accredited Interpreter at International Organizations

• European Commission

• European Parliament

• Council of Europe

• United Nations & UN agencies

Registrations & certifications

• 2015: WFD-WASLI accredited International Sign interpreter

• 2014: AIIC member

• 2011: Registered CRKBO teacher/trainer

• 2003: Registered Dutch Sign Language Interpreter

• 1993: Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf (RID), Certified Interpreter (CI).

Presenter & Trainer

• 2023 - current: 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

• 2023 - current: Project leader ISO/AWI 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)