Oakland Community College program gets national recognition

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP (AP) — Oakland Community College’s sign language interpreter program has been awarded national accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education.

The program offered at the school’s Highland Lakes campus in Waterford Township is one of one five sign language interpreter degree programs in Michigan and the first to be accredited. The Detroit News reports that the accreditation comes as advocates for the deaf community say Michigan faces a pressing need for sign language interpreters.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights says more than 1.2 million deaf individuals live in Michigan, which has some of the nation’s toughest testing requirements for interpreters, and only one in every three sign language interpreter positions is filled.

Oakland Community College’s sign language interpreter degree program lasts three years. About 1,300 students are currently enrolled in the program.