FLDSCA.org News & Announcements

Code of Ethical Principles

The mission of the Deaf Service Center Association, Inc. (DSCA) is to foster the development, improvement and growth of services for deaf, hard of hearing and late deafened people in Florida. Furthermore, the DSCA strives to preserve, enhance and promote high ethical standards among the membership of the DSCA.

To these ends, this following Code of Ethics declares the ethical values and standards of professional practice which DSCA members embrace and that they strive to uphold in their responsibilities as service providers.

In doing so, the DSCA members are committed to improve quality of life, to inspire others and to maintain ongoing professional development. Such members, individually and organizationally, practice their profession with integrity and honesty.

Furthermore, DSCA members
1. apply the RID Code of Ethics to all interpreting situations;
2. recognize and respect cultural differences;
3. treat all people with dignity and respect;
4. affirm a commitment to human services and its role in society;
5. adhere to the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations;
6. demonstrate behaviors that bring credit to all professionals in the field of deafness;
7. recognize individual and organizational competency and capability;
8. state professional qualifications and credentials accurately;
9. value the privacy, the right to choose, and the variety of interests of members and those persons served;
10. encourage all colleagues to endorse and practice these ethical principles;
11. adhere to the following Standards of Professional Practice.

Standards of Professional Practice

1. Members shall act according to the highest standards and visions of the DSCA, the individual member organization,
profession and conscience.

2. Members shall avoid even the appearance of any criminal offense or professional misconduct.

3. Members shall be responsible for advocating, within their own organizations, adherence to all applicable laws and
regulations.

4. Members shall work, in their respective member organizations for a salary.

5. Members shall effectively disclose all relationships which might constitute, or appear to constitute, a conflict of interest:
such disclosure does not preclude or imply ethical impropriety.

6. Members shall accurately state their professional experience, qualifications, and expertise.

7. Members shall not disclose privileged information, such as client identification and personal information about association
members, to unauthorized parties. Members shall consider all minutes as drafts and thereby privileged information, until
they have been reviewed, revised and accepted by the DSCA.

8. Members shall keep constituent information confidential.

9. Members shall abide by all decisions of the DSCA.

10. Members’ actions shall reflect concern for the interests and well being of individuals affected by those actions. Members
shall not exploit any relationship with another DSCA member, volunteer, employee, to the benefit of the member or the
member’s organization.

11. Members alleging violations of Ethical Principles and Professional Practices must site a specific violation and deliver such
allegation to the Executive Board of the DSCA for an appointment of an Ethics Committee for investigation and a
recommended resolution.

12. All of the above notwithstanding, members shall comply with all applicable local, state and federal civil and criminal laws.

Adopted April 7, 2000

Page 1 of 1 pages