National Code of Ethics for Interpreter Educators
The IMIA International Code of Ethics for Interpreter Educators was developed by a number of educators from around the world who met on several occasions in 2007 and 2008 at the IMIA Trainers Calls. It has undergone several revisions with additional educators and was open for public review in 2009. This Code of Ethics was designed for all interpreter educators, not solely for medical interpreter educators. It was officially published at the First National Trainers Symposium on June 12, 2010. All comments should be emailed to info@imiaweb.org.
1. Competence and Qualifications
Interpreter educators shall only seek, accept, or offer to provide, those educational assignments they are qualified to perform.
2. Transparency
Interpreter educators shall disclose all information in a transparent way, not withholding information from students.
3. Professional Development
Interpreter educators shall participate and engage in educational and professional development activities to ensure competence and keep abreast of the evolving field and the latest standards.
4. Intellectual Property
Interpreter educators shall respect intellectual property & authorship of others, and copyright laws, seeking proper authorization and crediting materials as required by law.
5. Confidentiality
Interpreter educators shall assure that confidentiality of health information and student performance is maintained where appropriate.
6. Impartiality
Interpreter educators shall treat students fairly, in an unprejudiced manner, and avoid any actions that could be, or imply appearance of, favoritism or preference for particular students.
7. Professional Boundaries
Interpreter educators shall maintain a professional distance from students, and shall not utilize their position to gain favors from students.
8. Conflicts of Interest
Interpreter educators shall disclose to their students their affiliations with organizations they promote, and related conflicts of interest.
9. Professionalism
Interpreter educators shall uphold the public’s trust in the interpreting education field.
10. Accuracy
Interpreter educators shall give accurate information to students, based on the published research, recognized standards of practice and code of ethics for medical interpreters, rather than personal opinion based solely on individual experience.
11. Cultural Competence
Interpreter educators shall respect the cultural differences of students and be committed to creating a culturally competent learning environment.
12. Inclusiveness
Interpreter educators shall educate interpreters about all standards and codes for the profession, and promote instructional programs for all language groups, modes and modalities of interpretation to accurately reflect the scope of the profession.
© International Medical Interpreters Association. May be reproduced for educational purposes in its entirety.
Additional Documents
>Code of Ethics for Interpreters Educators - Print Version
