Photo: UN Photo/Antoine Tardy
aBOUT | Maya de Wit, PhD
Maya de Wit, phd
accredited Interpreter at International Organizations
- European Commission 
- European Parliament 
- Council of Europe 
- United Nations & UN agencies 
Registrations & certifications
Presenter & Trainer
- 2023 - 2025: MPDF Course Director for Multilingual Sign Language Translation & Interpreting Studies (MITS) 
- Since 2001: delivered 100+ presentations and workshops in Europe and beyond. 
- 2020: Trainer at the European Commission (DG interpretation) mentor program International Sign interpreters at the EC 
Consultant
- 2025 - current: Standing committee member of the AIIC Private Market Sector 
- 2023 - current: Project leader ISO/CD 17651-4 
- 2019 - current: Member of the AIIC ISO group 
- 2020 - 2021: External expert at the European Commission - International Sign interpreters mentoring scheme 
- 2016 - 2023: Coordinator AIIC Sign Language Network 
- 2016 - 2022: Member of the AIIC Advisory Board 
- 2020 July-Aug.: External expert at the European Commission Research Executive Agency 
- 2018 - 2019: Member of the AIIC Taskforce Distant Interpreting 
- 2017 - 2019: Member of the Professional Advisory Committee (BVC) for IGTD, Utrecht, the Netherlands 
- 2017 - 2019: Member WFD Expert Group Accessibility (Technology & Sign Language Interpretation) 
- 2013 - 2015: WFD-WASLI Committee member task group on International Sign and Process for Hiring 
- 2015 Feb.: Member of efsli scientific committee 2016 conference, Warsaw, Poland 
- 2015 April: EUMASLI assessor, Amsterdam, the Netherlands 
- 2014 March: Member of the EUMASLI accreditation peer group, Agency Acquin, Magdeburg, Germany 
- 2014 January: Advisor curriculum development Sign Language Interpreting program, Linz, Austria 
- 2012 March: Audit committee member Dutch Sign Language Interpreting program, Utrecht, the Netherlands 
- 2009 - 2011: Project partner in Training Sign Language Interpreters in International Setting (IISE), European project 
NBTG Policy Maker
From 1998 till 2008 I worked as a policy maker for the Dutch Association of Sign Language Interpreters (NBTG). I have, among others, contributed to projects such as the Registry of Sign Language Interpreters, membership drive, conference EFSLI 2001 & 2008, funding of the interpreting services, NBTG publications, and the PR policy.
Efsli President
From 2006 till September 2012 (re-elected in 2009) I was president of the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (efsli). efsli is the umbrella organization of Sign Language interpreters in Europe. Once a year efsli holds an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and conference.
EULITA Board Member
Served as a board member of the European Legal Interpreters and Translators Association from November 2009 till February 2012.
Education
- 2018 - 2023: PhD, Radboud University, the Netherlands 
- 2009 - 2011: European Masters in Sign Language Interpreting (MSc), Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland 
- 2000 - 2003: Dutch Sign Language interpreter (BA), Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands 
- 1991 - 1992: Health Care Interpreting Program, College of St. Catherine, Minneapolis, USA 
- 1987 - 1991: Recreatief Educatief Werk, Nijmegen, the Netherlands 
More info
Interview with Sign Language Interpreter and Trainer Maya de Wit, by Ester de Boe for the International Journal of Interpreter Education, Vol. 9: Iss. 2, Article 6. (Dec. 2017)
AIIC’s first sign-language member: Maya de Wit, Interview AIIC (2014)
 
                    