The Conference of Interpreter Trainers – 2026 Biennial Conference

“Roots to Radiance”

CALL FOR PRESENTERS

November 4 – 7, 2026
Albuquerque, New Mexico
DEADLINES FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION:

Thursday, April 1, 2026,11:59 PM EST. – Due date for submission of Proposals.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 – Notifications of acceptance.

Thursday, April 30, 2026 – Selected presenters must confirm to accept.

Friday, May 15, 2026 – Presenters’ abstract, headshot photo and bio will be published. 

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – All accepted presenters who selected the option of submitting a paper for publication in the 2026 Conference proceedings are expected to submit the final draft for the proceedings. Further information about the conference proceedings and the editing processes can be found below.  

ABOUT THE CIT BIENNIAL CONFERENCE:

Since 1979, the Conference of Interpreter Trainers has hosted a biannual conference where interpreter educators, researchers, and members convene to share and showcase the latest teaching practices and research studies. 

CIT’s LANGUAGE POLICY:

American Sign Language is the official language to be used at the conferences of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers.  Other sign languages and International Sign Language are welcome to be used at the conference. 

INTERPRETATION POLICY:

CIT is committed to providing interpreters for International Sign Language interpretation upon request for participants.  This request applies to Deaf Blind participants. 

Presenting at the CIT Biennial Conference is a challenging and rewarding opportunity. All proposals are selected through the Program Committee. The benefits of presenting at the conference are as follows:

  • Increased Recognition.
  • Elevate your network.
  • You will be featured in the CIT e-program book and CIT conference website.
  • You will have an option to publish your presentation in the digital proceedings of the CIT 2026 conference.
  • You will gain recognition and advancement of your profession by presenting and contributing to the interpreter education field.
PROPOSAL OVERVIEW:

The conference theme, “Roots to Radiance”, frames our progression from foundational beginnings to current advancements within an increasingly digital landscape.  Interested individuals and groups are invited to submit abstracts that reflect an approach to Interpreter Education, and the development of well-rounded interpreter practitioners and mentors that fit with the conference theme, “Roots to Radiance”. 

Submissions should reflect the conference theme.  The following are recommended topics:

  • Interpersonal dynamics and communicative interaction
  • Applications of interpreting theories into skills
  • Traditional classroom versus online learning
  • Integrating learning styles and multiple intelligences
  • Performance monitoring: achievable performance assessments
  • Ethical-making decisions
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT revolution: its impact on interpreter education
  • Technology in Interpreter Education
  • Societal influences on students’ mental health
  • Self-care during this rapidly changing time
  • mindfulness
  • Innovative research study
  • Mentoring approaches and techniques
  • Other topics that reflect current and/or future trends in interpreter education, mentoring, and research. 

 

The target audience for the conference includes ASL and interpreting educators, mentors, in-service trainers and researchers. 

PROPOSALS:

Presenters are invited to submit signed videos and written abstracts that reflect a holistic approach to Interpreter Education, and the development of well-rounded interpreter practitioners and mentors. Topics should revolve around the 2026 CIT Conference theme: “Roots to Radiance”. The CIT Conference aims to soar to new heights by prioritizing research, mentoring, teaching & leadership.

The target audience for the conference includes interpreter educators, mentors, in-service trainers, and researchers, as well as those from international countries.

PROCEDURE:

In your proposal(s), CIT will accept both video and written abstracts, educational objectives, and program book descriptions. 

  • For reviewers, video abstracts should be no longer than three minutes, while written abstracts (in English) must be no more than 500 words.
  • Video description should be no longer than three minutes, while the written description (in English for publication) is a maximum of 150 words. 
  • If your proposal is accepted, you will be notified. Your video and English description of the presentation, along with your headshot and BIO, will be published on CIT’s Conference website. 
  • The video may be in a naturally occurring sign language (ASL, Auslan, BSL, JSL, International Sign, or other sign languages).

 

ACCEPTANCE: 

As mentioned above, notifications will be made by Thursday, April 1, 2026, and selected proposals must be confirmed by April 15, 2026.

All accepted presenters have an option to submit a paper in written English and an abstract in ASL version on a video, with a link for the proceedings, which will be due by September 15, 2026.

REMINDER: 
Proposals must be submitted by Thursday, April 1, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time. No exceptions.

See below about Conference proceedings.

Presenter's Proposal Submission Here

FOR 2026 CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS: 

Check the box on the form for submission if you wish to have your presentation published in the digital 2026 Conference proceedings, and that you agree to follow the timelines for publication and follow the instructions provided by the Proceedings Editor(s).

  • June 15, 2026: 1st Draft of paper for the Proceedings due. If the initial draft is not submitted by the deadline, your paper will not be published.
  • August 1, 2026: Returned Draft w/ Feedback
  • September 15, 2026: Final draft of Proceedings Paper, along with the signed abstract.
  • Nov 4-7, 2026: CIT CONFERENCE
 
PRESENTATION FORMATS:

Proposers must identify a single format and length as their primary choice. They may also choose a secondary format, in the case that the proposal, after review, is not accepted for the primary format/length. In addition, the Program Committee, after review, may offer an alternate different format/length option which the submitter can accept or reject.  

  • Lectures (1.5 hours)
  • Interactive Seminars (1.5 hours)
  • Panel Discussions (1.5 hours)
  • Workshops (1.5 hours or 3 hours)
  • CIT Lab (1.5 hours or 3 hours)

 

FORMAT DESCRIPTIONS:

Lectures: designed to offer time for presenters to share research findings, lived-experiences, best practices such as innovative assessment practices, including collaborative approaches, online teaching, student diversity, community, and implementing research, aligning with the “Roots to Radiance” theme; a Q&A session should be included. 1.5 hours

Interactive Seminars: designed to offer time for the presenter(s) to interact with the participants to discuss a given topic and share their experiences for possible solutions and strategies for making transformative changes in lesson plans, course topics, and/or the curriculum of the course and/or the program or mentoring approaches, research approaches. The focus is to be in line with the conference theme, Roots to Radiance. 1.5 hours

Panel Discussions: designed to offer time for individuals or groups to share original research, projects, and/or activities with the audience that may include a panel or an open Q&A format as the materials are presented. The focus is a meta-academic discussion regarding findings, and/or lived-experiences within the realm of education of interpreters in any signed language. Themes aligning with ‘Roots and Radiance’, including interpreting practitioners, mentors, language tutors, translators, Directors of Artistic Sign Language, and those who are missing from our narratives, are encouraged. 1.5 hours

Workshops: designed to offer a more extended time frame to engage with participants in an interactive format, focusing on skill-building activities. Presenters are encouraged to share innovative assessment practices, including collaborative approaches, online teaching, student diversity, community, and implementing research. Proposals should indicate how the time is allotted and how the time will be used to encourage participant interaction and active learning. 1.5 hours or 3 hours

CIT Lab:  designed for focusing on hands-on use of digital devices and software. CIT Lab will have tables with outlets on each table for laptops. It is recommended that participants bring their own laptops. The lab is designed for a presenter or facilitator to engage with the participants for skills building or learning activities for instructional purposes. The lab is also designed to provide training on the use of technology and apps for instructional activities. 1.5 hours or 3 hours.

ALTERNATIVE CONSIDERATIONS:

Proposals not meeting the criteria, based on the scores from the reviewers for the conference, may be considered as an option as posters and offered to the person who submitted the proposals to accept this option or not.  Should the option to do a poster is accepted, guidelines for posters will be sent.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS:

Proposals need to provide the following:

  • First and last name of primary presenter
  • City, State, Country of primary presenter
  • Biography sketch: up to 150 words
  • Headshot photo
  • Contact information (mobile, VP, text, and email address)
  • If more than one presenter, BIO, headshot, contact information of each co-presenter must be included.
  • Title of proposal
  • Abstracts, descriptions, educational objectives in both ASL, other signed language, or International Sign (IS) AND in written English. Each version of the abstract, description, and educational objectives must reflect parallel information in each language.
  • Educational objectives with three or more objectives must be included as part of the proposal.
  • Signed abstract: up to 3 minutes.
  • Written abstract: up to 500 words.
  • Signed description of the presentation for the program book: up to 1 minute
  • Written description of the presentation for the program book: up to 200 words 
 

All of the abstracts received will be reviewed based on the rating form below. The proposals not accepted as workshops, shareshops, or presentations may be considered as posters.

For CEU submission, proposals must follow RID CEU format.

Presenter's Proposal Submission Here
PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS: 
Reviewers:

CIT recognizes the crucial need for reviewers who bring diverse perspectives.  Reviewers will include CIT members of the Program Committee, with additional reviewers recruited from specific organizations, such as ASLTA, NAD, RID, NAOBI, and Mano a Mano.

Reviewers will be assigned to review proposal abstracts and educational objectives, based on their areas of expertise, and are expected to disclose any conflicts of interest or known ties to proposers (e.g., co-faculty, or co-presenters, members of proposed panel, research advisor, mentor, supervisor, or teacher). 

Review Process: 

Reviewers will use a rubric for rating scores. In the case of a disparity in reviewing the proposal, an additional reviewer will be consulted.  In addition to the selection rubric, and depending on the number of proposals received for review, CIT reserves the option to limit submissions to: 

  • One submission per primary presenter.
  • Proposals that present evidence of research-based practices, theories and concepts.
  • Offer an alternative presentation format and length.
 
Timelines for 2026 Conference Presenters:

April 1, 2026:     Proposal Submission Due

April 15, 2025:   Notification of Status of Proposals

April 30, 2026:   Confirmation of acceptance, non-acceptance, or an offer for poster if not accepted.

For questions about the Call for Proposals, contact programchairs@citsl.org.  
 Thank you!!!

Tentative Schedule

Endnote Speaker

Sharon Neumann Solow

Interpreter, Trainer, Performer,
Lecturer, Author, Consultant

Sharon Neumann Solow works with great commitment and joy as an interpreter, trainer, performer, lecturer, author and consultant. Her career, spanning over 50 years, has taken her around the United States, and to Canada, South America, Mexico, Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand and Australia. She is the author of two books, Sign Language Interpreting: A Basic Resource Book and Say It with Sign along with numerous professional articles and handbooks and is presently working on an exciting new book.

Her travels and some of her conference work have involved interpreting using international gesture (a gestural, pantomimic form of communication across language barriers). Along with teaching sign language interpreters at all levels, she has been involved in the education of spoken language interpreters and interpreter educators through the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Sharon is honored to be a long standing member of efsli(The European Federation of Sign Language Interpreters). She is an active member of the RID (Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf – US) and CIT (Conference of Interpreter Trainers – US), holding the NAD (National Association of the Deaf – US) SIGN (Sign Language instructor) Comprehensive Permanent Certificate as well as the RID Specialist Certificate: Legal and was certified as a Happiness coach in 2022.

The 2016 recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award from Region V RID, the 2016 RIT/NTID Award of Appreciation as well as the 2010 joint RID – CIT Mary Stotler Award, she was honored with the 2005 Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) President’s Award and the President’s Award for 2005 from the National Association of Black Interpreters (NAOBI). She also received the 1987 national Virginia Hughes Award for outstanding contributions to the field of sign language interpreting. Sharon has lived in California on the Monterey Peninsula since 1984. She and her husband have two wonderful children and 5 delicious granddaughters.

Endnote Speaker

Franklin Jones, Jr.

Lecturer in Deaf Studies

Franklin Jones, Jr., serves as a lecturer in Deaf Studies and is pursuing a doctorate in Language & Literacy Education with a specialization in Deaf Studies at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. In his primary role, he instructs students at various proficiency levels in American Sign Language (ASL). His research interests focus on Black American Sign Language (BASL), delving into its historical origins, linguistic intricacies, cultural significance, and the resilience of Black Deaf males in higher education.

 Prior to joining Boston University, Professor Jones gained valuable experience as a lecturer at Gallaudet University. This esteemed position was attained through a highly competitive selection process. At Gallaudet University, he successfully taught ASL to a diverse range of students, including Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing individuals. This experience significantly enhanced his teaching skills and deepened his understanding of ASL communication dynamics.

Professor Jones is recognized as a distinguished speaker on educational, linguistic, and cultural equity within Deaf communities. His expertise extends to various areas, including the Black Deaf experience, ASL, BASL, deaf culture, linguistics, and pedagogy. Additionally, he has delivered impactful presentations, contributing to the broader discourse on Deaf studies and linguistic diversity.

CIT TALK Speakers

Gloshanda Lawyer &
Kenton Myers

Black multilingual researcher/interpreter

Myers & Lawyer is a Black multilingual researcher/interpreter duo composed of Kenton Myers and Gloshanda Lawyer. Kenton Myers is a trilingual (ASL, Spanish, English) interpreter who is known for his leadership in the advancement of the interpretation and translation field. He serves as president of the Interpreters and Translators Association of Alabama (ITAA). He has co-authored a 40-hour English/Spanish language healthcare interpreter training program to prepare individuals for national certification. Gloshanda Lawyer, PhD is a trilingual (ASL, Spanish, English) interpreter and independent researcher. She advocates for multilingualism for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing populations. She has been a K-12 Deaf educator, early interventionist, and assistant professor of Deaf Education, Deaf Studies, and Interpreter Education. For the past year, Myers & Lawyer has been engaging in community-based research, creating resources and training materials, and publishing multilingual open access content for BIPOC interpreters and the organizations that contract for interpreting services. They focus on issues of power and justice in language access spaces.

Registration flyer with images of presenters and costs
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