Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 612 - State Department of Rehabilitation Services › Chapter 10 - Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired › Subchapter 13 - Special Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing › Part 3 - CERTIFICATION OF INTERPRETERS › Section 612:10-13-23 - Formal hearing

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
(a) A formal hearing
				  may be requested by the complainant or respondent by contacting the designated
				  Oklahoma interpreter certification program official by written form. The
				  hearing will be scheduled at a time and place convenient to all parties
				  concerned. All parties will receive two weeks' notice of the hearing date.
(b) The complainant and/or
				  respondent may invite a representative to attend during the proceedings. Either
				  party may present witnesses or other written documentation related to any
				  relevant aspect of the charge or defense. Parties must provide name of
				  witnesses and other written documentation two weeks prior to the scheduled
				  hearing date to the designated Oklahoma interpreter certification program
				  official.
(c) The hearing will be
				  conducted by a grievance panel selected by the Oklahoma interpreter
				  certification program and the Department. With effort, at least one member must
				  be deaf or hard of hearing; must be a former or current Oklahoma interpreter
				  certification test evaluator and/or acknowledgeable and adhering to a form of
				  Code of Ethics; with effort, one member must be an interpreter holding national
				  or Oklahoma State Level V/V certification; with effort, one member will be
				  selected at the discretion of Department and may be from a profession other
				  than interpreting for the deaf, but must be knowledgeable of Code adhering to a
				  form of Ethics. The panel will review information presented and make a
				  determination based on facts. Based upon this determination, the panel can make
				  recommendations for a course of appropriate action to the Oklahoma interpreter
				  certification program official. Possible actions are set forth in (1) through
				  (8) of this Subsection.
(1) The complaint be
				  dismissed;
(2) A written warning be
				  issued;
(3) A written reprimand be
				  issued indicating unsatisfactory performance;
(4) Probation a trial period for a specific
				  length of time during which the interpreter is required to fulfill a set of
				  conditions to improve work performance or work behavior;
(5) Suspension - removal of the individual
				  from the list of certified interpreters for a specified period of time, not to
				  exceed six (6) months;
(6)
				  Revocation - removal of the individual from the list of certified interpreters
				  for an extended period or permanently;
(A) It
				  must be determined and proven there was a severe violation against Code of
				  Professional Conduct tenets, and/or
(B) ICRC Level of Limitations, and/or
(C) a malicious intent of harm,
				  and/or
(D) disregarding or
				  violation of any governing State or Federal Laws before a certification can be
				  revoked.
(7) The
				  complainant may be retested using a different evaluation team at no cost to the
				  individual; and
(8) A recommended
				  change in policy or procedures in the interpreter evaluation process.