Bullying and Horizontal Violence in Sign Language Interpreting: Recognising It, Responding to It and Changing the Culture

Monday 15 March 2027 | Live on Zoom

English, International Sign and Auslan

Part of the AIMS 2027 series: The Elephant in the Interpreting Room

How can we build a kinder, more supportive global sign language interpreting community?

Why do sign language interpreters sometimes experience a culture of “eating our young and one another”? More importantly, what can we do to change it?

Join Emily Ott, an ASL interpreter, educator and researcher from Ohio, USA, for an honest, respectful and solutions-focused conversation about bullying and horizontal violence within the interpreting profession.

Drawing on her research and professional experience, Emily will explore how these behaviours affect interpreters, how we can recognise and respond to them, and what practical steps we can take to create lasting positive change.

This session is not about blaming or shaming individuals. It’s about learning, reflecting and working together to build a healthier, more supportive profession for everyone.

Together, we’ll explore:

Recognising bullying and horizontal violence in interpreting
Understanding the impact on interpreters and professional relationships
Responding constructively when these behaviours occur
Supporting colleagues, including students and emerging interpreters
Practical ways to prevent harm and create lasting cultural change

Meet our presenter: Emily Ott

Emily Ott completed her Master’s degree in Interpreting Studies at Western Oregon University in 2012, where her thesis investigated horizontal violence among sign language interpreters.

She worked as a full-time interpreter from 2009 to 2023, including 11 years as a staff interpreter at The Ohio State University. Before that, she gained experience across a variety of community and Video Relay Service (VRS) settings.

Today, Emily works as a full-time teacher while continuing to interpret part-time in community settings.

Emily brings a valuable combination of research, education and real-world interpreting experience to this important conversation.

Your experiences can help shape this event

AIMS has invited sign language interpreters from around the world to contribute to an anonymous survey about bullying, horizontal violence and microaggressions within the profession.

The experiences, reflections and practical suggestions shared through this survey will help inform Emily’s presentation, ensuring our conversation reflects the challenges interpreters are facing and the positive changes they would like to see.

Complete the anonymous survey⁠

Event times

Monday 15 March 2027 | 2-hour session

🇦🇺 Australia

WA: 5:00–7:00 pm
NT: 6:30–8:30 pm
QLD: 7:00–9:00 pm
SA: 7:30–9:30 pm
NSW, VIC, TAS, ACT: 8:00–10:00 pm

🌍 International

🇳🇿 Auckland, New Zealand: 10:00 pm–12:00 am (Tuesday)
🇬🇧 London, UK: 9:00–11:00 am
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands: 10:00 am–12:00 pm
🇺🇸 New York, USA: 5:00–7:00 am

Accessibility

The presentation will be delivered in spoken English, with live English captions, International Sign and Auslan interpreting.

Can’t attend live? All registered participants will have access to the recording. 🎥

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