A Phenomenological Study on the Job Experience of the Deaf Director of the Sign Language Interpretation Center

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of the process of performing duties by the Deaf director of the Center at the Sign Language Interpretation Center and to understand the nature of the experience. A phenomenological qualitative research method was used to recognize the social position and role at the time of transition from part-time to paid full-time center director and to confirm the experience of performing one's duties. The study participants used sign language, and the study was conducted through in-depth interviews with intentional sampling of four center directors who had long worked at the center. As a result of data analysis, 14 revealed topics and 4 essential topics were derived through 33 semantic units excluding overlapping or out of context out of 299 semantic units for their job experience. The essential themes were ‘starting with the life of the deaf’, ‘doing my best in the job of the center director’, ‘not an easy path’, and ‘having hope’. This study is meaningful in that the Deaf director of the Center revealed the essential meaning of the psychological and social difficulties and job performance experience felt in his/her position, and can be expected to develop the sign language interpretation center and improve the welfare of the entire Deaf society.