Five Deaf IS professionals. One week of intensive side event coverage at the UN.
The United Nations covers interpretation for its own plenary sessions. Side events — the 90-minute sessions run by NGOs, member state delegations, and civil society organizations — are independently funded. Each host arranges their own IS interpretation. This is where Deaf delegates present their work, build coalitions, and engage directly with policymakers. Our team staffs that coverage, event by event, across the full conference week.
Deaf delegates travel to UN COSP19 from across the world to present, advocate, and participate in international disability rights policy. Many bring a single interpreter to support their full week of engagements. A single interpreter cannot sustainably cover a 9-to-10-hour conference day — and some delegations have no interpreter support at all. A dedicated IS team on the ground means Deaf delegates can operate at full capacity, without access being a bottleneck to their work.
At COSP18, our team covered over 40 events across two concurrent tracks. The interpreters on that team — most of whom covered their own travel costs — made that possible. This fund properly resources their participation at COSP19 and intentionally draws from an international pool of Deaf IS interpreters, not only American practitioners — reflecting the global character of the work itself.
Lori Whynot holds WFD-WASLI accreditation into spoken English. Steven Surrency holds WFD-WASLI accreditation in both directions. All members are experienced in international conference settings and fully aligned with the Deaf-led team model.
International IS Interpreter Primer Day
The Sunday prior to COSP19, WITHdirection is developing a dedicated orientation day for the full interpreter team — accredited and pre-accredited alike. This is not a logistics briefing. It is a structured professional development session focused on:
- Deaf-hearing interpreter team co-construction — reviewing roles, protocols, and real-time coordination strategies specific to the UN side event environment
- Connection with Deaf delegates — creating structured space for interpreters to meet, observe, and engage with the delegates they will be supporting throughout the week
- Pre-accredited interpreter preparation — supervised review and training for interpreters who are near-accreditation-ready, grounding them in the specific demands of international IS work at this level
- International team integration — with interpreters traveling from South Africa, Australia, Canada, and the US, the Primer Day establishes shared working norms before the conference begins
The Primer Day reflects WITHdirection's commitment to capacity building in the international IS field — not just staffing events, but developing the next generation of Deaf IS professionals in the context where that work actually happens.
Dedicated fund — fully separated
All COSP19 interpreter travel contributions are held in a dedicated account, completely separate from WITHdirection operating funds. Detailed accounting available to all contributors upon request.
Need IS interpretation for your side event?
UN COSP19 side events run across the full conference week — in-person, hybrid, and evening receptions. IS interpretation needs vary depending on your format, whether you have Deaf panelists or moderators, and how many concurrent sessions you are running. Both WITHdirection and All Hands in Motion can advise on staffing strategy and service options for your specific event.
WITHdirection and All Hands in Motion operate independently. Pricing and service arrangements may vary.
Funds are held in a dedicated COSP19 account, separate from WITHdirection operating funds. Full accounting available on request.