Sign Language Interpreters – ASL Interpreters

California Assembly Bill 5 or AB 5 is a state statute that codifies into law a landmark Supreme Court of California case, Dynamex Operations West, Inc. vs. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, and which holds that most workers are employees, ought to be classified as such, and the burden of proof for classifying individuals as independent contractors belongs to the hiring […]

Deaf people have a legal right to a qualified interpreter. In legal settings, a qualified legal interpreter will have a specific skill set to ensure that the deaf person’s right to be present and participate is not compromised. Legal interpreting requires highly skilled and trained specialists because of the significant consequences to the people involved in the […]

The case of the chicken and the egg. Recently, in California’s Coachella Valley, local Deaf residents met with area officials regarding the need for Sign Language Interpreters to service their communication needs in this California desert. Recently, in California’s Coachella Valley, attempts were made to draw Sign Language Interpreters to the area to help bridge […]

  Another news story about a deaf man detained for over six weeks WITHOUT access to a sign language interpreter. Did HE know the law? Did the arresting officers know the law? How about whoever was in charge at the jail? So what exactly are deaf people entitled to when it comes to the law […]

Meet Betty. Betty Ludwick has been a Sign Language Interpreter in the Palm Springs area for many years. Betty is a hearing child of Deaf parents and worked as a teacher in the Palm Springs Unified School District for over 30 years. She has taught American Sign Language classes at College of the Desert, holds […]

Deaf in the Desert June 6, 2014 – Palm Desert, CA The Deaf Seniors Foundation of Palm Springs organized a ground breaking ‘Town Hall’ Meeting sponsored by U.S. Representative Raul Ruiz, M.D. THEME: “Challenges to Accessibility: Issues Affecting Members of the Deaf Community” Congressman Raul Ruiz extended an invitation to Coachella Valley professionals, educators, district […]

Wow…..twenty five years ago! This month we are remembering the “Deaf President Now” movement at Gallaudet University in 1988. In light of this historic moment in Deaf History, it seems appropriate to look back and remember how Deaf Culture has evolved over time. Thank you to Wendy Shaner at College of The Canyons for putting […]

Silly questions?  When ‘googling’ these questions, it’s amazing to see how many people are still asking these questions in 2012. For those of us living and working in the world of ‘deafness’, sign language interpreting, and ASL, these questions DO seem silly. Long, long ago….in a land far away….actually it was Atlanta in the 1980’s, […]

The train left the station. The passenger next to me began a friendly conversation and ultimately asked me “In what kind of settings would a sign language interpreter be needed?”.  This lovely lady was unfamiliar with Deaf Culture and was just making polite conversation.  I was afraid my answer sounded a bit ‘flip’, but I […]

Advice for Service Providers When Requesting Sign Language Interpreting Services Did you know that “sign language” is not a ‘one size fits all’ language? To ensure optimal communication, it is important for service providers to question the sign language style that best fits the Deaf person. Sign Language Agencies often receive requests from service providers […]