Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
The Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (FRID) had their first organizational meeting on January 23, 1971. A small group of people met with a common goal: to provide quality interpreting services to deaf people. The first president, Betty Matthews, and her officers were installed by Mr. Pimentel, Director of the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, now known as the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID).
Today, FRID has more than 700 members. FRID administers two written and performance tests, the Quality Assurance Screening for interpreters in the community and the Educational Interpreter Evaluation for interpreters in the educational settings. Scholarships for these assessments and the RID written/performance tests are given to qualifying interpreters during annual state conferences.
The principal purposes of this Corporation are to initiate, sponsor, promote and execute policies and activities that shall further the profession of interpreting and transliterating, to include, but not be limited to, American Sign Language, English, and Spanish.
FRID, from the very beginning, has worked collaboratively with organizations in Florida to improve the professional lives of interpreters and to improve the quality and accessibility of interpreting services for deaf and hard of hearing Floridians. FRID continues to promote the profession and support other organizations by being a part of the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.