visual languages and modes, and currently

certified by the National Registry of

Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) as one of the

following:

(a) Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L). In

the event none are available, then

(b) Another RID national certification,

including, but not limited to, the National

Interpreter Certification (NIC), Certificate

of Interpretation and Certificate of

Transliteration (CI & CT), or Comprehensive

Skills Certificate (CSC),

(2) an individual who possesses the knowledge and

skills necessary to accurately and impartially

transliterate for a person who is oral or

nonsigning using the equivalent oral or captioned

mode, and is currently certified by the National

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf as one of

the following:

(a) Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L). In

the event none are available, then

(b) Another RID national certification,

including, but not limited to, the NIC,

Certificate of Interpretation and

Certificate of Transliteration (CI & CT), or

Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC),

(c) In the event none are available, or at the

request of the deaf individual, then a

recognized national or state certifying body

of captionists, or a court reporter who is

able to provide real time captioning, or

(3) an individual who:

(a) is deaf or hard-of-hearing who possesses the

knowledge, skills, specialized training and

experience to enhance communication with

persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and

whose communication modes are so unique that

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 63. Public Health and Safety

they cannot be adequately assessed by

interpreters who are hearing, and

(b) holds the following qualifications as a deaf

interpreter: National Registry of

Interpreters for the Deaf, Certified Deaf

Interpreter (CDI); in the event none are

available, then an Oklahoma QAST Deaf

Evaluator may be utilized; and

3. "Appointing authority" means any court, department, board,

commission, agency, licensing authority, political subdivision or

municipality of the state.

Added by Laws 1982, c. 290, § 2. Amended by Laws 2005, c. 395, § 2,

eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2023, c. 179, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2023.